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MUSIC EDUCATION AND THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL CURRICULUM |
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| NOVEMBER 2009 - Vol 3 | |
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The Focus of this E-NEWS1. Keep Music Educators abreast with the events surrounding the development of a National Curriculum in Music. 2. Encourage Music Educators to participate in the process. 3. Provide links to relevant information. A REMINDER THAT YOUR LETTERS and VIEWS ARE BEING CONSIDERED BY ACARA NOW! IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE ONE YOU SHOULD DO IT VERY SOON Correspondence ReceivedWe have received the following responses to the letters written on behalf of the NSW Independent Schools Heads of Music Group
REPORT FROM RICHARD GILLThe following is a report sent by Richard on the ACARA meeting held on Friday 18th Sept. None of this information is confidential and we have been given clearance to report to interested parties. 1. Approx. 26 people are involved in the arts group (Tasmania 2; Victoria 4; New South Wales 5; Queensland 7; Australian Capital Territory 1; Northern Territory 2; Western Australia 2.); 3 absentees. 2. We began by introducing ourselves having been asked by ACARA General Manager Rob Randall to describe our 'issues'. An issue expressed unanimously was the need for STAND-ALONE CURRICULA for each of the subjects and the concept of MANDATORY, WAS HEAVILY DISCUSSED. 3. The need for specialists was also discussed and there was good debate about this. 4. The notion of not necessarily attaining a consensus was introduced and I thought (my opinion) that this was an excellent notion. It was felt that a consensus could weaken individual cases for each arts subject. 5. The descriptors Visual Arts and Performing Arts were debated in two break-out groups; our group decided that The Arts was a better version of the current descriptors and the other group decided the other way. Rob Randall will reflect this in his report to the Board of ACARA. The concern was that schools would see a two-pronged approach to the arts as providing options! 6. In a second break-out session we were asked to discuss specific matters relating to the arts. If you send me your fax numbers I will forward the information on which the discussions were based. It is three pages in all and quite general. Mine is written on but it is still legible. 7. The concept of unity is very strong within the group; there was no in-fighting or tub-thumping; it was very refreshing to hear people talk about stand-alone curricula and the need to have five well-written documents at the highest possible level. 8. The notion of using generalist teachers was seen as weak and a poor fall-back position: this then introduced the concept of tertiary responsibilities in teacher-training and how inadequate they have become. 9. There was full agreement that this will be the last chance to make a contribution of this nature for a very long time and that we should all aim for the highest possible outcomes in curriculum writing with a view to the arts being taught by specialists AND ALL THAT IS IMPLIED BY THAT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THIS WAS A CURRICULUM MEETING AND NOT AN IMPLEMENTATION MEETING OR A MEETING ABOUT DIFFICULTIES OF IMPLEMENTATION. THERE WAS A STRONG SENSE OF UNITY AT EVERY LEVEL AND IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THIS. |
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RECENT MEDIA RELEASESThe Hon Julia Gillard Minister for Education spoke about the education revolution and the improvement of teacher quality and subsequent future investment of resources by the government. We include the link to the transcript below.
Music education has been linked to general high performance in USA high school graduates. Tell us something we didn't know!
AN ARTICLE OF INTEREST EVIDENCE OF MUSIC'S PARTICULAR CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING AND COGNITION "If the Arts help define our path to the future, they need to become curriculum partners with other subject disciplines in ways that will alow them to contribute their own distinctive richness and complexity to the learning process as a whole." FROM Burton, Horowitz, & Abeles LEARNING IN AND THROUGH THE ARTS: CURRICULUM
INVITATIONThere will be another Forum in Sydney on Tues Nov 10. We have been asked to distribute this invitation to any interested parties. It will be an interesting opportnity to hear the Visual Art's Community's perspective on this process and the meeting will be addressed by Rob Randall, Chairman of ACARA.
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ACARAThe site also contains background information about the process if you are not up to speed with what is going on. No recent information appears to have been added since the school holidays. They will be calling for information from the Arts community in FEB 2010 Have you signed up to recieve email alerts of updates from this website yet? The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young AustraliansThis is the document driving and informing the ACARA process where the concept of "The Arts (performing and visual)" initially arose. See page 14. It is also the documents where the "Australian governments" committed to "working together with all school sectors to ensure workd class curriculum and assessment for Australia at national and local levels."
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| The ACARA website |
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Status of Music in the National Curriculum This issue Compiled by Kim Waldock, Richard Gill and Dr. Felicia Chadwick For NSW Independent Schools' Heads of Music Group – September 11, 2009. You have received this email because you have indicated your interest in being updated on the development of the National Curriculum and the consideration of music within this process. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not junk folders), please add nationalcurriculumandmusic@sydneysymphony.com to your address book or safe list. Music Education in the Australian National Curriculum NSW Independent Schools Heads of Music Group GPO Box 4972, Sydney, 2000 Unsubscribe | Subscribe | Forward to a Friend |