[English] www.australiancurriculum.edu.au

[McClenaghan, Douglas J]

More constipated drivel from the minister for flatulence.


-----Original Message-----
From: english-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of stephen at melbpc.org.au
Sent: Fri 2/26/2010 3:21 PM
To: oz-teachers at rite.ed.qut.edu.au; oztl_net at listserv.csu.edu.au
Cc: qsitecommunity at edna.edu.au; english at edulists.com.au; offtopic at edulists.com.au
Subject: [English] www.australiancurriculum.edu.au
 
The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Minister for Education
Deputy Prime Minister

Delivering the Education Revolution

SPEECH: National Press Club Address  24 February 2010 Transcript (ed.)


Today I can announce that the draft curriculum in the first four 
subjects, maths, English, science and history, will be released next 
Monday March 1st.

It is world class, setting out not just the essential content for each 
year of learning but also the achievement standards against which 
students should be expected to perform.

This will not be a curriculum 'guide' or a supplement to what states and 
territories currently teach. It will be a comprehensive new curriculum, 
providing a platform for the highest quality teaching.

The drafts will be refined through an open national consultation process 
in the coming months. Everybody can contribute to the debate. Schools 
will try out the draft curriculum in practice.   

>From Monday, the Australian curriculum will be available through a fully 
interactive website that allows anyone to search the whole text for key 
topics and content. 

It is already prompting fierce debate and provoking great interest. I can 
tell you, I learned a few things myself when I read it.

It has been developed by experts, not politicians, but I have to say I am 
glad that grammar makes a strong appearance. For the first time ever, 
grammar will be set out explicitly at every year level from kindergarten 
through to year 12; the content, the ways in which it should be used, and 
the other areas of language and literature to which understanding of 
grammar can contribute.

I urge Australians to view this website at 

  <http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au>

For too long, what is taught in schools has been a mystery to Australian 
parents and employers. From next Monday the first tranche of the 
Australian national curriculum will be there for all to see.

For too long, parents and employers have been anxious that students will 
leave school lacking the skills they need for life and work including 
proficiency in reading, writing and mathematics. As a nation we are about 
to move to a national curriculum of true rigour.

For too long, families have feared moving interstate because they know 
their child would not only have to confront a new school but a new 
curriculum. Next Monday is the beginning of the end of those days..

Ref: 
<http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Transcripts/Pages/Article
_100224_143429.aspx>

--

Cheers people
Stephen Loosley
Member, Victorian
Institute of Teaching
_______________________________________________
http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
VCE English Teachers' Mailing List kindly supported by
http://www.vate.org.au - Victorian Association for the Teaching of English VATE and
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/english/index.html - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 


Important - This email and any attachments may be confidential. If received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects. Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed are those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/ms-tnef
Size: 4638 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://www.edulists.com.au/pipermail/english/attachments/20100226/843ec339/attachment.bin