Engaging with the National Curriculum

By Dr Bryan Cowling

Posted on 04 June 2010

I make no apology for my strong support for the implementation of the forthcoming Australian Curriculum. It has been a long time coming. As someone who was involved in the Australia-wide discussions in the late seventies about a Core Curriculum for Australia, and a decade or more later an active participant in the development of the National Statements and Profiles, I am heartened to see the dream of a national curriculum almost realized.

At the recent National Schools Policy Forum organised by the Christian schools, held in Canberra, I was greatly encouraged by the intelligent way principals and teachers from all over Australia - from Anglican, Seventh Day Adventist, Lutheran and Christian schools engaged with the fundamental principles of the draft syllabuses in English, Mathematics, Science and History. These conversations and formal workshops identified lots of ways in which the new syllabuses provide opportunities for Christian teachers to teach Christianly - not by dropping in occasional ‘God-words' so much as engaging students in a meaningful and creative exploration of God's world from a multiplicity of angles.

Few educational documents have been subjected to greater scrutiny than the draft national syllabuses. The openness of the Chairman of ACARA, Professor Barry McGaw, to receive constructive suggestions and criticisms about the substance of the curriculum has been very impressive.  Too often in the past Christians commenting on draft curriculum have diminished their credibility by carping on trivial or personal taste issues. I sense a more mature, measured response from Christians on this occasion and hope that it will continue to be the case.