The Australian Curriculum
What is the Australian Curriculum?
The Australian Curriculum sets out what all young Australians are to be taught and the expected quality of that learning as they progress through schooling. At the same time, it provides flexibility for teachers and schools to build on student learning and interest.
In 2008, the Australian education ministers agreed that a national curriculum would play a key role in delivering quality education and committed to the development of a Foundation to Year 12 national curriculum.
Historically the Australian Curriculum was progressively developed initially for the areas of English, Mathematics, Science and History, then followed by Geography, the Arts and Languages and the remaining learning areas focusing on Economics and Business, Civics and Citizenship, Health and Physical Education, Technologies (Design and Digital Technologies) were completed in 2015.
Why Have An Australian Curriculum?
An Australian Curriculum in the 21st century needs to acknowledge the changing ways in which young people will learn and the challenges that will continue to shape their learning in the future. Education plays a critical role in shaping the lives of the nation’s citizens and to maintaining Australia’s productivity and quality of life. To play this role effectively, the intellectual, personal, social and educational needs of young Australians must be addressed at a time when ideas about the goals of education are changing and will continue to evolve.
Australia’s education ministers have identified contemporary views of education over the period 1989-2008 and documented those most recently in the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. The Melbourne Declaration commits to supporting all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens and promotes equity and excellence in education.
Developing an Australian Curriculum means that:
What Does the Australian Curriculum Involve?
The Melbourne Declaration emphasised the importance of the knowledge, skills and understanding of various learning areas. To support the acquisition of new learning, the inclusion of general capabilities and cross-curricular capabilities are embedded in the Australian Curriculum design.
The General Capabilities
In the Australian Curriculum, the general capabilities encompass the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that, together with curriculum content in each learning area and the cross-curriculum priorities, will assist students to live and work successfully in the twenty-first century.
There are seven general capabilities:
Cross-curriculum Priorities
There are three Cross-curriculum priorities in the Australian Curriculum:
Further information about the Australian Curriculum can be found by accessing the Australian Curriculum website: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au
The Australian Curriculum sets out what all young Australians are to be taught and the expected quality of that learning as they progress through schooling. At the same time, it provides flexibility for teachers and schools to build on student learning and interest.
In 2008, the Australian education ministers agreed that a national curriculum would play a key role in delivering quality education and committed to the development of a Foundation to Year 12 national curriculum.
Historically the Australian Curriculum was progressively developed initially for the areas of English, Mathematics, Science and History, then followed by Geography, the Arts and Languages and the remaining learning areas focusing on Economics and Business, Civics and Citizenship, Health and Physical Education, Technologies (Design and Digital Technologies) were completed in 2015.
Why Have An Australian Curriculum?
An Australian Curriculum in the 21st century needs to acknowledge the changing ways in which young people will learn and the challenges that will continue to shape their learning in the future. Education plays a critical role in shaping the lives of the nation’s citizens and to maintaining Australia’s productivity and quality of life. To play this role effectively, the intellectual, personal, social and educational needs of young Australians must be addressed at a time when ideas about the goals of education are changing and will continue to evolve.
Australia’s education ministers have identified contemporary views of education over the period 1989-2008 and documented those most recently in the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. The Melbourne Declaration commits to supporting all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens and promotes equity and excellence in education.
Developing an Australian Curriculum means that:
- School and curriculum authorities can collaborate to ensure high quality teaching and learning materials are available for all schools.
- Greater attention can be devoted to equipping young Australians with the skills, knowledge and capabilities necessary to enable them to effectively engage with and prosper in society, compete in a globalised world and thrive in the information-rich workplaces of the future.
- There will be greater consistency for the country’s increasingly mobile student and teacher population.
What Does the Australian Curriculum Involve?
The Melbourne Declaration emphasised the importance of the knowledge, skills and understanding of various learning areas. To support the acquisition of new learning, the inclusion of general capabilities and cross-curricular capabilities are embedded in the Australian Curriculum design.
The General Capabilities
In the Australian Curriculum, the general capabilities encompass the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that, together with curriculum content in each learning area and the cross-curriculum priorities, will assist students to live and work successfully in the twenty-first century.
There are seven general capabilities:
- Literacy
- Numeracy
- Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
- Critical and creative thinking
- Personal and social capability
- Ethical understanding
- Intercultural understanding.
Cross-curriculum Priorities
There are three Cross-curriculum priorities in the Australian Curriculum:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
- Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
- Sustainability.
Further information about the Australian Curriculum can be found by accessing the Australian Curriculum website: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au