The way New South Wales students learn about Australian history is about to have a major shake-up. The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has unveiled a new syllabus that will see students in years seven and eight being required to study Aboriginal peoples’ experiences of colonisation, for the first time ever.
This is part of the biggest education overhaul the NSW government has undertaken this year. “The new syllabuses will provide students with opportunities for in-depth learning and support teachers with essential content for evidence-based explicit teaching,” Education Minister Prue Car said per Yahoo.com.
The changes aim to provide a more balanced view of Australia’s heritage, ensuring Aboriginal perspectives are front and centre alongside European narratives.
“We’ve struck a good balance for students learning more about the perspectives of Australia’s past,” explained NESA chief executive Paul Martin in August when the draft syllabus was first announced.
Previously, colonisation was only offered as an optional study area. Now it’s a core part of the history syllabus, covering events from the 15th century onward and the responses of international Indigenous communities to occupation, including the Frontier Wars.
The new syllabus will also introduce mandatory study of the Myall Creek massacre, where at least 28 unarmed Aboriginal people were killed in 1838 — one of the few mass murders of Aboriginal people proven in court.
Compared to other states, NSW is really stepping up. The curriculum goes further on the impact of colonisation and the resistance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples than Queensland or Victoria, which only offer optional modules on the effects of European expansion during the Industrial Revolution.
Things are better in the ACT, where they have a dedicated course on Indigenous culture and languages, that includes the “conflicts and triumphs of various communities and peoples over time.”
The new syllabus will also include specific content on the rights and freedoms of Australian women for the first time, making sure that women’s voting rights aren’t just a scattered topic but a clear part of the curriculum.
Plus, the Second World War will now be a standalone topic, diving deeper into the Holocaust, the Nuremberg trials, and the creation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Students will also be required to study civics and citizenship, which was previously optional. This includes learning about the Australian constitution, the separation of powers, referendums, and the importance of voting. And for those taking geography, there’s even a focus on the impacts of climate change!
As these changes roll out, NSW schools will be gearing up to educate future generations with a much richer understanding of Australia’s complex heritage.
It’s a bold step toward acknowledging the past and fostering reconciliation. So, get ready for some eye-opening history lessons in the coming years, with teachers getting two years to prepare before the updated classes kick off in 2027.
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