Review of the Australian Curriculum (Version 8.4)
The current Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum, Version 8.4, is being reviewed. Once approved, the updated Australian Curriculum will be known as Version 9.0. More information here.
Education ministers agreed terms of reference for this review in June 2020 and extensive consultation on proposed revisions, including a public consultation period, has since been undertaken.
The 10-week public consultation period on proposed revisions ended on 8 July 2021. All feedback will be reviewed and considered in finalising proposed changes to the Australian Curriculum.
The Institute for Social Science Research at The University of Queensland is undertaking an independent analysis of the data collected through the online surveys and email submissions and will prepare consultation reports to assist ACARA in completing revisions.
ACARA’s review process has involved teachers and curriculum experts from all states and territories, the government and non-government sectors and consultation with national teacher and principal professional associations, parent groups and subject matter experts.
Final revisions to the Australian Curriculum will be provided to education ministers for their consideration and endorsement and, once approved, will be available on a new Australian Curriculum website in 2022.
If you are interested in following the progress of the review, please subscribe to our newsletter, ACARA Update, or keep checking our website for regular updates.
More information
Read:
Terms of reference of the review (PDF 94 kb), which define the approach and scope of the review of the F–10 Australian Curriculum.
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See our infographics on the Australian Curriculum review:
Review timeline Review fact sheet Governance and advisory structure
The three dimensions of the Australian Curriculum
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Australian Curriculum review: FAQs
What is the purpose of the review?
The Australian Curriculum has been in place for some time now, and education ministers agreed it was timely that it be reviewed to ensure it continues to meet the needs of students now and into the future. The aim of the review is to improve the Australian Curriculum from Foundation to Year 10 by refining, realigning and reducing the existing content of the curriculum.
When did the review start and how long will it take?
The review process commenced following Education Council's approval of the terms of reference for the review on 12 June 2020. ACARA is to complete the review by the end of 2021. If approved by education ministers, the revised Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum will be released on a redesigned Australian Curriculum website by the start of 2022
What is the scope of the review? Which areas of the Australian Curriculum will be reviewed?
All eight learning areas from Foundation to Year 10 will be reviewed by the end of 2021, although the review of all 16 Languages subjects will take longer, with Chinese, French, Italian and Japanese completed first, by the end of 2021, and the other languages completed by 2023.
Why is the curriculum being reviewed now?
The Australian Curriculum has been in place for some time now and was last reviewed in 2014. In 2015, education ministers agreed that ACARA should undertake a six-year cycle of review of the Australian Curriculum to ensure it continues to meet the needs of students and it is best practice. The scope of the review has been informed by ACARA‘s research program, which included:
- benchmarking the Australian Curriculum against the curricula of the education systems of Singapore, Finland, British Columbia and New Zealand
- annual monitoring of the effectiveness of the Australian Curriculum with feedback from states and territories
- participation in international projects such as the OECD 2030 Future of Education and Skills project
- ongoing feedback from education authorities and teachers.
What happens with the feedback you received?
At the end of the consultation window, all feedback will be reviewed and considered in finalising the revised Australian Curriculum. The Institute for Social Science Research at The University of Queensland has been contracted to undertake an independent analysis of the data collected through the surveys and to develop reports to assist ACARA in making final revisions. The final revisions will then be provided to education ministers for their consideration and endorsement.
Will these responses be published?
Consultation feedback reports that provide a summary of the feedback and key themes arising will be published on the ACARA website. The reports will provide a summary of the demographics of respondents and reference the names of organisations that provided feedback, but will not include information about individuals who provided feedback.
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For further information, email: engagement@acara.edu.au
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