Curriculum Versioning Framework

Core Rule

A syllabus version is a historical curriculum record. New syllabuses are added append-only; older syllabuses remain available for legacy exam mapping, comparison, and audit.

Do not merge an old syllabus into a newer syllabus just because both teach the same subject. Keep official topic order, form placement, labels, and source authority separate.

Identity Layers

• curriculum: one official syllabus version for one subject, level, and year.
• topic: one official syllabus learning node inside one curriculum version.
• concept: a durable learning idea that can appear in multiple syllabus versions.
• alias: a search or migration label that resolves to a canonical record without rewriting history.
• crosswalk: an explicit relationship between records from different curriculum versions.

Topic identity answers where the syllabus places an item. Concept identity answers what idea the learner is studying.

ID Rules

New legacy and future records use version-scoped IDs:

curriculum-csee-basic-mathematics-2005
topic-csee-basic-mathematics-2005-accounts
topic-csee-mathematics-2028-logarithms

Existing early Mathematics IDs such as topic-logarithms remain compatibility IDs until downstream question mappings migrate.

Crosswalk Relationship Types

• same_or_near_same: the official learning target is substantially the same.
• partial_overlap: the topics share concepts but differ in scope, placement, or emphasis.
• split_into: one older topic becomes several newer topics.
• merged_into: several older topics become one newer topic.
• moved_form: a recognizable topic shifts form/class placement.
• renamed_from: the label changes while the scope remains substantially stable.
• legacy_only: an older topic has no clear current equivalent.
• new_only: a newer topic has no clear older equivalent.

Uncertain relationships go to a review queue instead of being forced.

Exam Authority

Official syllabuses define curriculum topics, competences, and form placement. Official examination-format documents define assessment structure, paper layout, content groups, and table-of-specification guidance. Past papers show observed assessment practice.

Exam-format wording and past-paper signals must not create, rename, merge, or delete syllabus topics. They may only crosswalk to existing curriculum-version topic IDs, concept IDs, or review queues.

Mathematics Decision

The Mathematics syllabus is stored as curriculum-csee-basic-mathematics-2005. It is a legacy exam-facing syllabus and does not replace curriculum-csee-mathematics-2023, which remains the current Mathematics spine.