Students to Learn Europeans Invaded Australia Under Proposed Curriculum Changes

Finally.

On Thursday, the national independent body that oversees the federal curriculum put forward a draft to start teaching young Aussie students about our diverse cultural history, and the impacts of European invasion and colonisation on First Nations peoples.

The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) have also suggested moving away from teaching young people about ‘Christian heritage’ and instead focusing more on Australia’s cultural diversity and secular society.

With continuing debates surrounding 26 January and the eruption of the Black Lives Matter movement over the last two years, it makes sense that Australians are wanting young people to learn more about the truth of our history in schools.

However, it seems that teachers are having the most influence on this topic. In fact, the ACARA are now inviting teachers to give feedback on the current curriculum and what schools should be teaching the next generation.

If you have thoughts and opinions on the revised Australian Curriculum, please provide them with some feedback. @ACARAeduau https://t.co/UhosR4bsiZ

— Jennifer Buckingham (@buckingham_j) April 29, 2021

ACARA CEO David de Carvalho explained at the Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit back in March that they want to give Australia’s curriculum the ‘Marie Condo’ treatment.

For example, civics classes would cut teachings about Australia’s supposed “Christian heritage”, and would instead teach students that Australia is a “culturally diverse, multi-faith, secular and pluralistic society”.

Additionally, in history classes, the proposed curriculum changes would see students learn about the “impact of invasion, colonisation and dispossession of lands by Europeans on the First Nations peoples of Australia such as frontier warfare, genocide, removal from land, relocation to ‘protectorates’, reserves and missions".

On top of the changes to history and civics learning, younger students could also start learning about digital literacy, key maths skills including times tables, linear equations and telling the time from as early as kindy.

A national review of the current curriculum had found that there was not currently enough ‘truth’ surrounding the experience of First Nations people since European settlement but instead focused on the time period before European invasion.

It also found that the curriculum fails to recognise the dispossession of land, experienced colonisation and invasion of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples.

New curriculum - a commitment to “truth telling”.@usqedu's @DrSRiddle explains the acknowledgement of the First Nations’ views in the new Australian Curriculum via @ConversationEDU.

Details: https://t.co/ynhsbOL59p pic.twitter.com/RzVDjWELYk

— University of Southern Queensland (@usqedu) April 30, 2021

While these recommendations are not yet a part of the Aussie curriculum, it is an excellent step in the right direction. 

Header Image: Daniel Pockett via Getty Images