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MUSIC EDUCATION AND THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL CURRICULUM
JAN 2010 - Vol 4

WELCOME TO MUSIC ENEWS



This is an E Newsletter for Australian music educators designed to keep people informed about the development of the National Curriculum in music, an initiative of the Sydney based NSW Independents Schools Heads of Music Group.


NEWS FROM ACARA



The first edition of the ACARA update was emailled to intrested parties in December. Meetings have been held around the country in the past few months and ACARA have been represented at all of them.

The timeline at the moment appears to be:

Dec 2009 - the Board discussed the initial position paper relating to the Arts

March 2010 - A national forum will be held to discuss this paper and a call for feedback will occur at this time.

April/May 2010 Paper is reshaped into it's final draft. Following this the Arts Curriculum will be written.

2011 Initial implimentation and trialing and additional feedback opportunities

2012 Proposed date for full delivery of the curriculum.

ACARA UPDATE

NATIONAL CURRICULUM FORUM



Dr. Felicia Chadwick and I attended a National Curriculum Forum hosted by the College of Fine Arts on November 10 in Sydney along with several hundred arts educators, education administrators and representative arts organisations: such as Bell Shakespeare; National Portrait Gallery; Bundanon Trust; Art Gallery of NSW; Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Musica Viva.

Entitled "How should the Arts be positioned in the Australian Curriculum?", the following is a summary of the meeting compiled by Felicia.

Speakers from each of Art, Music, Drama and Dance addressed the question
"How should the Arts be positioned in the Australian Curriculum?"

Some of the key viewpoints from 2.5 hours of presentations were:

Mr Rob Randal (General Manager, ACARA):
  • Document "Shape of the Australian Curriculum" is an important reference point for developing an understanding of the processes taking place;
  • Informed by the Melbourne Declaration and activities such as the National Review of School Music Education;
  • National consultation forums for proposals for Arts curricula will be March, 2010;
  • State education systems will have responsibility for the implementation of curriculum.


Mr Brian Croke (Executive Director, Catholic Education Commission, NSW):
  • National Curriculum ..."only as good as you make it";
  • Great opportunity to have a say, there are challenges, get engaged, get involved;
  • Importance of the role of national professional associations – their voice important;
  • Needing to find a solution to creative tensions – KLA, coherence/separation, specialisation/generalisation, primary/secondary.

Dr. Mary Mooney (Associate Head of School, School of Education, UWS):
  • Walls between the Arts should be "dismantled";
  • Practices from one art form can be transferred to others;
  • National Curriculum should be designed to enable open, inclusive experiences across the art forms.

Mr Brian Ladd (Head of Public Programmes, Art Gallery of NSW):
  • For Art education, connections to the 'real world' of artists are essential;
  • Links between art theory, art history and art education, linked to experiences of 'real works' are an essential ingredient for effective, school-based art education;
  • Highlighted the importance of partnerships in Art Express – BOS, DET, and AGNSW.


Ms Deidhre Wauchop (Manager, Creative Arts Curriculum K-12, NSW DET):
  • Across NSW 27,000 generalist primary teachers are currently responsible for the implementation of Creative Arts syllabus in Primary schools;
  • "The Arts cannot be effectively integrated...it can't be done";
  • NSW has a rich Arts curriculum across four separate areas; Music, Dance, Drama and Visual Arts;
  • A National Curriculum in the Arts "...cannot diminish what NSW current has";
  • Dance has a 'language' that must be sequentially learnt over time';
  • With appropriate levels of professional assistance Primary, generalist teachers, can facilitate learning in the arts.


Mr Jay McPherson (Inspector, Creative Arts, BOS):
  • Reference to Manhanttanville (1965) – [spiral curriculum] and Hawaii Music Curriculum as important basis for school music education;
  • Reinforced pathway of 'learning about [Concepts], learning to [Learning Experience], learning from [existing repertoire]', articulated in current NSW 7-12 syllabii;
  • Content of a National Music Curriculum having foundation in Western Art Music;
  • Singing providing the common experience for all children;
  • Reference to the place of AMEB syllabi in current landscape of music education;
  • Highlighted need for pedagogy to be considered 'outside' specific methods such as Orff, Kodaly.

Presentations were followed by a Q & A session.

Another interesting article regarding music as a measure of excellence in a school has been sent by Melbourne High teacher Dr Anne Lierse, also the Chair of sMAG.

Read Article
The ACARA website
Status of Music in the National Curriculum
Compiled by Dr. Felicia Chadwick and Kim Waldock
For NSW Independent Schools' Heads of Music Group – Jan 2010.

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 in your inbox, not junk folders, please add nationalcurriculumandmusic@sydneysymphony.com to your address book or safe list.

Music Education in the National Curriculum
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