Primary Matters

Primary Matters March 1997

From Board Bulletin, Vol 6 No. 2 March 1997

Ongoing consultation with primary teachers

The development of content and draft stage outcomes in a number of the Key Learning Areas was a major undertaking in 1996. 1997 will be a year in which teachers will be given unprecedented opportunities to trial draft material, provide direct and ongoing feedback to Board officers and system consultants, and contribute student work samples for publication in K-6 syllabuses.

The Board's approach to consultation is aimed at ensuring that primary teachers are not burdened with numerous consultation documents at or around the same time. The Board recognises that the development of a coherent K-6 curriculum is more likely to be achieved if teachers are given the opportunity to work with materials over a reasonable period of time.

Support documents for students with special education needs

Two support documents for students with special education needs in English K-6 were endorsed by the Board for distribution. These documents, Interim Support Document: Communication and Interim Support Document: Literacy, have been developed to meet the needs of the full range of students in both integrated and segregated settings.

The documents will be distributed to schools to be used as interim support materials up until the release of the revised English K-6 syllabus and support documents in March 1998.

The two documents will arrive in schools by the middle of March. Schools may order additional copies from the Board's Client Services Unit. Enquiries regarding the documents and the consultation can be directed to Mr Peter Garrard, Senior Project Officer, Special Education, by phone on (02) 9927 8127 or by fax on (02) 9957 2215.

The Board has also endorsed a draft support document in the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Key Learning Area for students with special education needs. This document is currently being trialled in 20 government and non-government primary and special schools. The aim of the pilot is to establish the usefulness of the model adopted in the document for teachers with a range of students with special education needs. The trial will be completed by early May and will inform the redrafting of the document.

Languages syllabuses

The first K-6 syllabus in a Language Other Than English is now available. Indonesian K-6 can be ordered by teachers by faxing requests on the school's letterhead to the Board of Studies Client Services Unit on fax (02) 9956 5205.

Japanese K-6 is currently with the Minister for approval and syllabuses are being developed in Italian, Chinese and Korean.

Primary Executives' Conference

Information about the Board's K-6 curriculum schedule, assessment using stage outcomes, and progress on the development of syllabuses in English, Human Society and Its Environment, and Creative Arts will be provided for participants at the annual conference of the NSW Primary Executive Council. This conference, Communication for the Future, which has middle management issues as its focus, will be held in Sydney on 15 March. Registration forms for the conference have been sent to schools.

If you would like further information regarding these items or K-6 curriculum matters in general, contact Margaret Malone, Inspector, Primary Education (ph (02) 9927 8199 or fax (02) 9954 9218).