Studies of Asia in Australian schools are underpinned by two important documents.

Studies of Asia: A Statement for Australian Schools

The first, published by Curriculum Corporation in 1995, is Studies of Asia: A Statement for Australian Schools.

It provides a framework for teaching and learning about the nations and cultures of Asia and, in particular, suggests the following learning emphases:

Studies of Asia: A Statement for Australian Schools insists that 'Aspects of studies of Asia should be incorporated into existing course content across the curriculum. All students should have the opportunity to experience some Asia-related learning' (p. 10).

Studies of Asia Curriculum Support Document

The second important document is the Studies of Asia Curriculum Support Document, a collaborative project funded by the Commonwealth as part of the National Asian Languages and Studies of Asia in Australian Schools (NALSAS) strategy. It is available through Asia Education Foundation (AEF) State and Territory Advisors.

It is based on the learning emphases suggested in Studies of Asia: A Statement for Australian Schools, but goes beyond them to suggest a range of ideas about appropriate learning activities in the primary and secondary years of schooling.

These suggestions could be used to incorporate studies of Asia into existing patterns of curriculum and are not intended to stand separately. Provided suitable curriculum resources are available, teachers could use them in their own classrooms. The Studies of Asia Curriculum Support Document also includes a number of more developed classroom approaches, based on the suggestions.

Follow the links below for some samples of ways in which the Studies of Asia Curriculum Support Document can be used to develop curriculum based on the learning emphases.