VADEA National Curriculum Bulletin

10 March 21,
October 20112010 VADEA E-BULLETIN Vol. 1
Vol. 1 Issue 10

This week we saw two key pieces of evidence of the huge concerns teachers have for the future of the Arts
within the National Curriculum.
1. The NSW BOS survey identified that 86% of respondents either Disagreed or Strongly Disagreed
that The Arts Draft Shape Paper is a positive basis for the future of the Arts.
2. ACARA announced that they will be pushing back the time frame for appointment and induction of Arts
Curriculum writers and/or advisory panel. (See Pg 3 for the full announcement)
This may have to do with the over whelming interest of applications, over 400 expressions of interest
were received.

A review of the National Curriculum forum run by Music, held at the Powerhouse Museum,

ARTS AND ITS PLACE IN THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM

Speakers included;

Linda Lorenza (ACARA),

Margaret Barrett (University of Qld and ACARA Arts writer)

Jay McPherson (NSW BOS).

Linda Lorenza outlined the timeline and process of developing a national framework from the Melbourne
Declaration. Ms Lorenza was keen to make the claim that ACARA's processes are transparent with a
commitment to consultation including forming advisory panels from interested parties who participated in the
national meetings in 2010 and processing the applications for discipline writers.

Some of the feedback on the draft shape paper from music teachers included concerns about;
• time and rigor including that need for music to be taught continuously and sequentially over each year;
• the strand organizers and the need to include terminology of each art form
• the grouping together of years 3 to year 8

Margaret Barrett has been employed as one of the discipline writers for music and she spoke to her own
research project about how children understand and engage with learning in the arts within school and out of
school settings. Ms Barrett believes that curriculum and pedagogy should be grounded in the relational and
experiential and guided by concepts such as skill, engagement, challenge, and professionalism.

Jay McPherson began by talking to the memorandum released in December of last year restating the NSW
Board’s position that it could not approve a curriculum that did not meet the standards of the current NSW
syllabus documents. Mr. McPherson commented that NSW BOS had been conducting its own consultation about
the draft shape paper and identified a number of issues including;
• A lack of structure in terms of content and objectives;
• That there was no mandated Australian content in Music;
• That it did not differentiate enough between the developmental stages;
• That learning should be organised in terms of art forms with the appropriate terminology;

It is noted that Mr. McPherson commented in relation to the issue of mandated hours that he did not believe that
there would be any change to that provision in NSW with a new curriculum. The panel discussion was brief and
they were asked to address the broader question of whether the states and territories were actually ready to
implement a new curriculum given that 85% of primary schools have no classroom music. The response from
ACARA was that the implementation of new curriculum would represent a catalyst of opportunity for the
professional development of teachers. Mr. McPherson was less optimistic commenting on lack of economic
resources and concerns about the state of the preservice education of teachers.
Patrick Hobbs, VADEA Exec Research Officer
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A REVIEW OF THE COFA TALK; WHAT SHOULD SCHOOL CHILDREN LEARN IN VISUAL ARTS?
The first of the COFA Talks for 2011, last Tuesday night (March 1), organised by Professor Joanna
Mendelssohn, “What should school children learn in Visual Arts?” began the program for the year on a serious
note. Sylvia Ross (Head of Fine Art), Kim Snepvangers (Head of Art History and Art Education) and Senior
Lecturer Dr Kerry Thomas drew our attention to the current situation in which we find the Visual Arts and
ourselves. While the subject of the Visual Arts has had a strong presence in NSW secondary education for thirty-
forty years (despite continual battles for recognition and support from our schools), changes and ‘new’
approaches to education – namely the My Schools website and the impending National Curriculum, as well as an
increased emphasis on measurement - could result in our subject losing its value and identity. As the three
presenters suggested, we are at risk of losing our quality syllabus, which is enjoyed by students and recognised
locally and internationally for its intellectual rigour.
Each of the presenters spoke from their experiences and points of interest about the positive effects of what
students learn in Visual Arts, contrasting this with the potential dangers to Visual Arts, not only in education
institutions but also as a field of study and industry within Australia.
Sylvia Ross spoke of the introduction in 1990 (when the art school joined UNSW) of the admissions index in the
selection process for students applying for COFA, and how this resulted in a steady increase of standards and
the quality of student work, which seem to develop every year; Kim Snepvangers referred to her research on
assessment in art education, indicating how assessment functions as a spectacle in education and the dilemmas
teachers face in being true to students while accountable to their students and schools; Kerry Thomas aptly
pointed out the many downfalls of ACARA’s proposed draft Shape Paper for The Arts (Australian Curriculum) and
its attempts to systematically downgrade the subject in the name of ‘equity’. Kerry offered an alternative
framework that could be used as the basis for an Australian Curriculum in the Visual Arts or Arts which would
satisfy ACARAs principles and maintain and enhance the rigorous and engaging qualities of our subject.
The three presenters made it clear; change is inevitable, but we must not accept curriculum as a lowest common
denominator. As the discussion came to a close audience members were left digesting the news, with reinforced
pride in our subject, but the troubling question remained: what would students not learn in Visual Arts if ACARAs
proposals were accepted? Fortunately, the current education Minister, the Board of Studies and senior
bureaucrats from different educational systems in NSW are committed to maintaining standards in curriculum and
assessment and in the integrity of subjects. The Board has also indicated it has no intention of accepting the
reduction in hours as proposed by ACARA.

All the same, we must remain alert in seizing opportunities to voice our objections to ACARAs proposals. Nothing
can be taken for granted. Rachel Bor, VADEA Exec Gen Y Officer

STATE EDUCATION POLICY??????

At the end of the month NSW will be going to the polls for our state election. Now, about 3 weeks out it seems
none of the parties have released a policy in-regard to the proposed changes of the National Curriculum. We
need to keep our local members and key decision makers informed of our position and thoughts on this important
issue. Attached with this bulletin is an email template I have used to email my local Liberal, Labour and
Greens candidates. Please feel free to use this document for your own emails.
If you are lucky enough to get a reply VADEA would love to hear what the candidates had to say.
CURRENT SITTING STATE LABOUR MINISTERS CAN BE FOUND AT;
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/V3ListCurrentMinisters
CURRENT SITTING STATE LIBERAL MINISTERS CAN BE FOUND AT;
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/V3ListCurrentShadow
FIND YOUR LOCAL GREENS CANDIDATE FOR THE 2011 ELECTION;
http://nsw.greens.org.au/meet-nsw-greens/candidates

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10 March 2011 VADEA E-BULLETIN Vol. 10

MESSAGE FROM ACARA

As detailed in the recent ACARA update, ACARA received more than 400 expressions of interest from potential
curriculum writers and/or advisory panel representatives for the Australian Arts curriculum. All applications have
been reviewed and the shortlist will be considered by the Curriculum Committee in March.

Applicants will be notified in April. The induction week for writers and the advisory panel will not occur in March
as previously indicated, but is tentatively scheduled to occur in July. The change of timeframe may influence the
decision of shortlisted applicants to accept or decline writing/advisory roles.

The extensive feedback on the draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: the Arts is being analysed and the
resulting consultation report will be considered by state and territory curriculum authorities and the ACARA
curriculum committee.

The finalised consultation report will inform the revision the draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: the Arts.
The finalised Shape of the Australian Curriculum: the Arts will guide the writing of the Arts curriculum due to
commence in the second half of 2011.

Information about the development of Arts curriculum is found at:

http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/arts.html

VISUAL ARTS EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE

LEARNERS AND LEARNING IN VISUAL ARTS EDUCATION
This course is about the nature of learning in Visual Arts. Through the exploration and analysis of historical and
contemporary theoretical frameworks, students will develop an understanding of how knowledge the arts can be
theoretically conceived, identified and constructed in the minds of learners in a range of contexts. Through a
series of lectures and workshops participants will investigate discourses representing conceptual development
and Paradigmatic changes in approaches to explaining the nature of developmental advance in visual arts
education and approaches to research appropriate to arts learning will be a key focus. Participants will be
required to read the research literature and respond by identifying critical issues that would warrant investigation
in classroom contexts within the context of visual arts education frameworks while viewing visual arts education
as a lifelong process.
Course Dates: 26 March, 16 April, 7 and 28 May 2011 (All sessions will be held on Saturdays)
Workshop Venue: Australian Catholic University
Course Cost: $700.00 (Inclusive of GST)
For registration inquiries, e-mail: conferences@acu.edu.au
Postgraduate opportunity: If assessment components are successfully completed, participants are able to
claim this workshop as a unit of credit in the Postgraduate Certificate or Master of Education (Arts specialisation)
at Australian Catholic University (ACU).
This course is a NSWIT Registered course and can be used to support maintenance of teacher accreditation at
professional Competence level.

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 10 March 2011 VADEA E-BULLETIN
BOOK NOW
VADEA NSW ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2011
Critical Junctures: Tensions, Extensions, and
Confluences in Visual Arts & Design Education
Conference venue: (TBC) ACU, Strathfield
Dates: Thursday 16, Friday 17 and Saturday 18 June
Registrations close: Monday 16 May, 2011
Cost: (TBC)
Participants can elect to attend 1, 2 or 3 days

3 Day Attendance All prices include GST
Teacher/academic Member $350
Concession/Student Member $150
Teacher academic non/member $400
Concession/Student Non-member $180

Two Day Attendance All prices include GST
Teacher/academic member $250
Concession/Student Member $100
Teacher academic non/member $330
Concession/Student Non-member $140

One Day Attendance All prices include GST
Teacher/academic member $160
Concession/Student Member $50
Teacher academic non/member $240
Concession/Student Non-member $70
Enquiries: vadeaconference@gmail.com
Would you like to contribute?
This E-Bulletin is aimed at providing up to date information and resources on the proposed changes to
Visual Arts in the Australian Curriculum. If you come across anything of interest in relation to the Australian
Curriculum and The Arts please email me directly and I will add it to the bulletin.
Website; http://vadea.org.au/wordpress/
Blog; http://vadea.blogspot.com/
Twitter; https://twitter.com/VADEA_NSW
Facebook; http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121728261192109
Vol. 10
2011 MEMBERSHIP
DO YOU WANT TO;
• Be professionally inspired and supported?
• Be part of a cohesive, active professional
community?
• Keep up to date with issues currently
impacting your discipline?
• Enhance your professional knowledge and
practice?
Then you need to be a member of the
Visual Arts & Design Educators Association
(VADEA)
Membership is now open for the 2011 year.
Take advantage of the early bird offer and join up
before March 31 2011.
If you were a member in 2010, thank you for your
past support. We want you on board again in 2011
contributing to building an even stronger
professional organization.
If you are not a member yet, don’t wait any longer-
join now!
FOR A MEMBERSHIP FORM GO TO OUR
WEBSITE: www.vadea.org.au
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
nicholas.phillipson@spc.nsw.edu.au
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