This Memorandum provides advice to all Victorian primary and secondary schools and providers about indicative timelines for the introduction and implementation of the new Australian curriculum in Victoria.
General information about the timelines and processes for development of the new Australian curriculum is available through the website (www.acara.edu.au) of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD), the Catholic Education Commission Victoria (CECV) and the Association of Independent Schools Victorian (AISV) have committed to work towards a common implementation timeline to ensure all Victorian schools have access to and are able to benefit from shared professional development activities and implementation resources.
The current plan for development is that drafts of the Australian curriculum for English, Mathematics, the Sciences and History for Years P – 10 and 11 – 12 will be made available by ACARA for consultation in February and May 2010 respectively for a period of about three months. The VCAA will work together with ACARA and all school sectors to provide statewide opportunities for school communities, teachers and other stakeholders to consider and provide comment on these drafts.
It is expected that revised drafts of the curriculum will be submitted to Ministers for approval in the second half of 2010. The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affair (MCEECDYA) will decide on an implementation timeline in 2010. It is expected that the Australian curriculum for the P-10 years will be available from 2011.
If this timeline is met and Ministers approve the curriculum, implementation advice and professional development programs and resources will be available to all schools during 2011. This will include advice for government and Catholic schools on a new updated structure for the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) that will incorporate both the learning domains and general capabilities set out in the Melbourne Declaration (http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf) and the new Australian curriculum subjects for years K-10. Advice will be provided for independent schools on how the new subjects can best be incorporated into existing school-based curriculum programs or recognised alternative curriculum programs.
In addition, schools and providers in Victoria from all three sectors, government, Catholic and independent, will be invited to participate in a pilot implementation program in one or more of the four subjects for Years P – 10 in 2011.
If this timeline is met, it is expected that the new Australian curriculum for English, Mathematics, the Sciences and History will then be introduced in all Victorian schools and providers for students in P – 10 in 2012. This includes the new content and achievement standards and associated reporting of student achievement.
For Years 11 and 12, it is expected that new Australian curriculum-based VCE courses in the subject areas of English, Mathematics, the Sciences and History will be introduced at Units 1 and 2 in 2013 and Units 3 and 4 in 2014.
The new subjects will follow the structure and format of existing Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) study designs. Assessment arrangements will be detailed in the study designs as is the case at present. Information will be provided about how the new subjects, especially English and Mathematics, may be incorporated into existing VCAL strands.
Professional development programs for the new subjects will be provided for Units 1-2 and 3-4 in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
At this stage, it is expected that current VCE studies that substantially duplicate the new Australian curriculum subjects will be replaced by the new Australian curriculum subjects. There are no current plans to discontinue any VCE studies other than those covered by the new Australian curriculum subjects.
Information about the implementation of the second group of Australian curriculum subjects (Geography, LOTE and The Arts) and other subjects that may be developed as part of the Australian curriculum will be provided early in 2010.
As the ACARA development and consultation process progresses, we will continue to provide regular updates of our planned implementation timelines and processes.
For further information, please contact:
David Howes,
General Manager, Curriculum
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)
howes.david.c@edumail.vic.gov.au
ph. 03 96514524
Diane Peck
General Manager, Student Learning Division
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD)
peck.dianne.j@edumail.vic.gov.au
ph. 03 3 96372854
Debra Punton
Assistant Director, School Services
Catholic Education Commission Victoria (CECV)
dpunton@ceomelb.catholic.edu.au
ph. 03 9267 0228
Aine Maher
Director, Teaching and Learning
Association of Independent Schools Victoria (AISCV)
Aine.Maher@ais.vic.edu.au
ph. 03 9825 7200