Identification and Description of the Influences and Discourses Surrounding the Development of Different Educational Curricula

It was in 1996 that the first UK curriculum was introduced which was called ‘Desirable Outcomes’. Within the document were learning outcomes to be achieved by all children by the age of five and being a centralised system, an inspection scheme was also introduced. In this article Soler and Miller (2010) highlight how these changes were perceived to be shaping the early childhood curriculum from the outside rather than from within the early childhood community.

Early childhood education in Australia encompasses prior to school settings as well as the early years of

The Australian Curriculum currently is struggling with incorporating indigenous perspectives as a key focus in the curriculum properly. It is lacking the ability to normalise indigenous knowledge and instead represents

Curriculum is designed to develop successful learners. Confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens (MCEECDYA, 2008, p.13). In 2008, the Australian Government promised to deliver a fair and equitable curriculum for the national’s educational system, taking the task away from the State and Local Governments. The purpose of this was to create an even level of education throughout the country whether in Hobart of Cape York, and to ensure our nations position into the 21st century. This essay will demonstrate the Nation’s curriculum, its structure and development ready for its initial implementation in 2011.

Early childhood education curriculums are becoming a national curriculum in most countries. With more governments and society thinking about education of under-fives we are seeing shifts in thinking and education to meet the changing world. We are developing children skills for the future to create a society where children feel they belong and can contribute to society. Curriculums are being influenced my social, political, cultural, historical and theoretical issues that are impacting different curriculums in the world. I am going to explore and develop my understanding about three different curriculums to recognise the different influences affecting curriculums. I am going to explore the curriculums of Te Whāriki: New Zealand, Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia and Curriculum for Excellence: Scotland. This will allow me to develop an understanding of other curriculums which I have not heard about to discover other way to education that I have not been taught in teacher’s college.

As highlighted, it is clear to see that literacy experiences are of great value and importance in a child’s early and later development (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008). The EYFS curriculum framework clearly displays this information for all Early Year practitioners to follow, demonstrating its importance. Moreover, the DfE (2012) believes it is important for all young children to receive the same Early Years education, despite the child’s background and the EYFS curriculum framework accommodates this. Additionally, the EYFS curriculum is linked to the National Curriculum in primary schools, and its framework helps to ensure that the child is ready to enter primary school (Soler and Miller, 2010). In contrast, the Te Whariki curriculum focuses more

In this essay we will try to provide a brief overview of educational issues of Aboriginal communities in Australia and Victoria and the elements that influence the educational outcomes of young Aboriginal people, such as culture and contemporary challenges. In addition to this, the inclusion of Aboriginal content in the Victorian curriculum and classroom practices will be explored as well as contemporary government policies.

The Australian Curriculum basically makes sure that it is setting out the essential knowledge, understanding, skills and universal competences that are very essential for all Australian students. The Australian Curriculum makes sure that it defines the learning power of students as groundwork for their future learning, development and vigorous contribution in the Australian society. It makes obvious what every young Australians need to learn as they advance through their schooling. It is the basis for high worth teaching to come across the requirements of everyone of Australian students. Curriculum is intended to progress fruitful learners. Secure and resourceful persons and functioning and informed people (MCEECDYA, 2008, p.13). In 2008, the Australian Government swore to distribute a reasonable and just curriculum for the national's educational system, pulling the job away from the Local and State Governments. The drive of this was to generate a smooth phase of education all the way through the nation, and to also safeguard their countries locus into the 21st century. This essay will reveal the Nation's curriculum, its organization and development that had already been implemented for its initial opening in 2011.

The last twenty years has seen these themes played out in both policy and practice. Indigenous self-determination had played a big part in educational policy since the 1970s but by 2012 Marcia Langton in her Boyer Lectures attacked the concept as a “vaporous dream” (Schwab, R.G., 2013,p. 212)with critiques fuelled by the Little Children Are Saved Report. Langton saw Noel Pearson’s Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy as an alternative model focused on outcomes but incorporating Indigenous art, culture and sport. This is actually a “top down”

The Australian Curriculum for the Humanities and Social Sciences plays an important role in harnessing students’ curiosity and imagination about the world they live in and empowers them to actively shape their lives; make reflective, informed decisions; value their belonging in a diverse and dynamic society; and positively contribute locally, nationally, regionally and

The National Quality Standard includes standard 1.1 states that ‘An approved framework informs the development of a curriculum that enhances each child’s learning and development’. This is where the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is introduced. This framework is included in the National Quality Standard to help ensure the consistency in the delivery of learning programs within Australia. Within the EYLF is the Early Childhood curriculum framework which guides early childhood educators to develop quality early childhood education programs. This framework describes the principles, practice and learning outcomes which support and enhance young children’s learning from birth to five years old, and then their transition to school.

Though this policy attempts to achieve a support of diversity and an increase of equity among the Victorian community, its affects are hindered by an education system that favours the middle class and above. As stated by Reid (2013, p. 13), the equity espoused within policy ‘is produced by policy processes which are counterproductive to the achievement of equity.’ This means that, in order to really achieve equity for all students, the education system needs to

First, one of the three aims of Adelaide Declaration included schooling to be socially just (Reid, 2010). This objective does not appear in the Melbourne Declaration. While numerous goals under the social justice and schooling in the Adelaide Declaration are continued, the exclusion of this goal is symbolic of the overall weakness to equity in education in the Melbourne

The history of early childhood in New Zealand Aotearoa is not as extensive as countries such as the United Kingdom – though, does not mean it is not complicated. Aotearoa’s history of early childhood education (ECE) is deeply entangled within social, cultural and political contexts. These contexts have shaped the mandated and chosen curriculums of ECE today (Duhn, 2009). The 1980’s was a significant era that had fundamental influences on curriculums such as Te Whāriki (1996) and New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) (2007). Within this era, education and care was transformed as the government (of the day) were persuaded to invest more in ECE. This transformation was guided by an ideological shift, hence becoming the period of governmental and economic reform (May, 2004). Anne Meade (1989) depicted Aotearoa to the international community as “in the midst of knitting a new early childhood sweater” (cited in May 2004, p. 203), in other words, a new curriculum. Reports helped the ‘knitting’ of the new curriculum through its political pathways. The ‘Education to be More’ report (Meade Report) described a progressive framework for ECE development focusing on achieving high quality ECE (May, 2004). It strived to make all policies across the ECE sector equally important as primary, secondary and tertiary education. However, The Bailey Report requested that the government

‘Australia’s future depends upon each citizen having the necessary knowledge, understanding, skills and values for a productive and rewarding life in an educated, just and open society’ (Brady & Kennedy 2007) these skills, values and knowledge are gained throughout the early years of individual’s lives as they attend schools. The Australian Government ensures that all schools develop students in the appropriate manner by deriving a national curriculum by which all schools must follow. The national curriculum is constructed by The Australian curriculum, assessment and reporting authority (ACARA).