Core curriculum to take workload pressures off teachers

Queensland state school teachers will have more control on how they teach the Australian Curriculum from Term 1 next year, Education Minister Kate Jones announced today.

Ms Jones said the Department of Education’s Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C) resources would be updated to give teachers more clarity about what to teach.

“I have listened to teachers who are saying they need greater flexibility to create the best learning environment for students.

“Teachers are telling me they want more time for revision, extension or deeper learning for all students in their classroom.

“That’s why we will revise the number of C2C units for mathematics and English for all year levels.

“Achievement standards and core content will remain.

“However we know we can provide more flexibility for teachers to move with the learning needs of their students to meet the achievement standards and cover the core content.”

Ms Jones said the changes would be made in response to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority report, Core P – 10 Australian Curriculum released today.

“I instigated a review of the P – 10 Australian Curriculum in response to teachers consistently raising their concerns about teacher workload pressures of an overcrowded classroom curriculum,” she said.

“We have accepted the report’s key recommendation of a new approach to implementing the P-10 Australian Curriculum for Queensland schools and school sectors.

“This will provide school leaders and teachers with certainty on what aspects of the curriculum are important for every student to learn.

“Teachers of students with disability will also have access to more targeted professional development to help implement the curriculum.”

Ms Jones said the QCAA’s Core P – 10 Australian Curriculum recommendations would ease workload pressures for teachers.

“Subjects such as History, Geography and Civics and Citizenship will be combined into one Humanities and Social Science subject for Prep to Year 6 in line with the recommendations of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority,” she said.

“Science will have less duplication and schools will have greater flexibility in how they choose to deliver the Arts.”

Queensland Association of State School Principals president Michael Fay said the core curriculum would deliver greater clarity for staff working in P – 10 state schools.

“In recent years we have had significant concerns in relation to the overcrowding of the primary curriculum,” Mr Fay said.

“These concerns have increased as more subjects of the Australian curriculum have been added.

“We welcome the new approach to implementation of the P – 10 Australian Curriculum as it will enable schools to deliver a quality education for all students.

“We want our schools to be places that foster innovation and creativity and these reforms will give us back the time to do that.”

Woodcrest College school teacher Frances Housego said the reform would give students more class time to learn.

“A reduction in the number of lessons will allow students time to consolidate their understanding of the skills required to master tasks,” Ms Housego said.

“I’m excited about what this means for my classroom.”

Queensland Association of Special Education Leaders President Roselynne Anderson said the review of C2C resources would allow teachers to focus on individual student needs.

“Refining the content of these resources will allow teachers in special education programs and special schools to better cater for the learning needs of students with disability,” Ms Anderson said.

Ms Jones said updated curriculum resources for mathematics and English would be made available to teachers from term 4, 2016.

Media: Matt Jutsum 0408 998 940