21September2011

VADEA EBULLETIN

Vol.20

ADISCUSSIONABOUTTHESTATEOFTHENATIONALCURRICULUMATTHEPTC14SEPT2011 ByKatherineSaunders(VADEAExecutive)
th OnMonday5 September2011,eightVADEAExecutivemembersattendedameetingatthePTCinLeichhardt todiscussthestateoftheAustralianCurriculumwithACARArepresentatives.Thediscussionwasdrivenbyfive keyspeakersrepresentingkeystakeholdersfromacrossAustralia:RobRandall(GeneralManagerof Curriculum,TheAustralianCurriculumAssessmentandReportingAuthority),CarolTaylor(ChiefExecutiveof theOfficeoftheNSWBoardofStudiesandChairoftheAustralasianCurriculumandAssessmentand CertificationAuthorities),TerryGallagher(ActingAssistantDirectoroftheAustralianCurriculumBranchatthe QueenslandStudiesAuthority),ChrisMelican(ManageroftheCurriculumSupportTheAustralianCapital Territory)andDavidHowes(GeneralManageroftheCurriculumDivisionoftheVictorianCurriculumand AssessmentAuthority).Representativesfromarangeofprofessionalteachingassociationswereinattendance.

RobRandallopenedthediscussionbysummarisingthehistoryofAustralianCurriculumdevelopmentinthis iteration,andorientatingtheaudiencewithrecentdevelopmentsinshapepaperwriting.Heemphasizedthe idealsofequityandquality,andexplainedthatACARAwillwritethecurriculumbutstatesandterritories willberesponsibleformanagingpedagogyandassessment.WhileRobsrhetoricalludedtoacohesive futuredirection,thedetailsofhispresentationpointedtothetensionbetweenthestatesandterritoriesandhow theywillbeaffecteddifferentlybyacurriculumthathasthepotentialtoinsomecasesreducestandardsinstead ofraisethem.Robspokeoftenofentitlement,theideathatstudentsareentitledtoabroadeducation,asifthey currentlyarenot.Whilehisrhetoricpaintsasunnypictureofdiverseopportunitiesforlearning,therealityisthat theACARAscurriculumproposalsremainverycontentheavyinsomesubjectareas,suchasHistorywhere contenthasbeenincreasedwhilehourshavebeencut.Inothersubjects,suchasVisualArts,descriptors forlearninghavebeentranslatedintoanalmostforeignlanguagepreoccupiedwithavaguenotionof aesthetics.Infact,Robsdiagramshighlightedoneofthemostunsatisfyingandoffensiveaspectsofthe proposedNationalCurriculumtheprioritisationofsomesubjectsandadecreaseinhoursforothers.This favouritismundercutsanyidealofequityandwillmaintaindiscriminationinthewayelectivesubjectshavebeen increasinglyhybridised,diluted,andsqueezedoutoftheallocatedhoursdebate.Keynotespeakerstalkedofthe attractivenessofelectivesubjects,suchasVisualArtsandDesign.However,therealityisthattheNational Curriculumhastrivialisedandsidelinedsubjectareasinthesecondandthirdwritingphases,andhasyetto eventakesomesubjectareasintoaccountatall. CarolTaylorspokeonbehalfofNewSouthWales,anddrewfromherexperienceasanEnglishteacheranda curriculumassessmentdeveloper.WhileCarolsclearunderstandingofNewSouthWalessyllabuscontentand structureswasrefreshingandencouragingfortheaudience,heralignmentwithACARApointstoagradual submissionofstateprioritiestoanationalagenda.Carolcalledforthedevelopmentofoutcomes,resources andsupportbeforeNewSouthWaleswillconsideracceptingACARAscurriculumproposals.Without thesecrucialframeworksinplace,theAustralianCurriculumwilldecreasethehighqualityofcurrent NewSouthWalescurricula,andthereforearguablydecreaseteachingstandardsinourstate.Carolreferredto theeffectiveuseofoutcomesbasedpedagogyinNSW,andstressedthesignificanceofoutcomesforaffective learningandassessment.Atthisstage,ACARAsShapePaperforTheArtsexploreswhatstudentsmaydoin eachsubjectareatoalimiteddegree,butitdoesnotgrapplewithconceptualframeworksforunderstandingthe VisualArtsotherthantheaesthetic.ACARAneedstoworkondevelopingtherationalebecauseatthis stagewhatisproposedlackslustreandbeliesthevalueoftheVisualArtsineducation. BeyondaligningcurriculumcontentwiththeStandardsforTeachingandLeaning,Caroldetailedtheimportance ofslowandsteadydevelopmentofcurriculumstructuresandcontent.ItwasmostencouragingtohearCarol defendthehighqualityofthecurrentNSWcurriculum,andcallforaNationalCurriculumthatmustmeet orsupersedethecurrentcurriculumbeforeitisrespectedoracceptedbyNSWeducators.Carol imploredtheaudiencetoengageinconsultation,encouragingthemtoadvocateforthorough, transparentconsultationthroughoutthedevelopmentprocess.Atpresent,ACARAscurriculumisatodds withtheNewSouthWalesEducationActincludingthecurriculumrequirementsformandatoryandelective courses. Page1

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WhileotherstatesandterritoriesareearlyadopterswiththeAustralianCurriculum,CarolexplainedthatNSW hasnoplanstoadoptorimplementanythinguntil2014atearliest.Thisisstilldependantonthequality oftheNationalCurriculum,andwhetheritmeetsorextendsonthestandardsofcurrentNSWsyllabi. TerryGallagher,incontrast,outlinedthewaysQueenslandteachershavebeenpreparedforimplementationof theNationalCurriculum.ItwasalarmingtohearTerryspeakwithgreateaseaboutthewayteachersin QueenslandhavebeenencouragedtoadjusttheirprogramsandimplementNationalCurriculumcontentdespite itscurrentdraftstatus.ItwouldbeinterestingtoknowhowQueenslandteachersfeelaboutthedirectiontostart implementation.Terryexplainedthatin2012Queenslandteacherswillplan,teach,assessandreportinEnglish, MathsandScienceusingtheAustralianCurriculumwiththehelpoftheQSA(QueenslandStudiesAuthority). QueenslandisapparentlyhighlysupportiveofACARAsactivities.Terryexplainedthissupportstemmedfroma romanticMarxistwitheringawayofthestatetoprepareforagreaternationalgood.QSAaresupportingthe implementationassoonaspossible,andencouragingQueenslandeducatorstoexerciseprofessional prescriptionandinformedprofessionalism.Ingeneral,TerrypaintedanoptimisticimpressionofQueenslands enthusiasmtoadoptACARAscurriculum. ChrisMelicanrepresentedthesmallestjurisdiction,theAustralianCapitalTerritory.Shespokegenerallyabout thehistoryofcurriculumdevelopmentintheACT,whereassessmentandleavingexamshaveuntilnowbeen theresponsibilityofPrincipalswithintheACT.Infact,upuntil2003,therewasnospecificACTcurriculumand insteadschoolsmanagedallcurriculumcontentandassessment.WhilethisisaforeignconcepttoNSW educators,Chriswaskeentodescribethewayschoolshavebeenabletotailorcurriculumcontentaccordingto context.LikeTerry,ChriswaskeentoconveytheACTseagernesstoimplementtheNationalCurriculum:there alreadynineACTschoolsdocumentingtheirjourneyastestsitesforimplementation.ACTeducatorshave alreadyenjoyedapupilfreedaytodiscussACARAsNationalCurriculum,andwillbenefitfromPDdaysforeach subjectarea.WhatACARAproposesmayoffermorestability,andpossiblyamoresystematicwayfortheACT toscrutiniseitsteachers.Incontrast,ACARAsproposalsareatoddswiththequalityofcurrentNSWsyllabiand manyofthepracticesusedbyteachersinteachingtheirsubjects. DavidHowesspokeonbehalfoftheVictorianCurriculumandAssessmentAuthority.Heentertainedthe audiencewitharecountofhisdaughtersholisticeducationalexperience,whichsawherengageingroupwork outsideoftheclassroomforaterm.Whileattemptingtocharm,Davidsstorycircumventedthenittygrittydetails ofACARAsproposedcurriculumreforminVictoria.Hedownplayedthetensionthatwillinevitablyensueinthe statesattemptingtoaligncontent,achievementstandardsandpracticesduringthisnegotiationprocess.His distractionsdidnotbuildconfidenceincurrentprocesses,andthequestionsthatfollowedrevealedtheacute awarenessofinformededucatorsintheaudiencethathisrepresentationmightbeviewedasasnowjob. DuringthequestiontimeRobsresponsescircledaroundfindingthecommondenominatorsbetweenstatesand territories,andACARAswillingnesstotakerisksinordertoreachanaverage.Ratherthanabatingthealarmof audiencemembers,theproposeddamagetocurrentcurriculummodelsseemedtoescalate.Robhasattimes waxedandwanedinhisdefinitionsofqualityandequityinrelationtothebenefitoftheAustralian Curriculumforstudentsandforeducators.HewentsofarastoconcedethatACARAwasreasonably challengedintheirfirstversionofthedraftshapepaperforTheArts,whileacknowledgingthatthere arevastlydifferentcustoms,practicesandhistoriesineachstatesandterritory. Thesamequestionsremain:ifACARAapproachesthewritingandoftheArtscurriculuminthesame wayithasthedevelopmentprocess,willthecostsreallyoutweighthebenefits?Moresignificantly,who willpaythecost andwhowillbenefit? ThisopportunitytoopenlydiscussthecurrentstateoftheNationalCurriculumwouldnothavebeenpossible withouttheProfessionalTeachersCouncilNSW.ManythankstoPresidentofthePTCNSW,MathewBentley, andExecutiveOfficerKimTsolakisformakingsuchaninformativeeventavailabletoNSWprofessional associations.ThanksalsotoProfessorShirleyAlexanderforchairingtheevent. Page2

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VADEA2011CONFERENCEK6WORKSHOPPHOTOS
Thisyearworkshops,atthe2011VADEAConference,allowedforthesharingofideasandachancetocreate. OurdedicatedArt&DesignWorkshopsforK6,wereledbyoutstandingart&designspecialists,these workshopsexploredideaslinkedtotheK6VisualArtsSyllabus. KristenMurraysenvironmental,sustainablerecyclingworkshopwasaboutsculpturalproblemsolving.We discoveredhowtouseprelovedknittedmaterialsasthebasisformakingsculpturesintheK6classroom.

RhondaBurgessledInFocus,whichlookedatPhotographyasanartform.Weusedphotographyand magazinepicturesasameanstofocusonanareaofpersonalinterest.

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