Context behind the AEF responses to national curriculum framing papers
Early in 2009, the then National Curriculum Board invited comment about the proposed shape of the emerging national curriculum in Australia. Here you can read the context in which the AEF responses to the proposed framing papers for English and History were prepared.
- Index
- The National Curriculum
The context for Asia literacy in the National Curriculum
The National Curriculum
If the new Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians is to be taken seriously and ‘Asia literacy’ realised for all Australians, then explicit inclusion of studies of Asia as core learning in the new National Curriculum must be achieved. There are two important aspects underpinning the explicit inclusion of ‘Asia literacy’ in the national curriculum:
- ‘Asia literacy’ does not require a new or separate subject such as Asian Studies. Nor does it attempt to load the delivery of this goal into one subject only, namely Asian languages.
- Asia literacy does require the systematic integration of Asia-related content and skills, where appropriate, across the whole [English] curriculum.
The most recent version of the Shape of the National Curriculum paper supports the context for ‘Asia literacy’ in the curriculum by stating that:
Development of a perspective on the world beyond Australia, in the Asia-Pacific region and globally, is also important (National Curriculum Board, February 2009: 9).
The paper also states that the national curriculum should build a set of knowledge, understanding and skills that:
…enables students to respect and appreciate their own and other cultures, and to work and communicate with those from different cultures and backgrounds…including respect for Australia’s multicultural composition; appreciation of the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; communicating and working in harmony with others within and across cultures, especially in relation to cultures and countries of the Asia-Pacific; and appreciation of difference and diversity (National Curriculum Board, February 2009: 8-9).
