Towards a National Core Curriculum for Year 12

In February this year Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop released the report, Year 12 Curriculum Content and Achievement Standards, prepared by ACER. This provides a strong case for a common curriculum core in at least some senior school subjects after a review of curricula found there is already a high degree of consistency in what is being taught, as Gabrielle Matters writes. This study, undertaken in the second half of 2006, provides the first Australia-wide picture of what is expected of students taking five subjects – English (including Literature), mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Australian History – in the final years of secondary school.