The new national curricula for English, mathematics, science and history must deal with the huge variety of situations teachers find themselves in, says a senior expert in teaching at Charles Sturt University (CSU).

 

Associate Professor Ros Brennan Kemmis, Head of the School of Education at CSU in Wagga Wagga, says that teachers face very different demands across that nation, from rural and remote schools to large multicultural schools in metropolitan areas and teachers must have the freedom to respond to their students’ needs.

 

“I hope the new national curriculum will acknowledge these differences without shutting teachers further into closed ‘boxes of performance’ and putting even greater professional pressures on them.”

 

The national curricula is a unifying set of statements about what constitutes the ‘essential learnings’ of all Australian children from Kindergarten to Year 10. According to Professor Brennan Kemmis, it was developed consultatively and used the best national and international curriculum advisers and experts.

 

“It is important to remember, however, that there are often very different opinions on what should be included in, say, the history curriculum. These viewpoints change over time and are in many ways flavoured by the loudest public voices.”

 

Professor Brennan Kemmis also recognises the importance of professional development in rolling out the new curricula.

 

“Current teachers will need professional development to help them turn the national curricula into practice in their classrooms and schools.

 

“As one of Australia’s largest educators of teachers, we at Charles Sturt University are also very aware of the implications for universities who prepare teachers for the profession.