AEU members encouraged to participate in ACARA consultations

On Thursday March 11, 2010 two SA AEU officers and two school-based AEU members attended the ACARA consultation on the national curriculum held in Adelaide.

Whilst generally supportive of the move towards the development of a national curriculum, the AEU participants had significant concerns about the form of the consultation, about the content and methodology of the first four subjects to be developed, and about school and systemic implications relating to:

• Timetabling 
• Retraining and professional development for teachers
• The protection of personalised learning and curriculum diversity
• The position of Year 7 in relation to secondary subject specialisation
• The interface between the R-10 national curriculum and the new SACE

The AEU therefore encourages members to access the ACARA curriculum website and register in order to have their say, before May 23, on the draft national curriculum.