Media Release: Better Resourcing for Australian Curriculum Implementation

Click here to download and read the full media release.

Click here to download and read the paper: Requirements for Implementing the Australian Curriculum.

The Australian Primary Principals Association will today launch its paper: Requirements for Implementing the Australian Curriculum. Primary principals are calling on all Australian governments to fund a major program to adequately support the implementation of the new national curriculum.

Principals are calling for annual funding of up to $100 million to ensure that the new curriculum is properly delivered in all schools.

With the launch of the paper, four motions will be put to the floor today at the annual conference of the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) in Perth (shown at the end of the press release; click here to go to the motions), with more than 800 principals from government, Catholic and independent schools from all states and territories in attendance. This funding will be essential so that all students in all schools around the country are able to access appropriately delivered national curriculum content. 

APPA’s outgoing President, Ms Leonie Trimper, said today that it was important that all Australian governments, State, Territory and Federal, cooperate on a national plan to establish an agreed timetable and adequate resourcing for schools. The implementation process should be led by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) which has developed the new Australian Curriculum.

“The Australian Curriculum will not be effective without national coordination and cooperation between the State and Federal governments. This coordination and cooperation is a necessary first step to ensure that all students across Australia are taught a consistent, recognised, curriculum.”

The paper argued that Australian governments should pool their resources to ensure that implementation funds are made available to all schools on a needs basis.

“We estimate that, on average, schools will need about $10,000 annually during the implementation years to enable them to provide professional development, resources and other support to their staff,” said Ms Trimper.

This would mean national funding of almost $100 million annually.

APPA also proposed that Government’s resource a major program of high quality professional development for teachers that is nationally developed and supported but adaptable to the needs and circumstances of each school. Ms Trimper said of the proposal, “We support the requirement that each school is expected to implement the Australian Curriculum, but it must be recognised that every school will have different circumstances. To better accommodate this fact, schools must be able to adapt professional development programs to meet their unique needs”, said Ms Trimper.

The Association is also calling for the provision of access to the new curriculum in a range of easily usable formats, along with clear and explicit information about what is expected of schools, principals and teachers.
 

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APPA Conference - Motions - 23 September 2010

1. That all Australian governments reach agreement on a national plan for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum in all schools.  The plan should be led by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority and establish an agreed timetable and resourcing. This plan should recognise the particular support needs of primary schools.

2. That all Australian governments resource a major program of high quality cross sectoral professional development that is nationally developed and supported but adaptable to the needs and circumstances of each school.

3. That all teachers are provided with easy access to the Australian Curriculum in a range of usable online forms, along with clear and simple national information about what is expected of schools, principals and teachers, and support materials in each subject.

4. That all Australian governments ensure that implementation funds are made available to all schools on a needs basis; these funds to average $10,000 per year for each school for the full period in which implementation of new Australian Curriculum subjects is occurring.