At present, Australia does not have a national curriculum for its schools. Historically, each State/Territory has had sole constitutional responsibility for the curriculum of its government schools. However, since 1986 there has been support for national collaboration in the curriculum and work is now taking place to develop a national curriculum framework which is likely to be implemented from 2011 (see below). 31
National Statements and Profiles
A State/Territory commitment to curriculum collaboration was initially reflected in the early 1990s by the development of national Statements and Profiles for eight broad Key Learning Areas by the Australian Education Council (AEC) (now the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs - MCEECDYA). The Key Learning Areas are:
The current statements do not prescribe a set national curriculum, nor are they intended to analyse in detail important issues of pedagogy, assessment, resources, and classroom organisation central to any curriculum, which are the responsibilities of States and Territories, professional associations, schools and individual teachers. The Statements and Profiles provide a nationally developed framework/a common basis for curriculum development which can be used in conjunction with school and system policies, and serve as a reference point for the design of resource materials for schools, including materials for professional development. 15
There is widespread use of the eight Key Learning Areas as the basic units of the school curriculum. 74, 88
National Curriculum from 2011
At the end of 2008, the Council of Australian Governments signed up to the National Education Agreement (NEA) which articulates the commitment of all the State and Territory governments to ensure that all Australian school students acquire the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in society and employment in a globalised economy. The agreement sets out the national funds available for government schools, and for national partnerships, to improve teacher quality, literacy and numeracy, and to support the needs of schools in economically deprived communities. In exchange, the States and Territories will be required to report on their performance and implement a national curriculum from 2011. 249
The new reporting arrangements will include the following elements:
To carry forward this work, a new non-governmental public body has been created. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is responsible for:
The Board of ACARA comprises a representative from each of the different State or Territory Education Ministers, the National Catholic Education Commission and the Independent Schools Council of Australia. 251
The development of the national curriculum from Kindergarden to Year 12 (age 5 to 18) for Australia has begun, with the learning areas of English, mathematics, science, and history. It is expected that it will be ready for implementation from 2011. The second phase of work will be to develop the learning areas for languages, geography and the arts. It is also intended that literacy, numeracy and ICT will form the foundation of the curriculum. The final stage will involve the development of an overall curriculum framework, and greater attention to the role of 'general capabilities' alongside the learning areas. 251
The curriculum will also outline the essential skills, knowledge and capabilities that all young Australians are entitled to access, regardless of their social or economic background or the school they attend. There are ten general capabilities:
The curriculum will also incorporate knowledge, skills and understanding related to the history and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; developing sustainable patterns of living; and Australia’s engagement with Asia.251
A draft national curriculum for Kindergarten to Year 10 (students aged 5/6 to 15/16) in English, mathematics, science and history has been released for public consultation. The full consultation is available online.
Curriculum development
ACARA’s curriculum development process involves four stages: curriculum shaping, writing, implementation, and evaluation/review. Curriculum development is guided by a ‘shape’ paper for each learning area. The shape paper for each of the first four learning areas was written by a lead writer with support from an advisory group. The second phase learning areas will follow a similar process. 252
Curriculum writing is undertaken by teams of 10-12 writers and an ACARA project officer, with guidance provided by the ACARA Board and a Curriculum Design document. Writers are supported by learning area and cross-learning area advisory panels, which comprise teachers, academics and curriculum experts from across the country. Draft copies of the Australian curriculum are being made available for four months for nationwide consultation. This process started in February 2010. 252
While implementation may begin in 2011, it is expected that Kindergarten to Year 10 implementation across the country will be underway in all schools in 2013. For some States and Territories, 2011 will be a pilot year, with a sample of schools planning, teaching, assessing and reporting using the new Australian curriculum. The experience and advice from these schools will be used to guide the implementation in the remaining schools. Implementation sequences for the senior secondary curriculum (Years 11-12) will be determined in 2010.252
Further information is available from the ACARA website: http://www.acara.edu.au
Responsible agencies
ACARA (see above) is responsible for the development of the new Australian national curriculum.
In addition, the Curriculum Corporation, a ministerial company and partnership of all Australian Education Ministers, undertakes activities that are in the national interest, and that support and augment the work of the States and Territories in providing educational experiences for all students. Its purpose is to facilitate greater efficiency and effectiveness in curriculum development and dissemination through sharing knowledge and scarce resources, especially through the development and publication of materials supporting the curriculum Statements and Profiles for Australian schools. (These curriculum Statements and Profiles differ dependent on the specific State or Territory.) The Curriculum Corporation is governed by a board of representatives of all Australian Education Ministers, along with representatives of the New Zealand Ministry of Education, the Catholic and independent education sectors, and bodies representing parents and teachers. 256
In June 2009, MCEECDYA approved the consolidation of the Curriculum Corporation and education.au (the Ministerial company which serves as Australia's information and communication technology agency). This is expected to take place by June 2010. The new not-for-profit ministerial company will be known as Education Services Australia Limited.256
'The Minister is authorised to do all things considered by him to be necessary to develop, review, maintain and implement curricula taught or to be taught in state education institutions'. 1
The Key Learning Areas for Years 1-10 (ages 5/6 to 15/16) were developed, trialled and implemented between 1996 and 2001 in Queensland. 53 On 1 July 2002, the Queensland School Curriculum Council (QSCC) merged with the Queensland Board of Senior Secondary School Studies (QBSSSS) and the Tertiary Entrance Procedures Authority to form the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA). QSA is a statutory body of the Queensland Government which provides Preparatory Year to Year 12 syllabuses, assessment, reporting, testing, accreditation and certification services for Queensland schools. The QSA also has responsibility for curriculum revision. Review is periodic, with syllabuses generally being reviewed every three to six years, and remaining current for around five years. Further information is available on the QSA website.
The Tasmanian curriculum sets the direction for what students learn in government schools. The curriculum outlines:
Teachers use these to measure, assess and report children's progress and to plan the next steps in their learning. The requirements in the Curriculum Guidance Statement enable national agreements about student learning and assessment to be met in Tasmanian government schools. Extensive community consultation has led to values, purposes and goals of the curriculum (see below) that provide a firm foundation for providing Tasmanian students with a quality education. How schools enact these is guided by dialogue between the school and its community. 254
Values guide decisions about the curriculum. They support students, teachers, parents, carers and the community. The values common to all areas of the Tasmanian Curriculum are:
The curriculum includes 'shared purposes' so that all Tasmanian students are learning to:
The shared goals for Tasmanian students are that they:
The values, purposes and goals are available via the curriculum pages of the Tasmania Department of Education website.
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) were released in 2005; implementation in schools began in 2006. VELS outlines what is essential for all Victorian students to learn during their time at school from Preparatory Year to Year 10 (age 5/6 to 15/16). The Essential Learning Standards provide a set of common state-wide standards which schools use to plan student learning programmes, assess student progress and report to parents.
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards are organised into three inter-related areas called ‘strands':
Further information is available on the website of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA): http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/
VELS replaced the Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) - for further information on CSF see the appendices to this Archive.
Responsible agencies
Since March 2001, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) has been responsible for curriculum and assessment arrangments in Victoria (replacing the former Board of Studies). Further information is available via the VCAA website.
Compulsory subjects
In most States and Territories, there are generally eight Key Learning Areas (KLAs):
Plus six cross-curricular areas:
The above subjects are not compulsory for all Australian schools, but all States and Territories have adopted the eight Key Learning Areas as the basis of curriculum development. This means that there are significant variations of provision across the country, as schools are generally free to determine their own patterns of provision within broad State or Territory guidelines or frameworks. Within any one State or Territory, for example, it would be possible to identify schools with widely differing subject structures and time allocations. Variations in timetabling arrangements also mean that, in some schools, subjects are offered on an elective basis, or in vertical groupings, which allow them to be taken by students at different year levels.13, 86
In the more complex and differentiated learning areas, such as health and physical education (HPE) and studies of society and the environment (SOSE), there are differences in interpretation and history across the States and Territories, which lead to variations in provision. Within some education systems and schools, for example, SOSE is represented by history and geography, while in others it is represented by integrated studies such as social education. 33
In primary schools, the science and technology Key Learning Areas are often combined to form one curriculum area and, as yet, not many primary schools teach languages other than English. 54 Indeed, subject integration based on themes is widely used in primary schools.37
Work has begun to develop a National Curriculum for Australia - see section 5.2.1. for details.
Discovering Democracy
In line with a Commonwealth Government initiative, 'Discovering Democracy', all students in all schools in Australia (from the mid-primary to upper secondary phases) have had to study civics and citizenship since 1999. Students learn about democracy and citizenship and are examined each year to test their knowledge of the history and workings of government and the nation's democratic foundations. They study topics such as the history of the Australian constitution, the role of parliament, cabinet and the courts, freedom of speech, religion, the role and responsibility of the governor general and the history of indigenous Australians. 297
Time allocation
Throughout Australia, recommended amounts of time to be allocated to specific subject areas are not usually provided. The National Statements and Profiles (see 5.2.1) do not normally specify the amount of time to be allocated to the eight Key Learning Areas. 55
Within any one State or Territory, variations in timetabling arrangements (see above) mean that it is almost impossible to offer any comprehensive statement about subject offering or time allocations. There have, however, been attempts, at system level, to provide guidance as to time allocations between areas of learning.86
The evident common factors in recent attempts to specify time allocations include a shared valuing of the eight Key Learning Areas; a commitment to local variation and school decision making within the specified framework; a strong focus on literacy and numeracy in the early years of schooling; an acknowledgement that priorities for the curriculum are different at each stage of schooling; and a recognition of the need for greater curriculum variety and diversity as students progress through compulsory education. 86
Compulsory subjects
The core curriculum for students in Years 1-8 (ages 6-13) covers the eight Key Learning Areas:
Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) syllabuses and guidelines identify content standards or required learning athat is expected of students. The content standards establish continuity of learning across pre-kindergarten to Year 12 (ages 5- 18). Where necessary at key transition points, there are some overlaps. The table below shows the compulsory subjects studied in the Preparatory Year (Prep) and Year 1 and how these change in Years 2 and 3. 266
|
Prep and Year 1 (ages 5 to 7) |
Years 2 and 3 (ages 7 to 9) |
| Social and personal learning | Health and physical education |
| Health and physical learning | |
| Language and learning communication |
Languages English |
| Early mathematical understanding |
Mathematics |
| Active learning processes |
Science Studies of society and the environment (SOSE) Technology The Arts |
The core curriculum is not mandatory for non-government schools. They may, however, follow it if they wish. 50 In Queensland, denominational schools also add religious education as a ninth Key Learning Area. 51
The school curriculum is influenced by, and responds to, a wide range of factors including Key Learning Area syllabuses; the learning needs of specific student groups; approaches to teaching and learning; and individual community characteristics. There are many systemic initiatives and priorities across the curriculum which are also considered when planning and implementing the school curriculum across all Key Learning Areas and phases of learning. These include:
See: http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/area/cross-curriculum.html
Languages Other than English
With the introduction of a new syllabus for languages other than English (LOTE) in 2002 (as part of a state initiative to help equip school students with the skills to succeed in a multicultural society), LOTE curriculum materials were developed for students in Years 1 to 10 of compulsory education in Queensland. The materials include specific guidance for children in Years 1 to 3; this is to enable schools to introduce LOTE from Year 1 should they wish to do so. LOTE currently becomes compulsory in Year 6 in Queensland state schools. 156
Studies of Society and the Environment
As part of the above initiative - to equip school students with the skills to succeed in a multicultural society - a new studies of society and environment (SOSE) syllabus was also introduced in 2002. This includes social studies, history, geography, civics, economics, cultural studies, environmental education, enterprise and future studies. 156
Arts education
In 2002, a new arts syllabus for students in Years 1 to 10 (ages 6-16) of education in Queensland was introduced. As a result, children in primary level education (Years 1 to 7, ages 6-13) began to be taught the full range of visual and performance arts as part of a single arts syllabus. Included are the five strands of dance, drama, media, music, and the visual arts. Previously primary schools had separate syllabuses for some of the arts disciplines only. The new syllabus, which was phased in gradually, identifies learning outcomes in each of the five strands. 158
Mathematics
A new mathematics syllabus for students in Years 1 to 10 (ages 6-16) was introduced in January 2005. This revised syllabus aimed to allow continuity of learning for students throughout the early and middle phases of learning, and to provide a solid foundation for senior secondary studies (Years 11 to 12, ages 16-18). It offers teachers a common framework from which to plan learning, teaching and assessment and is designed to complement the other syllabuses in the Key Learning Areas (see above). In addition to encouraging students to become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers, the syllabus has a strong focus on how maths is used in the 'real world' . The five sections of the syllabus, which are taught at all year levels, are:
Time allocation
In 2010, Queensland state schools began to have set hours for the teaching of English and mathematics for students in Years 1 to 7 (ages 6/7 to 12/13). This is because the Department of Education and Training recognised the need to focus more attention on these important areas and, since the beginning of the 2010 school year, teachers have had space in the curriculum to devote more time to teaching English and mathematics, as schools implement the following minimum hours per week:
|
Years 1 - 3 |
Years 4-7 |
|
| English | 7 hours per week | 6 hours per week |
| Mathematics | 5 hours per week | 5 hours per week |
Schools also retain the flexibility to provide additional time for these subject areas if that best suits the needs of their students.262
Compulsory subjects
The Tasmanian Curriculum is organised into seven areas and five standards. The seven areas are:
Skills in information and communication technologies (ICTs) and 'thinking' are also developed in all curriculum areas.255 See section 5.2.5 for further information.
Sustainability is an additional important cross-curricular perspective in the areas of the Tasmanian Curriculum. Sustainable practices are an important goal of education as students undertake their personal, educational and career pathways and take their place as informed and active citizens in the Tasmanian community. 255
The Tasmanian curriculum standards state what students can do. The curriculum is organised from standard one to standard five, describing the years of schooling from Kindergarten to Year 10 and the standards are also available to download.
Religious education
All Tasmanian government schools are non-religious. However, the 1984 Education Act allows for religious organisations to apply to provide religious instruction programmes within school time. These programmes are separate to the school curriculum. Education about religions occurs in the regular programme. 254
All religious instruction programmes must be compliant with the Guidelines for Religious Instruction in State Schools and must be approved by the school association.254 Further information is available online.
Sex and relationship education
During compulsory education, sex education is provided under the health and well-being curriculum area which consists of five dimensions. It is dealt with, in particular, in the following dimensions:
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) were released in 2005; implementation in schools began in 2006. VELS outline what is essential for all Victorian students to learn during their time at school from Preparatory Year to Year 10 (ages 5/6 to 15/16). They provide a set of common state-wide standards, which schools use to plan student learning programmes, assess student progress and report to parents. The VELS differ from traditional curricula by including knowledge and skills in the areas of physical, social and personal learning. Skills which are transferable across all areas of study such as thinking and communication are also included.264
The VELS are organised into three inter-related areas called ‘strands'. Each strand (Physical, Personal and Social Learning; Discipline-based Learning; Interdisciplinary Learning) has domains which are a distinct body of knowledge, skills and behaviours. Standards for each domain are organised into dimensions:264
| Strand | Domain | Dimension |
| Physical, Personal and Social Learning | Health and Physical Education |
Movement and physical activity Health knowledge and promotion |
| Interpersonal Development | Building social relationships Working in teams |
|
| Personal Learning | The individual learner Managing personal learning |
|
| Civics and Citizenship | Civic knowledge and understanding Community engagement |
|
| Discipline-based Learning | The Arts | Creating and making Exploring and responding |
| English | Reading Writing Speaking and listening |
|
| The Humanities | Humanities knowledge and understanding Humanities skills |
|
| The Humanities – Economics |
Economic knowledge and understanding |
|
| The Humanities – Geography | Geographic knowledge and understanding Geographical skills | |
|
The Humanities – History |
Historical knowledge and understanding Historical reasoning and interpretation |
|
| Languages Other Than English | Communicating in a language other than English Intercultural knowledge and language awareness |
|
| Mathematics | Number Space Measurement, chance and data Structure Working mathematically |
|
| Science | Science knowledge and understanding Science at work |
|
| Interdisciplinary Learning | Communication | Listening, viewing and responding Presenting |
| Design, Creativity and Technology | Investigating and designing Producing Analysing and evaluating |
|
| Information and Communications Technology | ICT for visual thinking ICT for creating ICT for communicating |
|
| Thinking Processes | Reasoning, processing and inquiry Creativity Reflection, evaluation and metacognition |
Teaching activities may draw on elements from each of the three strands so that learning becomes more meaningful for students. This integrated focus on knowledge, skills and behaviours in the process of physical, personal and social growth, in the disciplines and across the curriculum intends to develop deep understanding which students can transfer to new and different circumstances.264
Individual schools are not required to offer exactly the same programmes and not all learning areas will appear as separate subjects on a school's timetable. The VELS provide a guide for schools to design tailor-made programmes that consider their students' backgrounds and needs. However, schools must teach, assess and report on every domain that has standards for the relevant VELS level. 264
Time allocations
The only learning area that has a mandated number of hours is physical education. In Years P–3 (aged 5 to 9) children must have 20-30 minutes a day of physical education. In Years 4–6 (aged 9 to 12) this rises to 3 hours per week of physical education and sport, with a minimum provision of 50 per cent for physical education. In Years 7–10 (aged 12 to 16) the mandated time is 100 minutes per week for physical education and 100 minutes per week for sport. 263
In addition, during the first five years of primary education (ages 5/6 to 9/10), good education practice indicates a two-hour daily literacy block and a one-hour daily numeracy block. Individual learning plans are available for students struggling to achieve, and support is offered by school literacy and numeracy coordinators.263
Further information is available on the website of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA):
Until the end of compulsory education most students have few elective subjects. 42 Although there may be some elective subjects these can vary significantly between States and Territories.
Foreign languages are generally taught more commonly in secondary schools than in primary schools. 42
Instrumental music, available as an optional subject, is often at an extra cost to the parent. 50
Queensland
Languages other than English (LOTE) may be offered to children from Year 1 in state primary schools in Queensland. This is offered optionally until Year 6 when it becomes compulsory. 156
The design of the curriculum for compulsory education is outcomes-based. The nationally-developed curriculum Profiles and their equivalents in the States and Territories divide each of the eight Key Learning Areas into a number of strands representing coherent aspects of the areas or subjects within the area. Each strand then has progressively arranged learning outcomes. In general, outcomes are not related directly to year groups or ages. Seven or eight outcomes represent a progression from what is usually the Kindergarten year (the year before compulsory education officially begins) (students aged around 5) to Year 10 (students aged 15/16). 86
Nationally, there are eight Key Learning Areas, key areas of competence, 15 and Statements, strands and bands.15, 75
Each curriculum Statement defines the area of study, outlines its essential elements, shows what is distinctive about it and describes a sequence (processes) for developing knowledge and skills. Each Statement is divided into strands and bands.
Broad descriptions of content are provided either in syllabuses or in illustrative support materials. 33
National Statements provide a framework for curriculum development by specifying a national position for each of the eight Key Learning Areas. Each Statement contains a Profile indicating outcomes across eight levels of proficiency that students should seek to achieve over their 12 or 13 years of schooling. There is widespread use of the eight Key Learning Areas as the basic units of the school curriculum. 54
Work has begun to develop a National Curriculum for Australia - see section 5.2.1. for details.
The Queensland Studies Authority's (QSA's) curriculum development projects take into consideration the relevant Profiles and Statements for Australian schools; are consistent with the goals underpinning national documents and draw on the expertise and experience of Syllabus Advisory Committees. Work is supported by the Curriculum Development Handbook, which provides syllabus developers with guidance, and the Curriculum Framework, which provides a complementary rationale for the positions adopted on key issues of the curriculum. 52
The various curriculum development projects aim to
For example, the Years 1-10 science curriculum development project (students aged 5/6 to 15/16) produced three sets of science Key Learning Area documents:
When developing the new LOTE, SOSE and arts syllabuses (introduced in 2002), extensive consultation took place with representatives of all school authorities, parent organisations, professional associations and teachers' unions, as well as teachers, tertiary representatives and others with relevant expertise.156 In addition, to assist with the gradual introduction of the new syllabuses, teachers were provided with a printed syllabus, CD-ROMs containing teacher support materials and exemplification material demonstrating outcomes. 158
The curriculum documents include syllabuses, strands of learning and statements of the level of achievement in each strand (Strand Level Statements) which serve as a guide for reporting student performance.52 That is, the Queensland curriculum documents set outcomes/learning objectives and offer a range of strategies, which may be used to enable different students to achieve these objectives. These strategies are based on practice, but leave the individual teacher to carry out the needs analysis and provide differentiated teaching. 51
|
Level 1 |
End of Preparatory Year (age 6) |
|
Level 2 |
End of Year 2 (age 8) |
|
Level 3 |
End of Year 4 (age 10) |
|
Level 4 |
End of Year 6 (age 12) |
|
Level 5 |
End of Year 8 (age 14) |
|
Level 6 |
End of Year 10 (age 16) |
Development of VELS
In November 2003, the Minister for Education and Training released the Blueprint for Government Schools. 216 This document outlined several initiatives for continuing improvement and progress in the quality of Victoria's government school system. A key initiative of the Blueprint was the development of a new curriculum for all Victorian schools in both government and non-government sectors. The Minister requested that the new curriculum contain standards of achievement at significant points within the stages of learning that clearly specify what students should know and be able to do.251
While the Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) (Appendix 2) was based on best practice at the time of writing, subsequent research into how students learn led to the case for curriculum reform. The CSF was seen as being too prescriptive in the content being covered. The Key Learning Areas were seen as separate areas of learning rather than being linked. Key capabilities, such as communication, thinking skills and interpersonal development were also not included in the CSF. 251
There was extensive consultation and validation before the introduction of the Victorian Essestial Learning Standards (VELS). A full description of the development process is available on the VELS website.
There has long been a focus on raising literacy and numeracy outcomes. Previously, the Government had promised to ensure 100 per cent literacy among all 8-year-olds by the end of 2005. 35
The Commonwealth Government regards literacy and numeracy as core skills that are essential pre-conditions for economic success in society, and is of the opinion that there is a causal relationship between the acquisition of key skills and successful progress through schooling. 8 Consequently, the National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century (see 1.2.1) emphasise the skills of literacy and numeracy, alongside the ability to be enterprising, flexible and adaptable, and to acquire knowledge in the eight Key Learning Areas. 3
In 2010, the Australian Government committed funding for the next four years to facilitate and reward the implementation of evidence based strategies which lead to improvements in literacy and numeracy outcomes through the Smarter Schools - National Partnerships Agreeement on Literacy and Numeracy. Further information is available online.
Key Skills
Skills in information and communication technologies (ICTs) and thinking are developed in all curriculum areas.255
ICTs enable students to communicate, create, disseminate, store, and manage information in all areas of the curriculum. They are tools to help students develop operational skills to enquire, create and communicate across all curriculum areas. Further information is available online.
Developing students' thinking skills is at the heart of the Tasmanian Curriculum and is an important goal of a balanced, quality education. Students that think well across the curriculum are better equipped for their personal, educational and career pathways and able to take their place as informed and active citizens. The skills of thinking are best taught explicitly, using the content, processes and skills of each curriculum area. Students also benefit from opportunities to demonstrate thinking across the curriculum, using ICTs, and from schools building a culture of thinking in the school community. All curriculum areas:
Syllabus and support materials for each curriculum area detail specific thinking skills. Full details are available online:
In addition, sustainability is an important cross-curricular perspective in the areas of the Tasmanian Curriculum. Sustainable practices are an important goal of education as students undertake their personal, educational and career pathways and take their place as informed and active citizens in the Tasmanian community. Further information about sustainability is available online.
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) outline what is essential for all Victorian students to learn during their time at school from Preparatory Year to Year 10 (age 5/6 to 15/16). They provide a set of common State-wide standards which schools use to plan student learning programmes, assess student progress, and report to parents. The VELS differ from traditional curricula by including knowledge and skills in the areas of physical, social and personal learning. Skills which are transferable across all areas of study such as thinking and communication are also included. See section 5.2.2. for further details.
Learning materials and tests are prepared by a variety of agents including the curriculum sections of education departments, academics, commercial publishers and teachers' subject associations. In a significant development in 1990 42 - although similar bodies had existed previously under different guises - 70 the State and Federal Education Ministers established the Curriculum Corporation, a semi-autonomous body with a charter to develop curriculum materials on a commercial basis. From March 2010, the Curriculum Corporation is to merge with edudation.au into a new ministerial company, to be known as Education Services Australia (ESA).
In general, schools and individual teachers have a great deal of independence in the selection of learning materials, 42 and textbooks are not usually approved by an external authority prior to being used in schools. 55
The choice of textbooks is usually left to teachers or school faculties, but reviews in professional publications can be influential, as can suggested reading lists in assoiation with syllabuses. Except in special circumstances, school authorities no longer publish or prescribe textbooks, but they effectively commission some student material by commissioning and funding projects. Boards of Studies publish support materials for teachers and encourage, if necessary, commercial production of texts for students. The Curriculum Corporation is the main body to receive such commissions.33
National and state frameworks and projects are normally accompanied by support materials and teacher guides. These continue to be mainly in printed form, since this is the only universally accessible form, but videos, CD-ROMs and computer software for both teacher and student use are increasingly common. Support services also make increasing use of the Internet. It is assumed that materials will more and more be in electronic form, but the pace change is limited by the provision of hardware in schools. Printed material includes pages that can be photocopied. 33
The great bulk of material for students is bought by parents at commercial prices. Occasionally, a government-funded project provides student material free for reproduction by schools. For example, for the 'Discovering Democracy' initiative, which involves the teaching of civics and citizenship education to all students in all schools in Australia from the mid-primary to upper secondary phases (see 5.2.2), schools were provided with lesson plans, books, CD-ROMs, games and activities. 37 33
The Queensland Education Department (Education Queensland) also launched a new online learning website early in 2002. The Learning Place, which aims to be a gateway to online learning for teachers and students, offers access to the latest software, online discussion forums and curriculum resources. It is accessible at http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace
In Tasmania, parents have always paid school levies as part of their contribution towards the education of their child. The levies cover such items as school excursions, some textbooks and other materials required throughout the year. 28 Parents have the right to expect that, if the charge for books is incorporated into the levies, it will be clear which amount is for books and stationery. 60
In Victoria, textbooks are not approved by an external authority before they can be used in schools. A range of support materials is provided to assist teachers to incorporate the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) into their teaching and learning programmes. They are available from the VELS website.