The NSW Nationals in the state government have announced the 2021-22 Budget will include almost $200 million to fund a major curriculum overhaul.
The $196.6 million package over four years represents the first major rewrite of the school curriculum in 30 years.
Under this reform, the curriculum will be updated and streamlined by more than 200 syllabus experts to ensure it provides a strong foundation in literacy and mathematics, and clearer post-school pathways, linking learning to future employment or study.
NSW Nationals Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the new curriculum will be delivered through a new interactive portal to support teachers.
“The NSW Curriculum reform is about delivering the knowledge and skills students need to succeed, and it is all backed up by evidence,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The new portal will help teachers integrate syllabus materials and deliver lessons driven by the latest research and resources, meeting the needs of our students in a way we have never been able to do before.
“The new curriculum and the portal will save time for teachers, improve clarity and make the implementation of the syllabuses even easier. The investment will allow teachers to unlock the curriculum’s potential while arming them with the best resources, multiplying the positive impacts of the reform.”
The new platform is under development, with the goal of going live in Term 4 this year with the new K-2 English and Mathematics syllabuses.
The NSW Nationals in the state government have also confirmed budget funding for community and mobile preschools, with the Start Strong Free Preschool program to commence from January 2022, replacing the current COVID-19 free preschool program, which will conclude at the end of this year.
The NSW Nationals in the state government will also joins forces with singer and humanitarian Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and United Way Australia in an $8 million partnership that will see free books to delivered to families across the state, with a focus on the most vulnerable.
