Primary Matters

Primary Matters June 1998

From Board Bulletin, June 1998

Revised Schedule for the Release of K-6 Syllabuses

A revised schedule for the release of K-6 syllabuses was recently endorsed by the Board of Studies following discussions with principals and representatives of school systems. The schedule is consistent with the agreed time line for release of K-6 syllabuses announced in previous Board Bulletins.

While the Board has agreed to finalise and distribute the syllabuses as indicated, school authorities will provide advice on implementation expectations.

Special Education

Support documents for students with special needs are currently being developed for the key learning areas of Personal Development, Health and Physical Education, Human Society and Its Environment, and Mathematics.

The support document for Personal Development, Health and Physical Education, which features a number of case studies, is in its final stage of development. Feedback on the draft document was very positive. Work on the special education support document for Human Society and Its Environment has coincided with the development of the syllabus. This support document, which will provide teachers with strategies to support students in achieving outcomes related to the content in the syllabus, is scheduled for release to schools as part of the Human Society and Its Environment syllabus package in October.

The development of a special education support document for Mathematics K-6 has commenced. This document will provide teachers with strategies to develop students' knowledge, understandings and skills in numeracy. If you have any questions about the special education documents, please contact David Harvey: ph (02) 9367 8291; fax (02) 9367 8476.

English K-6

Briefings on the English K-6 Syllabus and support documents have taken place in May following the release of the documents at the end of Term 1. These briefings were organised by the Board of Studies Liaison Officers, and provided teachers with an introduction to the syllabus and the support documents.

The collection of work samples for a CD-ROM has commenced. The English K-6 Student Work Samples CD-ROM will include examples of students' reading, writing, talking and listening in each stage. Examples of text types such as Observation, Response, Review and Procedural Recount will also be included. If you have any questions about the English K-6 documents, please contact Maria Hardy in the Primary team: ph (02) 9367 8274; fax (02) 9367 8476.

If you would like further information regarding these items or K-6 curriculum matters in general, contact Margaret Malone, Inspector, Primary Education: ph (02) 9367 8199; fax (02) 9367 8476.