Australian draft school curriculum

The K-10 draft Australian curriculum came out on Monday 1 March 2010 and is available for comment until 23 May. The senior secondary curriculum is due from April to June.

Australian students need to know why Australians were in Papua New Guinea, especially during the period it was an Australian administered territory. This is a wonderful opportunity to ensure that Australia’s role is significantly covered in the curriculum, eg the role of the kiaps and the roles played by Australians who then called PNG ‘home’.

We hear about Kokoda, and that is important, but it is also an opportunity to ensure that our nation learns more about Australia’s greatest maritime tragedy, the loss of over 1000 men from Australian administered territory on 1 July 1942. After surviving several months as prisoners of war, on what was previously Australian territory, they were then torpedoed by allied fire on the Montevideo Maru after leaving Rabaul and travelling towards Hainan. What happened in the early stages of WWII in the New Guinea islands needs better recognition.

There will be State and territory consultation forums to gather feedback on the draft curriculum although no venues are disclosed on the website.  The first session, in Queensland, is scheduled for Thursday 4 March.  To register your interest in attending these sessions, please email the state/ territory forum you wish to attend, to:

In addition National forums are scheduled for March/April 2010, ‘inviting teachers, national professional associations, education and discipline academics and other stakeholders from the broader education community to provide expert feedback.’

We have asked about how the PNGAA registers as a ‘national professional association’ in order that we can be invited to the national forums.

It is vitally important that PNGAA members from all states, particularly those in education, participate in this consultation period. We would like to ensure that Papua New Guinea is a significant part of this curriculum and the more input the better.  

The website to check on the draft curriculum is: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au. You will need to register with your usual username and a password. ACARA will send a return email with a link confirming registration.  The Explore tab will gain you access to the history draft.

The Australian curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) has the following information on their website:

Public Information Sessions for the draft Australian Curriculum
ACARA will hold public Information Sessions for the draft Australian Curriculum around Australia.
Details of the venues will be updated shortly.
To register your interest email:

http://www.acara.edu.au/public_information_sessions.html

It would be appreciated if those who provide input during the consultation period also send a copy to Deveni Temu Email: and Andrea Williams Email: .