Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum delayed
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128 , 21 July 2023, page no.12
Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace has announced a delay in the implementation of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum (V9AC).
Speaking at the QTU’s Biennial Conference, Minister Grace confirmed that implementation will now begin in 2025, not 2024 as originally proposed.
The Minister was clear that she was not stopping schools that were ready to implement the curriculum, however she recognised that implementation decisions needed to be the subject of local decision making. Ultimately, the delay is to ensure that the teaching profession has the time to get it right.
She noted that while secondary schools had flexibility in terms of the implementation of the curriculum for years 7-10, this change will only apply to years prep to 6.
Since the start of 2023, the QTU has been working closely with the Department of Education (DoE) and the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) over the past 12 months on the most appropriate way to roll out V9AC in Queensland schools.
What has become increasingly apparent is that, while both DoE and QCAA have developed resources and support documents to assist with familiarisation and implementation of V9AC, the work involved in updating current curriculum programs within schools is significantly more complex than originally foreshadowed. The changes involve more than a small “tweak” of existing plans. The mathematics curriculum, in particular, will require careful consideration.
The QTU has been advocating for schools to be provided with more time to familiarise themselves with V9AC since the start of 2023, and has said that commencement of implementation should not occur in 2024. This is important, given that many of the documents, unit plans and guidelines are still rolling out over Terms 3 and 4 of this year and could not be used until much later this year.
The QTU has now successfully negotiated for implementation to be delayed until the start of 2025. This will allow schools more time to familiarise themselves with V9AC and to plan and prepare curriculum without the pressure of implementation.
The QTU will continue to lobby for additional TRS release and resourcing for schools to manage this process.
P-12 CARF
The QTU has been involved in ongoing discussions with the DoE about proposed updates to the P-12 Curriculum and Reporting Framework (P-12 CARF). We have provided extensive feedback to the team working on this document.
The QTU remains uneasy about a few aspects of the P-12 CARF that:
- are inconsistent with QTU policy
- have significant industrial implications that have not been resolved
- have implications for resourcing.
These include:
- proposed changes to reporting protocols for P-2, which would see all year levels reported against an A-E reporting matrix
- references to “exploring and embedding digital learning”, including the terminology “digital, online, blended and virtual learning”
- significant changes to the teaching of reading/phonics and the resourcing and PD required to manage this process.
The QTU‘s Executive met in June and have endorsed the QTU’s current policy position on reporting, which retains a different reporting system for the P-2 cohort.
In addition, it endorsed a resolution that seeks the removal of the digital learning paragraphs that refer to online, blended, and virtual learning until such time as the industrial and professional implications of those types of learning have been fully resolved and there is agreement around definitions of these types of teaching and learning experiences.
Executive has also asked QTU General Secretary Kate Ruttiman to pursue the resourcing issue related to the changes to reading programs.
The QTU has formally written to DoE, outlining our position and seeking an opportunity to resolve those matters.