The 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report showed Australia's education has gone backwards over the last 18 years and students are falling years behind in the core subjects of reading, maths and science.
The Courier Mail reported that academic experts are blaming the Australian curriculum for being overcrowded, complex and riddled with too many ‘box-ticking’ subjects that have been hijacked by fringe groups.
Schools are taking on extra responsibilities traditionally handled by parents or other institutions in trying to teach subjects like dance, road safety, health, gender based violence and cyber safety, which is crowding out key subjects like numeracy and literacy.
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan told Courier Mail that the curriculum had to be streamlined to again focus on literacy and numeracy.
“Teachers want to be able to teach – they are sick of having to go though tick-a-box exercise trying to fulfil all the needs of the curriculum,” he said.
He said he hoped PISA was the lightening rod that would galvanise the states and territories into action.
Meanwhile on Sky News, Credlin interviews Australian Catholic University Senior Research Fellow Dr Kevin Donnelly who says the issue of Australia’s sliding education ranking is “a real problem”. “Over the last 18 years we’ve gone backwards. Our students are plummeting down the table.” he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnF7G6dX_ZI
TPAQ would like to hear your views on the PISA results. What's changed in your class rooms and what needs to improve?