National Curriculum

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National Curriculum
2
What is it?
The Boards purpose To develop a single,
world-class Australian curriculum for all
students from Kindergarten to Year 12, starting
with English, mathematics, the sciences and
history. The development of continua of learning
in literacy and numeracy will be a foundation for
this work.

• A National Curriculum for
• English
• History
• Mathematics
• Sciences
• then
• Geography
• LOTE
• then
• ?

3
Who is running it?
COAG (Council of Australian Governments) Chair
Prime Minister
Commonwealth Statutory Authority reporting to
both Commonwealth and State Ministers (MCEETYA)
NCB (Interim National Curriculum Board) Chair
Professor Barry McGaw
to be replaced by
NEW
ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and
Reporting Authority
VCAA State Reference Group Chair Terry Hayes
VCAA and equivalent State and Territory Statutory
Authorities
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What is the policy basis?

• a solid foundation in skills and knowledge on
  which further learning and adult life can be
  built
• deep knowledge and skills that will enable
  advanced learning and an ability to create new
  ideas and translate them into practical
  applications
• general capabilities that underpin flexible and
  critical thinking, a capacity to work with others
  and an ability to move across subject disciplines
  to develop new expertise
• http//www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/Draf
  t_National_Declaration_on_Educational_Goals_for_Yo
  ung_Australians.pdf

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What is the legislative basis?
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What is the conceptual framework?

• Content at each year level
• Structure of achievement standards still under
  discussion one option to be set out as a
  continuum of achievement (similar to current
  NAPLAN), not necessarily linked to year levels
• Expected standards as key stages likely to be
  specified (paras 15 19 of Proposal)

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What are some key issues?

• Some questions
• Equity and inclusivity (para 11) what does a
  national curriculum actually mean in contemporary
  diverse Australia?
• Comprehensiveness (para 12) how does the
  National Curriculum connect with the rest of the
  curriculum?
• Some answers
• Focus on content and subject specific processes
  rather than generic processes e.g. enquiry skills
  (paras 22 29)
• Interdisciplinary skills recognised but not
  defined separately (paras 33 42)

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What about assessment?

• Qualifications to remain responsibility of each
  state/territory (para 55)
• VET, VCAL and IB can continue to be provided
• NAPLAN testing to continue
• End-of-school assessment remains responsibility
  of each state/territory (para 51)
• Current VCE assessment structures likely to
  continue (para 51)

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What does it mean for Victoria?

• No change until 2011
• Potential changes to content of English,
  Mathematics, Sciences and History
• Little change to assessment
• Opportunity to revisit and review current
  Victorian practice

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So why bother?

• To make sure what we value is maintained in the
  National Curriculum and the opposite
• National curriculum has quickly become the new
  site for reaching a new settlement on questions
  related both to curriculum and national identity
• Curriculum matters, both as an enabler and a
  constraint

• Curriculum is
• a particular, historically formed knowledge that
  inscribes rules and standards by which we
  reason about the world and our self as a
  productive member of that world Curriculum is a
  disciplining technology that directs how the
  individual is to act, feel, talk and see the
  world and self. As such, curriculum is a form
  of social regulation.
• (Popkewitz,1997 p. 132).

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Will it make much difference?

• The Boards curriculum can address the three
  goals for young Australians directly. In
• pursuing the goal of a more equitable education
  system, curriculum can make some contribution but
  success will depend more on substantial action by
  education authorities funding and running schools
  (para 10)

• Curriculum a necessary but not sufficient
  condition for the pursuit and achievement of
  equity and excellence
• As a necessary condition it makes a difference

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What are the timelines?

• Initial proposal published October
• Draft Advice papers for four subjects published
  and consultation meetings held 13 17 October
• Redrafted Advice papers published early November
• 3 months consultation
• Advice papers redrafted as writers briefs

• Writing commences March 2009
• Writing and trialling completed 2010
• Implementation from 2011 states and territories
  likely to determine staging
• Geography and LOTE
• Other subjects?

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How do we participate?

• Participate in this forum Report forwarded to
  VCAA State Reference Group to inform Minister and
  to Interim NCB
• Respond via website (www.ncb.org.au)
• Respond via subject associations
• Participate in VCAA consultation forums through
  next year as drafts are developed
• Volunteer your school as a pilot in 2010

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Contact Details

• Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
• (VCAA)
• David Howes
• General Manager, Curriculum
• email howes.david.c_at_edumail.vic.gov.au
• ph [phone]
• www.vcaa.vic.edu.au

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Science What is YOUR view?

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Key features of the Initial Advice for science

• Suggests elements of National Statements of
  Learning for Science to inform development of
  curriculum statements
• Considers purpose of school science education
• Identifies attributes of scientifically
  knowledgeable people
• Considers science curriculum issues
• Provides a proposed structure for science
  curriculum

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Initial advice Science curriculum issues

• Selection of science content
• Currently knowledge-heavy alienating
• Future science competencies big ideas context
  relevance flexibility core knowledge choice time
  allocation inquiry
• General capabilities and science education
• science-specific general capabilities to be
  included
• Assessment
• intended, taught and assessed dimensions of
  curriculum in harmony
• Structure of the curriculum
• early childhood primary junior secondary
  senior secondary

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Initial advice Possible curriculum structure

• Early childhood
• curiosity exploration investigation purposeful
  play observation
• Primary
• trial-and-error ? fair tests and variables
  ? measurement
• Junior secondary
• science for living science inquiry
  contemporary science/research
• Senior secondary physics, chemistry, biology
• ? an applications-based multi-disciplinary
  science course?
• ? other specialised courses?
• ? adoption of existing state/territory courses?

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Issues arising from the 13 October national
science forum, Melbourne

• Big ideas - should be big ideas for all levels
• Curriculum design
• - alignment across subjects e.g. graphs in
  maths and science
• - specific, but allowing flexibility
• - content-specific topics should not be
  limited by traditional ideas of curriculum
  design integrate attitudes, ethics, human
  endeavour
• Professional learning - need significant teacher
  PL
• Compulsory science? - Grade 1? senior secondary?
• Assessment
• - enacted curriculum probably driven by
  assessment
• - assess concepts and competencies

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Discussion questions for Victorian VCAA/STAV
science forum

• What is an appropriate approach as an organiser
  for a national science curriculum? Big ideas?
  The traditional disciplines? National Statements
  of Learning for Science (way of knowing through
  inquiry/human endeavour/knowledge)? Other?
• What cross-curriculum knowledge and skills should
  be taught explicitly within the science
  curriculum?
• Senior How many science subjects, and which
  ones, should be included in the senior years of
  schooling?
• OR
• Primary From what year level should science be
  compulsory in the early years? Generalist primary
  teachers or specialist teachers?
• What should be the links across primary,
  secondary and tertiary science?
• Other issues what would YOU like to recommend
  to the NCB?