Curriculum policies for students with special needs in Australia

Abstract

The curriculum policies for students with special needs across Australia have been reviewed. The Curriculum Framework in the Australian Capital Territory is used to inform their school based curriculum. The Northern Territory Curriculum Framework describes what learners are expected to achieve and what learners have achieved. The New South Wales and Western Australian Curriculum Framework identifies some essential and fundamental learning in each subject area and common outcomes for all students. The Tasmanian curriculum is organised into areas and standards, the areas being content based. The Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework is based on a set of essential learnings embedded within standards across all key subjects. The South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework are also based on essential learnings constituting of a series of expected outcomes in each subject area. The Victorian Essential Learning Standards outlines a set of common state-wide standards which schools use to plan student learning programs. In spite of each of the state and territory government’s commitment towards inclusion, as manifested in the curricular provisions, the present review surfaces the lack of specialised documentation for these discrete group of learners.