Module 2. Unit 2.1. Listening 2.1.

Education minister calls for national curriculum

AM - Friday, 6 October , 2006 08:00:00

Reporter: Lynn Bell

TONY EASTLEY: The Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop says it's time for states and territories to hand over some of their education responsibilities and have curricula set by a national board.

The minister will make her case for a common national curriculum in Fremantle today.

She accuses some state bureaucrats of having hijacked curricula with Chairman Mao type ideologies.

She says her back-to-basics approach will benefit students and parents across the nation.

But the Minister's view is not shared by the Australian Education Union, or the Victorian Minister for Education.

From Canberra, Lynn Bell reports.

LYNN BELL: In a provocative speech to be delivered today, the Education Minister Julie Bishop says state and territory bureaucracies should be stripped of their responsibility for setting school curriculum.

She says ideologues within state education authorities, have hijacked school curriculum and some of the themes emerging are straight from Chairman Mao.

She's also against students deconstructing Big Brother or interpreting Shakespeare from a feminist perspective.

JULIE BISHOP: When you've got first year law students at prestigious universities having to undertake remedial English, we should be concerned that there's something desperately wrong in our curriculum and what is being taught in our schools.

LYNN BELL: Instead, she's calling for a back-to-basics, uniform national curriculum.

But the Australian Education Union's Victorian Secretary, Mary Bluett, says the minister's comments are as ill-informed as they are insulting.

MARY BLUETT: Those comments are so far away from the reality. Teachers are not ideologues or fad-followers. They are educated, committed and caring professionals.

LYNN BELL: Victoria's Education Minister, Lynne Kosky, has also dismissed Julie Bishop's proposal.

LYNNE KOSKY: And really if she was very keen on making sure that our students gain the benefit of improved education, she would work with state ministers.

LYNN BELL: Julie Bishop wants a common curriculum, for both primary and secondary schools to be set by a National Board of Studies.

JULIE BISHOP: I've suggested a national board. It could comprise representatives from state and territory governments, experts, educators, but what we currently have is eight separate education authorities all developing curriculum and in many cases it's the same, but they won't use each other's curriculum.

LYNN BELL: She notes the states and territories collectively spend $180 million running their boards of studies and curriculum councils, and in many cases the documents they produce are the same.

Victoria's Education Minister Lynne Kosky concedes some courses are similar.

LYNNE KOSKY: Look, I think there are some similarities between the states and that's why we are developing a national test around literacy and numeracy. That's why we are, as states and territories, cooperating.

But I really don't think that Canberra, by dictating what is essential in terms of learning will actually make a difference for our students and indeed will not be beneficial for our students.

LYNN BELL: Mary Bluett from the Australian Education Union says state and territory specific content is important and should not be eroded.

But the minister says the idea should spark a national debate.

JULIE BISHOP: If we were able to have national model curriculum, the savings that would be made from having one national approach could then be reinvested in our education system, so that wherever an Australian child went to school, they received a quality education from a quality teacher in a quality environment.