Australian Curriculum

2007-2017
EDST 5140
 Background
Federated system
National partnerships
Federal government control of
different states and territories
Trends in UK and USA =
standardisation of curriculum
Entitlement
consitency
 Declarations
Read and analyse one of these documents (moodle)
Hobart Declaration, 1989
Adelaide Declaration, 1998
Working in groups of 3 compare both declarations:
key words, values and aspirations
When was this written? Who was Prime Minister?
What was happening in Australia at that time?
Key similarities?
Key differences?
1990s National Curriculum
Curriculum Corporation
Curriculum by tender problems with
this approach?
FailedMaths resisted
NSW integrated National Profiles in
Syllabuses, VA & Maths undid this.
 Education Revolution
Rudd Calls For An Education Revolution (2007)
Rudd to raise the bar for schools: The Australian October 06, 2007
Mr Rudd said one of the education system's worst problems was its variability.
He said he felt sympathy for parents who faced a "vexed choice" on schooling,
admitting he had seen excellence in public and private schools as well as
inadequacy.
"What you'll find us doing increasingly is lifting the bar nationally on performance
measures for schools," he said.
"When we talk about a new national curriculum, let me tellyou, its core hallmark
when it comes to English, maths, science, history, languages, will be absolute
rigour."

In an indication that the Opposition Leader is likely to take on the powerful

teachers' unions if he wins office, Mr Rudd said Labor would negotiate a national
curriculum with states and tie funding increases to improvements in educational
outcomes.
 Policy Structure for the Australian
Curriculum 2008
In small groups
Melbourne
read this policy
Declaration on the
identify the key
Educational Goals for
factors that inform
young Australians
education into the
(2008)
21st century
How does this
declaration differ
from the previous
ones?
 2008 another attempt -
ACARA
National Curriculum
Board 2007/8
ACARA set up 2009 National Curriculum
Phase 1: F-10 Development Paper
curriculum in English, (see Moodle)
Maths, Science & Shape of the Austra
History finalised 2010
lian Curriculum V4
Phase 2: Arts, (2012)
geography, languages
Yrs 11-12 concurrently,
What was the
then put on hold rationale for this
curriculum?
 Australian Curriculum Development
Process
Who? What?
Reference group Curriculum Elements
Rationale, aims
Advisory groups established
content by year level & general
in each subject capabilities, curriculum priorities
Lead writers appointed Content elaborations
Achievement Standards
Work samples
How?
Initial Advice papers, Draft
Shape & Shape papers Define these areas with
reference to:
Writing
Curriculum Design Paper V3.1
Published curriculum Curriculum Development Proc
Curriculum implementation ess V6
& evaluation Monitoring and Evaluating the
Australian Curriculum (2013)
 National Consistency?
Benefits of a standardised curriculum in
Australia?
Entitlement?
role of teachers?
Pedagogy?
What kind of content? Why by year level?
Issues?
Indigenous education? Is equity achieved?
Is it a world class curriculum?
 Six criteria for an Australian Curriculum
A national approach to curriculum should be based on and
consistent with:
a clearly articulated rationale, purposes and philosophical
reference points
a theorized and articulated view of curriculum
a strong research and conceptual base
a process that engages the professional community in the
conceptual phases
a process that seeks to build a constituency of support
a recognition of the political realities produced by the
Australian Federal system (Reid, 2005, pp. 6-7).
Activity: Examine Brennans (2011) discussion what are the issues she
raises relative
to these criteria? (pp. 268-271)
Can you find evidence of these factors in the Shape of the Australian
Curriculum paper V4 (2012)?
 Warnings: Curriculum
content
On the educational front, the
overcrowding of specified content, its
specification at age levels, and the
disjuncture between content,
assessment and pedagogies do not
bode well for providing practicable and
well resourced support for teachers.
(Brennan 2011, p.259)
 Warnings - infrastructure
Lack of infrastructure to support
teachers and schools, lack of
necessary feedback loops into policy
and development, and lack of
appropriate evolving and specified
relationships among levels of
government may well undo all the
important educational work on
national curriculum. (Brennan 2011,
p.259)
 2014 Review of the Australian
Curriculum
http://www.students
first.gov.au/review
-australian-curricu
ACARA
lum
What were the key Consulattion report
findings of this https://
review? acaraweb.blob.core
.windows.net
/resources/Consult
ation_Report_-_30_
September_2015.pdf
 Reflection
What approach to curriculum is
represented in the Australian
Curriculum Example?
Child-centered? (Process based
Model)
Discipline based? (Content focused
model)
Outcomes based? (product based
model)
Integration of AC in NSW Syllabuses
 Integration of AC into NSW
Curriculum
NSW syllabuses Australian Curriculum
Objectives & Outcomes Aim & Rationale
developed from:
Content developed from: Content Descriptions
Stage Statements reflect the Achievement Standards
intent of:
Learning Across the Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities &
consider the: General Capabilities
Glossary considered the: Glossary
AC content descriptions - modified, reordered & supplemented
AC elaborations considered for clarification of content
AC content descriptions are identified by the Australian curriculum codes
Cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities icons identify
opportunities