Pausing NSW Curriculum Right Decision

The Minns Government’s indication that it will pause the implementation of the revised NSW Curriculum reflects teachers’ opinion that starting a new curriculum now would be difficult if not impossible.

The previous government’s plan was to implement changes to 26 syllabuses in the coming 12 months, despite warnings from the teaching profession that this was unworkable and would prove detrimental to student outcomes.

The 2019 NSW Curriculum Review, led by Professor Geoff Masters, suggested a 10-year rollout timeframe which is strongly supported by teachers.

Teachers say a quick rollout would only exacerbate the issues of acute teacher scarcity and heavy workloads.

“Teachers have been warning for months that the previous timeframe was both unnecessary and unmanageable” Mark Northam, Secretary of the Independent Education Union NSW/ACT Branch, said.

“The syllabus review and reform program is the most significant change to the NSW Curriculum in many years. It is important to get it right rather than just get it done quickly.

“It’s encouraging to have a government that is finally listening to the profession.”

“Implementing a new syllabus is complex and time consuming,” Northam said. “It takes time to get it right and to ensure the best educational outcomes for students. The teacher shortage crisis demands this enlightened response from the government, and we applaud their decision.

“This revised schedule shows the NSW Government is listening to the voice of the teaching profession.”