Roll out of Australian Curriculum Version 9 paused
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 130 No 7, 3 October 2025, page no 12.
The QTU welcomes the extension of the implementation timeline for all learning areas of Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum.
At its Term 2 meeting, the QTU’s Far North Queensland Area Council called for a pause in the rollout of additional learning areas to allow English and mathematics to be consolidated.
The QTU is a key stakeholder in Queensland’s education and training sectors, and QTU representatives meet quarterly with the Department of Education’s K-12 Curriculum Reference Group. QTU representatives include officers of the Union, as well as teachers and school leaders.
At the meeting in Term 2, the QTU called on the department to pause further rollout of additional learning areas implementation timelines until English and mathematics have been effectively consolidated in classrooms. Following the meeting, the QTU formally wrote to the department and called for a pause of further rollout of the Australian Curriculum.
This action sought to draw attention to the resolutions that had been carried by Far North Area Council, as well as other branches throughout the state. The Far North Queensland Area Council resolutions provided to the department included:
“That the Department of Education pauses further rollout of additional learning area implementation timelines until English and mathematics have been effectively consolidated in classrooms. This temporary pause will ensure that teachers have the necessary time to deeply engage with curriculum content, refine pedagogy, and support student learning without being overwhelmed by multiple, simultaneous curriculum changes.”
On 11 August, the Director-General issued a message to all employees, stating: “All schools will now have until the end of 2028 to implement all learning areas, with a particular focus on mathematics and English in 2025 and 2026.”
The Director-General also stated: “Schools that have already planned and are ready to implement Version 9, can proceed as planned.”
This common sense approach accords with the current mantra of cutting red tape. There is also recognition that some schools have already developed planning and resourcing to deliver Version 9 of all learning areas. The pause does not need to apply to these schools.
From a workload perspective, time to consolidate English and maths in all year levels is welcomed, for reasons articulated in the Far North Queensland Area Council resolution, namely refining pedagogical practice without having to manage simultaneous curriculum changes. There are clear benefits for primary schools, small schools, and schools with teachers teaching out-of-field.
"From a QTU governance perspective, delegates at the Far North Queensland Area Council are to be congratulated for crafting a resolution that articulated a problem, a desired resolution, and concrete action."