Post-Compulsory Education Review. a Discussion Paper

Published by the Curriculum Council 27 Walters Drive Osborne Park Western Australia 6017 Telephone: (08) 9273 6300 Facsimile: (08) 9273 6301 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.curricuIum.wa.edu.au The text in this document may be reproduced in any form. Additional copies of the publication may be obtained from the Curriculum Council. SC1S No: 985856 ISBN 0 7307 2717 3 • ѓ#1•7 mister's forewor Pro'a ьІ y the greatest challenge facing education in Western Australia is that of meeting students' needs as we enter the twenty-first century. The Curriculum Council's Curriculum Framework has placed this State at the forefront of curriculum development in Australia. The task of the Council's Post-Compulsory Education Review is to ensure that upper-secondary is consistent with the Framework and meets the numerous and increasing demands upon our schools. These demands include widespread provision of vocational education and training, responding to the changing workplace and the spread of information technology, and greater flexibility in delivery of education to young people. The first stage of the Review has involved consultation with educationists, teachers, students and industry representatives to develop this discussion paper for community consideration. The paper proposes a new post-compulsory education system that aims to ensure all students are provided with opportunities to develop the knowledge, understandings, skills and values to succeed in their lives. I expect community involvement to be extensive during the consultation phase of the Review. There will be school visits and community seminars in country and metropolitan areas to provide information to teachers, parents and the wider community and to seek their input. I invite you to respond to the suggestions presented in this paper, by making a submission and/or using the questionnaire provided. I look forward to your contribution to the Post-Compulsory Education Review Discussion Paper. COLIN BARNETT ILA MINISTER FOR EDUCATION September 1999 Acknowledgements In accordance with its statutory brief, the Curriculum Council is committed to establishing an outcomes- focused post-compulsory education system that meets the needs of all learners. The Council recognises that to do this effectively, it needs to consult with all major stakeholders. These include the students themselves, teachers, schools, and the parents and community members who support young people during this important stage of their lives. In addition, post-school destinations, including employers, the vocational education and training sector and the university sector, need assurances about the outcomes achieved. Since the mid-1980s, the responsibility of the Council, and its predecessors, has been brought into progressively sharper focus by the diversity of post-compulsory students. The achievements, aspirations and interests of young people, and the changing nature of the post- school world, especially in terms of opportunities and community expectations, are central to the considerations for change. This discussion paper represents the first stage in the Council's work of ensuring that students in Western Australia undertake their post-compulsory education in a context that is challenging, flexible, equitable and inclusive. Our aim is to provide outcomes that are valued by the community as the basis for achievement in post-compulsory schooling. 1 would like to thank all those who have been involved in the preparation of this paper. Consultation has been extensive, and the input of all groups and individuals, and the time they have spent developing and suggesting ideas have been appreciated by the Council. In addition, the work of the Council's Post-Compulsory Education Review Secretariat in drawing all of this information together has been outstanding. Professor Lesley Parker Chairperson Curriculum Council Introduction 1 Section 1: Process 3 1.1 Terms of reference 3 1.2 Consultation process 5 1.3 Research and analysis 7 Section 2: Background 9 2.1 The broadening curriculum 9 2.2 Standards, moderation and assessment 11 2.3 Certification 11 2.4 Post-school destinations 12 Section 3: What happens now 15 3.1 Curriculum 15 3.2 Breadth and depth 17 3.3 Standards 18 3.4 Assessment 18 3.5 Certification 21 3.6 Post-school destinations 22 Section 4: Issues 25 4.1 Curriculum 25 4.2 Breadth and depth 26 4.3 Standards 27 4.4 Assessment 27 4.5 Certification 28 4.6 Post-school destinations 29 Section 5: The way forward 31 5.1 Outcomes-focused curriculum 31 5.2 Breadth and depth 33 5.3 Standards 33 5.4 Assessment 34 5.5 Certification 35 5.6 Post-school destinations 36 Section 6: Possible solutions 37 6.1 Concepts for change 37 6.2 Concept 1 39 6.3 Concept 2 42 6.4 Concept 3 48 Section 7: Process for change 51 7.1 Implications for change 51 7.2 Consultation phase 51 7.3 Implementation 52 References 53 Appendix 1: Involvement in the Post-Compulsory Education Review 55 Appendix 2: Research papers 61 Appendix 3: Timetabling 63 Appendix 4: Certification in Concept 2 67 Appendix 5: Glossary 69 Appendix 6: Abbreviations 71 Introduction The purpose of this paper is to provide a stimulus for public consultation and discussion about the future of post-compulsory secondary education in Western Australia. Preparing for the twenty-first century Citizens of the twenty-first century will require knowledge and skills that enable them to be creative and enterprising. Initiative, risk-taking, lateral thinking and resourcefulness will be vital to success. People will need to be flexible and adaptive in a society that is changing economically and socially. They will need to be technologically competent, capable of using the opportunities of the digital world and self-managing of careers that may change many times. As life-long learners, they will need to continue to access education and training. Structural change in the labour market since the 1970s has led to a widening focus for post-compulsory education. Today, in a knowledge-based world economy emphasis should be placed on the skills and creativity of people, in particular, young people, to ensure future prosperity. In addition, information and communication technologies are altering economic and social relationships, on a local and global scale. They will have a significant impact on the organisation of knowledge and the way students learn. Post-compulsory education needs to address the values that underpin citizenship in our society. The National Goals of Schooling (1999), agreed to by Commonwealth and State Education Ministers, emphasise the importance of each citizen having the knowledge, understanding, skills and values for a productive and rewarding life in an educated, just and open society: A focus on student learning Accountability for schools will be determined by what has been learned by students. As foreshadowed by Western Australia's Curriculum Framework, which will be implemented in all schools K-12 by 2004, this will require a change in post-compulsory curriculum policies and practices. Public confidence should be ensured through the identification of explicit standards that guide students to improved achievement in a wide range of endeavours. The Curriculum Framework provides the basis to offer learning opportunities to prepare students for the future and will underpin the learning and teaching philosophy for post-compulsory education. It specifies a set of outcomes that students should know, understand, value and be able to do as a result of their schooling. It is designed to enable students to achieve outcomes that are explicitly and publicly described. The last major changes to post-compulsory schooling in this State were introduced following the McGaw report Assessment in the Upper Secondary School in Western Australia (1984). Since that time, adjustments have been made to respond to a changing environment. Recent developments, however, have led to the need for more comprehensive change. While the post-compulsory system has considerable strengths, it is clear to many that changes are required if curriculum is to sustain its relevance for students. The aspirations of young people should be at the centre of all planning for change. Post-compulsory schooling needs to be for all students. It should cater for vocational and academic needs, and provide support for the development of values and active engagement in society. i Post-compulsory Education Review The Curriculum Council is conducting a review of post-compulsory education. An open process has been adopted for the Review, rather than an in-committee approach. Contributions have been sought from students, teachers, parents, schools, education and training agencies, universities, industry and community organisations, and representatives from these groups have participated in the many committees and seminars convened by the Council. Working papers and submissions received have been placed on the Curriculum Council's website to enable wide community involvement, and a listsery and an Internet discussion forum have been used to generate ideas. As one contributor has said, the Review has been conducted along the lines of both 'thinking aloud' and 'thinking allowed. This discussion paper aims to promote debate about the philosophy and practice of post-compulsory education. No decisions have been made; the intention is to engage the wider community in considering the possibilities, exploring the implications of change and providing suggestions. Section 1 outlines the terms of reference for the Review, describes the process, and details research that has been conducted to inform the Review. Section 2 provides an overview of post-compulsory education in Western Australia from 1984 to 1999. Section 3 outlines the current post-compulsory education system, and describes each component of the system: curriculum, breadth and depth of study, standards, assessment, certification and selection for post-school destinations. Section 4 presents issues in relation to the existing system that have been identified in reference and focus group discussions, and the many submissions in the first stage of the Review process.

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