The announcement by Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace to delay the roll-out of Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum has been welcomed by Queensland principals. It’s a decision that was made in consultation with a range of education sector stakeholders that includes the Queensland Teacher’s Union and school leader associations.
Teachers and curriculum leaders will now have an additional 12 months to enhance their understanding of the revised Australian curriculum, which will allow them to invest more time in the development of new lessons and assessments. Being able to make the necessary pedagogical shifts needed to help students engage with the changes is another benefit.
Pat Murphy is President of the Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP) – a body that represents more than 380,000 students and 1,300 state school leaders across the state. He praised the decision, explaining that the delay in rolling out the latest version of the curriculum will “allow school leaders and teachers to manage the additional workload of the substantial changes in a way that best suits their contexts, amidst the everyday busyness of their schools”.
An analysis of Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum has revealed that, of the 189 content descriptors in the Prep to Year 6 English curriculum, only three are a word for word match with Version 8.4 that is currently being utilised for Australian students. Within the new-look Math curriculum, there are 139 content descriptors and none reveal an identical word for word match with the previous version.
Given that these content descriptors detail the essential knowledge, skills and level of understanding students are expected to learn – and teachers are expected to teach – in each year level, the extra time educators will now have to familiarise themselves with the amendments is designed to help make the transition smoother.
“School leaders acknowledge the support shown by the Minister and senior departmental officers in recognising the impact of the updated curriculum on schools, particularly as we continue to grapple with ongoing teacher shortages. The changes to the curriculum are significant,” he said in a media release. “It’s important we take the time to get it right.”
