Policies & Curriculum
Teaching - Policies & Curriculum
Education in Victorian Schools
All students in Australian schools deserve the right to languages education for life in our plurilingual and multicultural community in Australia and beyond.
Governments in each state and territory in Australia are responsible for curriculum in schools. In recent years, moves towards a national approach to curriculum has been agreed to by all Ministers for Education and development of an Australian Curriculum: Languages has begun. The implementation of the Australian Curriculum will remain the responsibility of the states and territories.
The term 'Languages' is now used where the term 'LOTE' was used.
CURRICULUM POLICIES IN VICTORIA AND BEYOND
Consultation on the Australian Curriculum for Languages in 2013
The draft curriculum documents for Chinese and Italian are available for consultation. The Italian document will be used as a basis for writing further languages including German. It is important that teachers respond to this document.
- ACARA Consultation Website - Consultation closes 12 April 2013
- ACARA Languages Homepage
Further links to ACARA can be found below.
Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
The current Victorian policy on languages is contained in the Vision for Languages Education.
Download the PDF document and see further initiatives:
The implementation plan is due May 2013.
The DEECD Languages Homepage has important information for all teachers of languages.
Specific areas from the Languages Homepage:
- Policy and Funding - policy and funding for languages in government schools
- Research and Data - including LOTE Reports
- Languages and Cultures - professional learning and resources
Other DEECD websites:
- Multicultural Education Homepage
- Literacy and Numeracy - in all areas of the curriculum
- DEECD Key Dates
- Towards Victoria as a Learning Community - Position paper and draft Compact
- DEECD Research - General list of research
- Innovation in Education - For educators trying new things in their learning environment
- Supporting Digital Learning - engaging students with digital technologies
- eLearning and ICT - advice, resources and professional learning
- ePotential - Showcase for ICT and learning
- Learning On Line - Resources, advice, toolkits incl. Cyber safety
- Follow DEECD on Twitter
- Principles of Learning and Teaching - PoLT
- e5 Instructional Model
- Assessment and Reporting - Foundation (Prep) to Year 10
- Acronyms and Abbreviations - commonly used terms
Other
- Privacy Victoria - Information for Schools and Young People
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)
Prep to 10
- Victorian Essential Learning Standards - VELS on DEECD website
- Victorian Essential Learning Standards - VELS portal with links to DEECD materials
- NEW AusVELS - Foundation to Year 10 Curriculum for Victorian government and Catholic schools for implementation from 2013
VELS: Discipline-Based Learning Domain: Languages
- VELS Languages Pathway 1: Prep to 10 - based on 150 minutes per week
- VELS : Languages Pathway 2: Years 7-10 - based on 150 minutes per week
- Cross-Curriculum Perspectives in the VELS - Includes a section on Multiculturalism
VELS: Further Domains
Languages education shares responsibility for promoting learning outcomes in the two other domains.
- Physical, Personal and Social Learning: Interpersonal Development; Personal Learning, Civics and Citizenship; and depending on the topic, Health and Physical Education
- Interdisciplinary Learning: Communication; Design, Creativity and Technology; Information and Communications Technology; Thinking Processes
VCE: Victorian Certificate of Education
- Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) – Index to VCE Information relevant for all Studies
- VCE German Unit 1 to 4 - Download Study Designs, Assessment Handbooks, Examination Reports and Study Advice
Other Curriculum
- International Baccalaureate (IB) - All about the IB program offered in some schools in Victoria (and Australia)
- Languages and Vocational Education and Training - VET in Languages
- RMIT Certificate II in Language - Japanese and German
Australian Policies
The Melbourne Declaration was agreed to in 2008 by the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) on goals for the next 10 years.
- Melbourne Declaration on the Educational Goals for Young People
- MCEECDYA: School Education
- Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Training
The federal government is developing a national curriculum with the support of MCEEDYA. The body responsible for this is the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Sign up for e-newsletters on the ACARA homepage to stay up to date with national developments.
The Australia in the Asian Century White Paper threatens to undermine the diversity of language programs offered in Victoria.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
- ACARA Homepage
- Australian Curriculum: Languages - development
- Australian Curriculum Online - developed curriculum
Other Australian States and Territories Curriculum Boards
- AusDaF - Visit the NATG website and click on each state or territory to find links
European Policy and Curriculum
- European Languages and Language Policy
- Common European Framework of reference for Languages
- CiLT: European Language Portfolios - Junior and Adult Portfolios*
* A portfolio is a document in which language learners can record their language learning and cultural experiences. All levels of language ability are valued.
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung - Germany
- Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur - list for each German state
- Bundesministerium für Bildung, Unterricht und Kultur - Austria
UK Curriculum
New Zealand
Singapore
Organisation for Cooperation and Development (OECD)
