Curriculum Policy and Major Education Reports
Victoria – Key Documents – The 2005 Context
Enhancing Their Futures: Report of the Committee of Review on the Victorian Certificate of Education (Dow VCE Review) – 1997
- Argues for constant monitoring of curriculum and assessment.
- Notes the need to revise the VCE to reflect social, economic and technological change.
- Demonstrates a concern with equity (but not central as in the Blackburn Report).
- Emphasises competencies and skills and the need for greater integration of VET in the VCE.
Curriculum and Standards Framework II: An Overview P-10 – 2000
- Concerns a P-10 Curriculum Framework comprising eight Key Learning Areas: The Arts, English (including ESL), Health and Physical Education, LOTE, Mathematics, Science, Studies of Society and the Environment, and Technology.
- Defines major and knowledge and skills within strands and levels for each Key Learning Area (for each strand there are six levels).
Blueprint for Government Schools: Future Directions in the Victorian Government School System – 2003
- Policy document that sets out future directions for government schools.
- Promotes quality education as a right of all young people.
- Acknowledges differences in learning styles.
- Continues the policy of school administration based on the principles of self-management.
Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) – 2005
- Arose from Blueprint, Flagship Strategy 1: Student Learning – to identify a broad framework of ‘essential learnings’ for all Victorian students.
- Identifies three core components of the curriculum as essential to the development of flexible, adaptable learners who can respond to change: physical, personal and social development and growth; discipline based learning; and interdisciplinary learning.
- Identifies three stages of learning in the Years P-10 and focuses on developing expert learners.
- Retains the six level structure of the CSF but replaces the eight Key Learning Areas.