for consultation

The Technologies Learning Area is not the trade courses or VET (Vocational Education and Training). Technology Education, as it is known in a world-wide context, is where the principles of engineering and manufacturing are first taught to children. From their first experiences at school, where experimentation with technology will be encouraged, through to the optional study of Software Design and Engineering Studies.

The current draft has all students studying two separate subjects, Design & Technologies and Digital Technologies from the beginning of school through to year 8 and then optionally in years 9 and 10.  Development of subjects for years 11 and 12 has now begun.

Digital Technologies is more than simply the use of Information and Communication Technologies – indeed that is something that should occur in every subject.  The ACARA documents are strong on the General Capability of Information and Communication Technology, where the use and application of digital tools are used in all learning areas.  Digital technologies go further than this and may best be described as computer science with a backbone of algorithmic and computational thinking.

States and territories will take this nationally developed curriculum and weave it into their respective curriculum as resources become available.

F-10 is the term used by ACARA for the years from Foundation (Kindergarten in NSW) until year 10 which, in most instances, is not up to the end of mandatory education.  The minimal school leaving age is now 17.

Concepts of design thinking and challenging problem solving are embedded in the curriculum and underpin technology education internationally. In Design and Technology study, students will be expected to apply design thinking and, at times, engineering principles to tasks. They will equally apply safe food principles and nutrition, agriculture in food and fibre study as well as a study of materials of the “made world” around them.  Engineering principles and systems are one of four mandated study areas from F to year 10.

In Digital Technologies, children will learn to think algorithmically; applying computational thinking to design challenges.  These concepts will apply from year 2.

The Technologies curriculum in each state includes many more subjects than Design and Technology and a Digital Technologies subject. Subjects such as Industrial Technology-Engineering, taught in years 9 and 10 in NSW are not included in the ACARA curriculum.

Other subjects in the Technology Learning area in NSW include, for example; Graphics (Technical Drawing but predominantly CAD today), Timber, Metal, Textiles, Agriculture, Marine and Aquaculture, Food Technologies in addition to the Design and Technology and Digital Technology subjects. The latter being called Information & Software technology in NSW and other names in different states and territories.

A draft curriculum is available on the ACARA web site and a survey is available. Each state and territory will also apply its own processes of consultation. For example the NSW Board of Studies will have city and country face to face meetings, their own state-based survey and an online forum for NSW teachers and academics.  A number of other forums setup by teachers are also capturing opinions, such as this one and the Facebook pages of the teacher associations,  the Institute of Industrial Arts, Technology Education in NSW (IIATE), and the National Design and Technology Teachers Association (DATTA). The NSW Department of Education and Communities would be typical of other states also conducting workshops to seek feedback regarding the current document for a final review.  Revisions will then take place from May to October 2013 for release in late 2013, all being well.

The Science and Mathematics curricula, along with English and History have already been developed and are available in the states on their curriculum sites.  NSW took the opportunity to develop what is probably a world first. The syllabus documents are available and were developed as an electronic form here. The NSW syllabus for the Australian Curriculum is worth looking at.

With regard to the Technologies Curriculum, after the consultations are complete and the amendments finalised by the end of 2013, it will be up to states and territories to implement the work, given budgets and time.

This will be a curriculum for the future.

It has to be to maintain a prosperous future for Australia. Do we take this opportunity for a 21st century school curriculum with appropriate resourcing and teacher training?

Or do we squander this national opportunity?