[English] Media Centre - The Hon Julia Gillard MP - Delivering Australia's First National Curriculum.htm

[Scott Bulfin]

Colleagues,

Some of you may have seen this already.

Scott


Media Centre - The Hon Julia Gillard MP - Delivering Australia's  
First National Curriculum.htm


The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Minister for Education. Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for Social Inclusion. Deputy Prime Minister
15 April, 2008
Media Release

Delivering Australia's First National Curriculum

Minister for Education, Julia Gillard today confirmed the membership  
of the National Curriculum Board, which will see a national  
curriculum be delivered within three years.

As promised, the new National Curriculum Board is comprised of  
representatives from each of the States and Territories, and three  
representatives from the Catholic and Independent sectors.

The Board will oversee the development of a rigorous, world-class  
national curriculum for all Australian students from kindergarten to  
Year 12, starting with the key learning areas of English,  
mathematics, the sciences and history.

The Board will draw together the best programs from each State and  
Territory into a single curriculum to ensure every child has access  
to the highest quality learning programs to lift achievement and  
drive up school retention rates.

The timetable will see:

The National Curriculum Board hold its first meeting on 23 April 2008;

The Board start consultations on the development of a national  
curriculum by mid this year;

The secretariat and governance arrangements for the National  
Curriculum Board be established by 1 January 2009;

A national curriculum for all Australian students from kindergarten  
to Year 12 be developed by 2010, starting with English, mathematics,  
the sciences and history, and underpinned by a renewed focus on  
literacy and numeracy; and

A national curriculum publicly available and which can start to be  
delivered in all jurisdictions from January 2011.

The announcement follows last month’s historic COAG agreement that  
for the first time set out a productivity and participation agenda  
that spans early childhood to adulthood.

Australians have been debating the merits of a national curriculum  
for the last 30 years. Until now, however, no Australian government  
has been able to produce a plan on how to deliver it.

Today, the Rudd Labor Government in co-operation with the State and  
Territories has announced such a plan, which will see a national  
curriculum being delivered within three years.

About 340,000 Australians move interstate each year, including 80,000  
school-aged students. Working families who move their children  
interstate will be delighted with today’s agreement.

It will contribute to creating a modern Australia, with a workforce  
that will benefit from being educated by a world-class national  
curriculum.

The COAG Working Group on the Productivity Agenda will work closely  
with the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and  
Youth Affairs (MCEETYA), and the Catholic and Independent schools  
sectors on the development of the national curriculum over the coming  
years.

Membership of the National Curriculum Board

Professor Barry McGaw Chair

Mr Tony Mackay Deputy Chair

Tom Alegounarias New South Wales representative

Mr John Firth Victorian representative

Mr Kim Bannikoff Queensland representative

Professor Bill Louden Western Australian representative

Ms Helen Wildash South Australian representative

Mr David Hanlon Tasmanian representative

Ms Rita Henry Northern Territory representative

Ms Janet Davy Australian Capital Territory representative

Mr Garry LeDuff Non-government sector

Dr Brian Croke Non-government sector

Professor Marie Emmitt Non-government sector

Media Contact:

media at deewr.gov.au


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