Keeping curriculum current 

With the C2C team on track to complete updating the curriculum to version 8 before June, it has been brought to the attention of the QTU that ILMs (independent learning materials) for a range of the units have not been updated.

Many teachers use the ILMs with their students for a range of reasons, and it would be unfortunate for the suite to be left incomplete.

The QTU is calling for the alignment of the full suite of ILMs for the C2C units, to be completed by the end of 2017. We will be seeking clarification from the Department of Education regarding maintenance of the C2C resource beyond the wind-down of the C2C team in 2017, to ensure that C2C remains current and user-friendly, with all links working.

When the Australian Curriculum was introduced in Queensland, there was no systemic approach to professional development to support teachers. The C2C resources were the department’s way of helping teachers to implement the Australian Curriculum. Given the large numbers of teachers who are downloading the new C2C materials, the question of who will maintain the resource beyond the wind back of the C2C team must be answered.

Schools are required to implement all remaining learning areas of the Australian Curriculum, version 8 by the end of 2020, in accordance with the recently updated DET P-12 Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Framework. Teachers can determine their own implementation schedule through consultation at the local school level. The framework states “schools should be mindful of school capacity, teacher workload and time necessary for teachers to become familiar with the curriculum and to plan for curriculum delivery”. Via the LCC, members will now be able to assert their professional rights in schools in relation to curriculum implementation and make decisions, which will enable them to manage their workloads.

The QTU’s campaign for a “decluttering of curriculum” resulted in the consolidation of the C2C units, a suite of products which totals 2,300 units of work. The department advises that in the period between 17 January and 8 February, the number of consolidated units downloaded was 16,817, and it is estimated that over the C2C project lifecycle, the total number of recorded downloads exceeds 7,600,000 (data current as at 30 January).

Leah Mertens                                                                                                               Research Officer – Professional Issues

Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 122 No 3, 14 April 2017, p13