Australian National Curriculum

Media Release, Independent Schools Victoria, 1 March 2010

The proposed national curriculum is an opportunity to examine subjects and teaching practices to identify ways of achieving better educational outcomes in Australia.

While supporting in principle the concept of a national curriculum, independent schools in Victoria are responsible for determining their own curriculum framework and they will have differing views on aspects of the proposed curriculum.

More than 127,000 students attend 222 schools that are members of Independent Schools Victoria.

We are providing Member Schools with the background that they need to assess the proposed curriculum and we will be maintaining a continuing dialogue with them so that we can raise, on their behalf, any concerns they would like discussed in the consultation period.

We are confident that our highly qualified and professional independent school teachers are capable of embracing new content and a shift in emphasis in the proposed curriculum because of their training, on-the-ground experience and innate intelligence. They will be taking curriculum content and using their teaching skills to make subjects engaging and challenging for students.

Implementation of the proposed curriculum will depend on the extent of the difference between the new curriculum and the existing curriculum. It is likely that schools will pilot elements of the new curriculum in 2011 and plan for full implementation from 2012. Schools will learn by trialling various components. Full implementation is not likely to be in every year level simultaneously because prior learning will be required in previous year levels.

The draft curricula for K – 10 can be downloaded below:

• English (PDF)
• Maths (PDF)
• History (PDF)
• Science (PDF)

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), is responsible for the development of the Australian national curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12. ACARA will hold a public information session on Wednesday 17 March 2010. Please email consultation@acara.edu.au to register your interest in attending or for further information.

 

 

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