Cath News report: A coalition of 13 peak education bodies, including Catholic teachers and principals, has criticised the national school curriculum, saying it lacks a rationale and is unclear in its aims.
The Australian Curriculum Coalition, in a letter to all education ministers and their opposition counterparts, also said that the time allowed for its development is "unreasonably short", The Australian reports.
The ACC said the courses, due to be taught in schools from next year, are not ready and have too much material, the report added.
The volume of material in the current drafts means English, maths, science and history would take up the whole of the time available in the primary curriculum and much of the secondary curriculum, it says.
"This means there would be no flexibility: the documents are not only a complete curriculum but one which is too large to be realistically implemented."
The ACC says the curriculum should comprise "core mandated elements rather than a complete curriculum" and make clear what is essential and what is optional.
The coalition comprises organisations representing government, Catholic and independent teachers and principals, academics and researchers, and was formed this year.
Speaking on behalf of the ACC, Jenny Lewis, chief executive officer of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, said the aim was to produce a world-class 21st-century curriculum, but there was no clear vision what that was.
"There's no vision of what do we want students to be able to attain. What does an Australian 21st-century curriculum look like? That whole discourse has not happened," she said.
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=23905
The Australian Curriculum Coalition, in a letter to all education ministers and their opposition counterparts, also said that the time allowed for its development is "unreasonably short", The Australian reports.
The ACC said the courses, due to be taught in schools from next year, are not ready and have too much material, the report added.
The volume of material in the current drafts means English, maths, science and history would take up the whole of the time available in the primary curriculum and much of the secondary curriculum, it says.
"This means there would be no flexibility: the documents are not only a complete curriculum but one which is too large to be realistically implemented."
The ACC says the curriculum should comprise "core mandated elements rather than a complete curriculum" and make clear what is essential and what is optional.
The coalition comprises organisations representing government, Catholic and independent teachers and principals, academics and researchers, and was formed this year.
Speaking on behalf of the ACC, Jenny Lewis, chief executive officer of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, said the aim was to produce a world-class 21st-century curriculum, but there was no clear vision what that was.
"There's no vision of what do we want students to be able to attain. What does an Australian 21st-century curriculum look like? That whole discourse has not happened," she said.
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=23905
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