NEW NSW SYLLABUSES FOR YEARS 11 AND 12

Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) President Tom Alegounarias today released 17 draft English, Mathematics, History and Science syllabuses for Years 11 and 12.

The draft syllabuses have been re-designed to provide opportunities for students to engage in deeper learning in each course, and are open for public consultation until Wednesday 31 August.

Mr Alegounarias said deeper learning and a love of learning go hand in hand.

“BOSTES recognises the need for students to have opportunities for a richer engagement in the subjects they choose for their senior years of school.

“Increasing content depth also supports more analytical assessment enabling us to also redesign High School Certificate (HSC) exam questions.

“For maths courses, common content and marking is being introduced to ensure students studying the higher level maths courses are recognised and to reduce any perceived incentive to study maths below their ability for an ATAR advantage,” Mr Alegounarias said.

The new syllabuses will be released in 2017 to allow time for teachers to become familiar with the new content, which will be first taught to Year 11 students in 2018.

A Year 12 Science Extension syllabus is also planned to increase opportunities for students to build STEM skills and knowledge. The draft Science Extension syllabus will be developed and available for consultation later this year.

The remaining senior syllabuses will be reviewed starting in 2017 with some technology and some Asian language courses.  

The release of the draft syllabuses follows Tuesday’s announcement by the Minister for Education of wide reaching reforms to the HSC including:

•          a minimum literacy and numeracy standard must be achieved to receive the HSC from 2020
•          a cap on school based assessment tasks per course
•          updated exam questions to encourage deeper analysis.

More information is available at http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabuses/curriculum-development/senior-years.html

MEDIA CONTACT: JENNIFER WARD 0455 076 754