Landmark teaching overhaul for biggest school system
Australia’s largest school system will get its biggest overhaul in decades when explicit teaching is rolled out in primary classrooms in a curriculum shift to reverse sliding results.
A reworked NSW primary-school curriculum will aim to clearly set out expectations for teachers and students, replacing a student-led model formerly in vogue with education experts.
As part of the changes, unveiled on Wednesday, there will be a new science and technology syllabus with more hands-on learning, giving students an understanding of how the human body works, while also exploring fields such as space and climate systems.
History and geography will fall under human society and its environment, exploring interconnected themes on both topics.
It will include compulsory civics and citizenship content, including on voting in a democracy, as well as a strengthened focus on teaching children how to read a map.
Balancing screen time with physical activity will be part of an updated personal development, health and physical education syllabus, which also provides explicit support for students with physical disability for the first time.
Age-appropriate lessons on respectful relationships and consent will also be part of the syllabus.
The creative arts syllabus covering dance, drama, music and visual arts features clearer guidelines for how much time should be spent on each.
Updated maths and English syllabuses have already been introduced.
Teachers will have two years to familiarise themselves with the updated syllabuses before their mandatory rollout in all NSW schools in 2027, but they can be implemented before then if schools choose.
Education Minister Prue Car said the updated curriculum would reshape education in the state over the coming decades.
“For the first time, primary school teachers have a set of syllabuses that make sense together and will ensure students have a strong foundation upon which to build their knowledge,” she said.
“Teachers will have clarity on exactly what they need to teach, based on evidence – taking away the guesswork and streamlining workload.”
NSW Education Standards Authority chief executive Paul Martin said the new syllabuses would provide greater clarity to teachers.
“They are sequenced, coherent, knowledge-rich, and infer a more explicit teaching practice,” he said.
The overall performance of Australian schools has steadily declined compared to other nations since the early 2000s, although the NSW system generally delivers results above the national average.
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