New ‘stripped back’ curriculum slammed as ‘just political’

It’s being touted as a change that will lead to better results but critics of a new ‘stripped back’ curriculum warn “the devil will be in the detail”.

Children will have to do more maths without a calculator and learn about consent and respect in a new “stripped back” school curriculum available from next term.

They will also learn more about the impact the British settlers had on First Nations Australians and about Australian democracy.

History has also been “significantly decluttered”, allowing more time for in-depth teaching, and there will be more emphasis on phonic in English, according to the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).

“Importantly, this is a more stripped-back and teachable curriculum that identifies the essential content our children should learn,” ACARA CEO, David de Carvalho, said.

“There is a stronger focus on phonics in English and on mastering essential mathematical facts, concepts, skills and processes.”

The new curriculum has been stripped-back.

ACARA said the curriculum would include a stronger focus on students mastering the essential maths and being introduced to these at the right time.

In particular, children in Year 1 will be expected to achieve a higher level of maths than they do currently and be able to memorise times tables from the beginning in Year 2.

Students will also be taught about privacy and security online, as well encouraging children to get outside of the classroom and be more active.

Mr de Carvalho said the new curriculum would lead to better results.

The overhaul follows Australia’s steady decline in the international education rankings over the past decade.

It will be available online from the start of next term.

Education Standards Institute Director Kevin Donnelly said on the surface the new curriculum looked to be an improvement but the “devil will be in the detail”.

“It sounds good to cut it back and to talk about explicit teaching, memorising times tables and not relying on computers,” he said.

“The problem is teacher training is based on progressive fads and beginner teachers are not being properly trained.”

Kevin Donnelly is director of the Education Standards Institute.

He said the existing curriculum was already currently weighted towards Indigenous studies so it was wrong to further emphasise it.

He said teaching about consent and respectful relationships was pushing a “woke agenda”.

“It’s just political,” he said.

“Boys are taught that masculinity is negative.”

Dr Donnelly said the curriculum was just the first stage, whether the states and territories fully adopt or adapt is up to them.

He said his own research found that principals were unable to confirm what children were being taught in the classrooms.

Ministers considered the final draft of the curriculum earlier this year.

Further revisions were requested in mathematics and the humanities and social sciences, which have now been approved.

The existing Australian Curriculum that is currently taught in schools, and all support resources, will continue to be available on the current Australian Curriculum website until all states, territories and schools are implementing the updated curriculum.