Australian school curriculum ‘now totally politicised’

One of the authors of the most recent independent review of the national curriculum has launched a scathing critique of changes to school education.

In history, students will learn about the arrival of the First Fleet “as an invasion” for the first time. Picture: iStock

One of the authors of the most recent independent review of the national curriculum has launched a scathing critique of planned changes to school education, claiming they prove “conclusively” that the Australian school curriculum “is now totally politicised”.

University of Queensland emeritus professor Kenneth Wiltshire called for the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority to be abolished in the wake of its release of draft curriculum documents this week.

“We will create a nation of cretins awash in a world where they have no understanding of the history of civilisation, human thought, human philosophy, values, or principles which have produced lessons to be acknowledged by all societies,” Professor Wiltshire said of a push to crunch the humanities.

“No amount of swiping screens or pushing buttons to pop up unsubstantiated internet entries will compensate for this.”

Revisions to the Australian Curriculum were unveiled on Thursday, following a 12 month-review requested by Education Council in response to concerns about the nation’s declining academic results.

One of the most notable proposed changes is to the humanities curriculum. While overall curriculum content is being scaled back by about 20 per cent, the elevation of indigenous history, culture and perspectives across the humanities has come at a cost of topics dealing with ancient history and western civilisation.

In history, students will learn about the arrival of the First Fleet “as an invasion” for the first time, while the significance of trade to First Nations People of Australia and “the sophistication and significance of First Nations Australians complex societies and cultures, changing social organisation and political and economic systems” will also be studied.

In secondary school, students will no longer be taught that Australia is a secular nation with a “Christian heritage”, and will instead learn about a “culturally diverse, multi-faith, secular and pluralistic society with diverse communities, such as the distinct communities of First Nations Australians”.

More books by First Nations authors are to be incorporated into the English curriculum from the foundation level upwards.

Federal, state and territory ministers met on Friday in Melbourne, where they were briefed by the heads of ACARA on the proposed changes.

The response from ministers is understood to have been “lukewarm”, with several states harbouring concerns that some proposals are not supported by evidence.

Professor Wiltshire said he shared concerns about “fads and whims” in education. His co-chair on the 2014 curriculum review, Australian Catholic University research fellow Kevin Donnelly, has also being scathing of the proposals, accusing the curriculum writers of promoting “cultural relativism”.

“ACARA, which is completely controlled by national and state [and] territory politicians is an educationally discredited body with very little education knowledge or foundation, or true curriculum design expertise,” Professor Wiltshire said.

“The curriculum is still full of biases and wrong facts — ACARA must be abolished.”

Professor Wiltshire said Australian education had strayed far from the universally accepted pillars of curriculum design: “learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, and learning to live together”.

“Australians both young and old will become the pitied laughing stock in international circles and be denied access to important positions of positive influence in the world,” he said.