National Curriculum and National Professional Standards: Potentially a Powerful Partnership

The author discusses the potential impact on Australian education of the creation of the interim National Curriculum Board (NCB) and subsequently the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and of the National Partnership on Quality Teaching (NPQT). He argues that their roles should be seen as distinct, but complementary and mutually reinforcing – which has important implications for the new national curriculum, the success of which will depend fundamentally on the willingness and capacity of teachers to meet related standards.