Invitation to Workshop
Museums and the developing National Curriculum: Making our voice heard
Responding to the National Curriculum Board’s framework papers
for History and Science
The Education SIG of Museums Australia has asked David Arnold, Manager, Education, at the National Museum of Australia, to lead a team of people to investigate how we can engage with the national curriculum development process. David has been working with Louise Zarmati (Macquarie University) and Marie Wood, (National Office, MA) to establish strong museums sector relations with the NCB. Many of you were at the Melbourne symposium of Museums Australia Victoria on learning in museums and will have heard David and Louise discuss the impact a National Curriculum will have on the museums sector.
Since then, several MA members have taken part in the workshops organised by the NCB to discuss the development of the four key curriculum areas, history, english, mathematics and the sciences. The revised draft framework documents are due for release in mid November, so we invite you, as museum educators, to help us develop a formal submission to the Board in response to these draft documents. Our aim is to identify how museums can contribute to best practice national curriculum outcomes, especially in the areas of history and the sciences.
To this end, I am excited to invite you to be part of the discussion. The National Museum will host a forum of educators from cultural institutions and other relevant interested parties in Canberra on December 9th from 10am to 3pm (program attached).
I realise this is short notice, and only one location, but hope as many of you as possible will join us. To register for the day please contact Marie Wood at Museums Australia – details overleaf. If you are unable to attend, feel free to forward your thoughts on the National Curriculum process and museum involvement in response to the documents to me at derekw@phm.gov.au or David at d.arnold@nma.gov.au
Remember that this is a key point in the development of the curriculum that will be taught to young Australians in the future and will have a significant impact on where they will learn, and the manner in which they learn.
Museums hold a special place in education – we are the custodians of the collections of significance, the Australian story that underpins so many aspects of curriculum, knowledge, process and skills development in students. We are also sources of motivation, international context and social connection for many of the outcomes contained within curriculum documents around Australia.
I hope to see you in Canberra
Kindest regards
Derek Williamson
President Museums Australia Education SIG
To register for the Workshop, contact
Marie Wood, MA National Office
02 62732437
networks@museumsaustralia.org.au
For information regarding the release of the draft curriculum documents, see
Tags: australia, curriculum, history, museum, museums, national, Science
