NSW Education 2007/2008: The big picture

 
An overview of the current NSW  education system as described by  the NSW Department of Education  and Training
 
Education regularly undergoes changes, so it’s important to have a thorough understanding of the current educational curriculum, policy and teaching methods when choosing a school for your child.

Almost every NSW student spends a minimum of 10 years at school. In fact, a student who has completed Kindergarten to Year 12 will have spent close to 15,000 hours in the education system. Participation in education is compulsory for children between the ages of six and 15. This may include government, independent and private schooling, or home schooling.

Children enrol in seven years of primary education, then go on to secondary school for up to six years. Virtually all students continue their education to School Certificate standard (at around 16 years of age) and most then go on to complete the Higher School Certificate (at around 18 years of age). Many HSC graduates further their studies at a tertiary institution, such as a TAFE or university.

After primary school, there is a wide selection of secondary schools to which you can apply. The choices include both government and private schools. All children are guaranteed a place in their local government high school, but within the government sector, you may also choose to apply to a non-local high school, a selective school or a specialised school. This means parents have the opportunity to send their child to a school that fits their child’s individual needs and abilities.
 

The department is strongly committed to supporting students who have additional learning needs. Students with confirmed disabilities may enrol in a range of locations, including regular classes, special classes in regular schools (depending  on eligibility) and special schools (depending on eligibility). Specialist teaching services can be provided in schools to meet the individual needs of students who have special learning needs, regardless of the cause. The aim of educational authorities in NSW is to ensure that no student misses out. Hospital schools, community care schools and schools for a specific purpose, and schools for deaf and blind children ensure education is available to all students, regardless of their  educational needs.
 

English as a Second Language (ESL) tuition is provided by specialist ESL teachers in many government schools to support ESL students in learning English. Newly arrived secondary-aged students in metropolitan Sydney and Wollongong enrol in Intensive English Centres or the Intensive English High School to undertake a short-term intensive English and high school preparation program before transferring to high school. In rural and regional schools, where there is no existing ESL program, newly arrived ESL students receive additional short-term ESL support.
 

If you live in a remote part of the state, government education is available through resources such as Distance Education. These are located throughout the state and provide isolated students with a teaching and learning program supplemented with experiences such as satellite lessons and fields. The Country Areas Program (CAP) provides Commonwealth funding to help primary and secondary schools in geographically isolated areas that are educationally disadvantaged by their geographic isolation. CAP is designed to assist schools and their communities to enhance the learning outcomes and educational opportunities for students in geographically isolated areas. 

Primary schooling

Pre-schools

The NSW government operates 100  pre-schools in NSW. Pre-schools provide educational programs for your child prior  to enrolment in Kindergarten.

Kindergarten is the initial year of schooling in NSW. Children may enter Kindergarten in NSW government schools at the beginning of the school year in which they turn five on or before 31 July.
 

All NSW government primary schools  are co-educational. Gifted and talented children may be eligible for early entry  to Kindergarten if the principal of the  school approves, after consultation with  the child’s parents.
 

The purpose of the seven years spent in primary school is to promote the full and harmonious development of individual students, as well as to lay the basic educational foundations for their effective participation in society. With this objective, primary teachers provide learning experiences that engage students in a wide variety of interesting and meaningful activities. These enhance the quality of school life and prepare students to respond creatively and effectively to the challenges of our rapidly changing society.
 

Curriculum

The primary curriculum is split into three stages: Kindergarten to Year 2; Years 3 and 4; and Years 5 and 6. Reflected in the curriculum is an awareness of the central importance of basic skills for all children, including literacy and numeracy, reasoning and information processing, communicating, and creative and imaginative thinking. 

Each of the three stages has desired learning outcomes for students in each of the six Key Learning Areas: English, mathematics, science and technology, human society and its environment, creative arts, and personal development, health and  physical education.
 

Basic Skills Test

The Basic Skills Test, for children in Years 3 and 5, was introduced to all government primary schools in 1989 by the NSW government and was legislated in 1990 under the Education Reform Act. Its purpose was to monitor and report on literacy and numeracy standards across NSW and to keep improving teaching and learning in primary schools. The final year for these tests to be administered is 2007 as they are to be replaced by a National Testing in 2008. Information on these national tests will be made available later this year.
 

The tests are held every August for children in Years 3 and 5 in government schools, as well as those in some non-government schools and schools within the Catholic Education System in all 11 archdioceses. Students with a disability or additional learning needs are able to apply for special provisions to support their access and participation in these tests. Students may be exempt from doing the test if they are newly arrived in Australia (up to 12 months) from non-English-speaking backgrounds, or if they have a moderate or severe disability which is supported through a personalised learning program with restricted access to regular syllabus outcomes and content. The Basic Skills Test is not related to the teaching of any particular subject but is designed to assess fundamental literacy and numeracy skills.
 

The results of the Basic Skills Test are reported at three levels: individual, school and system. Parents and teachers receive a confidential report on individual students. Schools also receive a summary of school and trend data averages for various groups and subgroups within the school, a list of students’ scores and a detailed analysis of responses to each question. These results are confidential to the school. The overall statewide report is used to inform education policy makers, help determine resourcing and inform the community about overall trends in literacy and numeracy. The test is not intended to compare schools.
 

The information provided by the Basic Skills Test is useful to parents, teachers, the NSW government and the students themselves. Parents are informed about the skills of their children, and parents and teachers are provided with a way to compare a student’s performance with all other NSW students. This helps teachers identify the individual needs of their students and to shape their teaching accordingly. The Basic Skills Test also helps schools to assess whether standards are being maintained and provides education administrators with information that will help them to make system-wide decisions.
 

Secondary schooling

School Certificate

Secondary schooling commences at Year 7 level and is compulsory for all NSW students aged under 16. In Year 7, students sit for the SNAP and ELLA tests, which are designed to assess students’ literacy and numeracy skills. Additionally, schools elect to participate in the SNAP and ELLA re-tests in Year 8. At the end of Year 10, the NSW Board of Studies awards all successful students with a School Certificate. Currently, the School Certificate is based on school assessment, plus statewide tests that provide an indication of the level of student achievement against the performance standards set for each course.
 

Performance description statements  are used in all subjects to determine the level of achievement of students in their school-based assessment tasks. In 2002, testing in Australian History, Computing Skills, Australian Geography and Civics  became compulsory.
 

Higher School Certificate

Most students choose to continue their studies beyond the School Certificate to attain the Higher School Certificate (HSC). Students who choose to study for the HSC receive an HSC Course Report for each course they complete, which describes their level of achievement as well as the standards reached by other students in the course.
 

Each HSC Course Report for a general education course shows a student’s mark in relation to six performance bands. These bands clearly describe what students know and can do at each level of achievement. A ‘minimum standard expected’ has been set for each course. Students are awarded a mark of 50 or more out of 100 if they reach or exceed the minimum standard.

Student results in the HSC are based on both statewide examinations and school-based assessment. School assessments are adjusted to ensure results from all schools across the state can be fairly compared. Schools are not allowed to reveal to students the final school assessment submitted to the Board of Studies because of this adjustment process, but they do inform students of their ranking within each course after the examinations have finished.

In addition to a wide range of general education courses, HSC students are also able to select from more than 100 vocational education and training (VET) courses. These courses are part of the students’ HSC curriculum, and also provide the students with nationally recognised vocational credentials — certificates or statements of attainment — under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), which can lead directly to employment or to further vocational education and training. Nine of the suite of VET courses, the Industry Curriculum Framework Courses, also provide students with the option of undertaking an HSC examination, the results of which are eligible for inclusion in the calculation of the students’ University Admission Index (UAI).
 

Diversity and choice

Students have greater options in their choice of high school. There is a wide diversity of high schools within the Sydney area: technology high schools, selective high schools and comprehensive high schools with selective streams, languages high schools, single-sex high schools, agricultural high schools, sports high schools, performing arts high schools, creative arts high schools, multi-campus colleges and senior high schools. These are all in addition to comprehensive high schools, which remain the backbone of the secondary schooling system.

All students are guaranteed a place in their local high school. However, entry into non-local schools is subject to available accommodation. This should be kept in mind if you want to apply to a school outside your designated local area.
 

Teachers

The NSW Department of Education and Training is committed to providing quality education to all students in government schools. More than 2200 government schools in NSW employ more than 80,000 teachers, all of whom are highly trained  and skilled. To ensure provision of  quality education across the state, the department provides incentives to attract and retain teachers in some rural and isolated locations.

Most teachers in government schools have completed three or more years of training at a higher education institution. Many teachers have also completed further studies and hold post-graduate qualifications. Additionally, teachers regularly attend professional learning programs developed by the department and other organisations.

Teachers who commenced teaching from 2005 must achieve accreditation with the NSW Institute of Teachers. This requires them to demonstrate effective practice as described in the NSW Professional Teaching Standards. These standards are also applied to mandatory participation by teachers in continuing professional development.

The department implements a number of strategies to advance the status and standing of teachers, enhance staff morale and performance, and address staff welfare issues. These strategies include various teacher awards and recognition programs, whole-school awards, an annual process of teacher review and accreditation, widespread professional learning opportunities within and beyond the school, leadership development, salary packaging, a deferred salary scheme, generous leave provisions, an employee assistance program and a network of staff welfare officers who provide support and advice to staff.

The NSW Teachers Federation is the union that covers teachers in NSW government schools, as well as a federal organisation, the Australian Education Union. Both aim to improve teachers’ status and conditions, to stimulate interest in educational issues and to improve the quality of education in the government education sector.

Teachers in non-government schools are usually trained and qualified in a similar manner to those in government schools. The implementation of the NSW Institute of Teachers Act (2004) will ensure this is the case. Teachers in non-government schools are covered by their own union, the Independent Teachers Association.

There is also a national organisation for non-government school teachers, the Independent Education Union of Australia. Both work to improve teachers’ status and conditions, to stimulate interest in educational issues and to improve the quality of education in the non-government sector throughout Australia.

The Education Act 1990

The Education Act of 1990 established the framework for school education in NSW. Under the act, students from Kindergarten to Year 10 are required to study a range of subjects organised in what are termed “Key Learning Areas” (KLAs).

There are six Key Learning Areas, Kindergarten to Year 6:
 • English
 • Mathematics
 • Science and Technology
 • Human Society and Its Environment
 • Creative Arts
 • Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
 
There are eight Key Learning Areas, Years 7 to 10:
 • English
 • Mathematics
 • Science
 • Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE)
 • Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE)
 • Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA)
 • Technology and Applied Studies (TAS)
 • Languages

Each subject has a detailed syllabus document developed by the NSW Board of Studies that outlines the course of study and the learning outcomes to be achieved.
 

Eligibility for awards

The School Certificate is awarded by the Board of Studies NSW to eligible students at the end of  Year 10.

To receive the School Certificate, students are required to study courses in each year  in Years 7-10 in English, Mathematics, Science, Human Society and Its Environment and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education.

At some time during Years 7-10, students are also required to study courses in creative arts, technology and applied studies and languages other than English.

Each year, all students in Year 10 sit for statewide tests in November in English-literacy, mathematics, science, Australian history, geography, civics and citizenship, and computing skills. The tests assess individual achievement in the foundation knowledge and skills needed to successfully undertake subjects in Years 11 and 12 and to participate effectively in the wider community. Students receive their own test results for these tests.

Students also are awarded a grade for each of the courses they have studied in Years 9 and 10. The grades are based  on a set of Course Performance  Descriptors developed by the Board of Studies. They indicate a student’s full  range of achievements in each course, providing a detailed report of the  student’s overall performance.

Candidates for the Higher School Certificate must complete a Preliminary pattern of study comprising a minimum of 12 units and an HSC pattern of study comprising at least 10 units. Both patterns must include a minimum of six units of Board Developed courses and at least two units of a Board Developed course in English. At least three courses must be of 2-unit value or greater (either Board Developed or Board Endorsed). Both patterns of study must include at least four subjects. To satisfy pattern of study requirements for the HSC, a student may count a maximum of six Preliminary units and six HSC units from courses in science.

Apart from Board Developed courses, students can also study courses developed by their school for the School Certificate and/or the Higher School Certificate. These school-developed courses are known as Board Endorsed courses and can be included among the courses that count towards the HSC. Additionally, the Board has made some exemplary Board Endorsed courses available to all schools. These are known as Content Endorsed Courses.

HSC students can also combine study of traditional ‘academic’ subjects with courses that provide vocational training. A number of TAFE courses are recognised for the HSC and students who successfully complete these courses will receive credentials from TAFE as well as a listing of the courses on their Higher School Certificate Record of Achievement. There are also eight dual-accredited vocational courses developed  by the board that are recognised by industry and also count towards the award of the HSC.

 Courses for the HSC can be accumulated over up to five calendar years from the year in which a course examination is first attempted. Students who wish to balance study with work, family commitments or other interests can use this option to design a study program and complete the HSC in  a way that suits their needs.
 

School councils

Under the 1990 Education Act legislation, school councils were developed as an option for school communities seeking to increase relevant community participation in the policy making of local schools.

School councils provide a focus for school community activity. They comprise parents, staff and community members. Where established, these councils set policies and goals for their schools including directions for the future based on the needs of the local community. The councils combine the efforts of parents, staff and the community in a genuine partnership, to promote quality, school-based decisions.
 

Student welfare

Schools are interested in more than academic instruction; there is also concern for the welfare of students and their  overall development.
 

Good discipline and effective learning

Good Discipline and Effective Learning is the Ministerial Statement that guides discipline in NSW government schools. It is one section of the Department of Education and Training’s student welfare policy. The emphasis of this policy is on the development and care of the whole student, as opposed to modifying behaviour under the threat of punishment. Positive school programs do not replace or undermine firm discipline policies, but aim to deal with the causes of any problems.

Under the Good Discipline and Effective Learning statement, all government schools have prepared a new School Discipline policy. This policy is to be developed in consultation with all concerned groups including parents, students, staff and the school council. It has four areas of focus:

 • School rules or discipline code
 • Strategies to promote effective  learning and good discipline
 • Ways to recognise and reward  student achievement
 • Strategies for dealing with  unacceptable behaviour.

All parents and students have access to a copy of the school’s discipline policy, including the school’s homework policy and dress code, if desired. This is regularly updated by the school.
 

School  non-attendance

Every student between the ages of six and 15 who is enrolled at a school is required  to attend on every school day. It is the parents’ legal responsibility to ensure regular attendance. Rolls are marked every day. Students who have been sick or away need to provide a note from their parents within seven days. Schools will inform parents of any cases of truancy or unexplained absences.

In l986, the government initiated the Home School Liaison Program (HSLP) to consult with teachers and principals at schools and provide support to parents. The program’s officers form an essential link between the home and the school, as they are specifically trained to work with families, staff and students to improve student attendance. Home School Liaison officers can be contacted through the school principal or your closest regional office.
 

Student leadership and student representative councils

The school community is an excellent training ground for the development of student leadership skills. Student leadership programs assist in developing skills in young people, with one of the best-known initiatives being the student representative council (SRC). All secondary schools have an SRC and primary schools are beginning to establish them. It consists of student leaders from each year who have been elected by their fellow students. They have the task of representing the interests of their peers to the school, staff and parent and community groups. SRC members participate in school planning, decision making, and initiate projects within the school as well as organise ways for other students to participate in school life.

 Some schools have a prefect body aswell as an SRC. In most cases, these high-profile student leaders within a school have come through the ranks of the school’s SRC structure.

 The secondary school student leadership network extends to inter-school and regional SRCs and a state body known as the New South Wales Student Representative Council (NSW SRC). This forum of 23 student leaders, including two Aboriginal students, is also peer-elected. It is consulted by senior officers in the Department of Education and Training, other government departments and business and community groups.

 The other state body of peer-elected student leaders is the State SRC Conference Working Party. This group plans and conducts an annual State SRC Conference with regional SRC participants from across NSW. The conference deals with student welfare themes of interest to young people. As a result of the conference, information and action planning flow to the NSW  SRC, regional, inter-school and school  SRC forums.

 Such conferences reflect the fact that SRCs are increasingly involved in student welfare programs such as peer mediation and conflict resolution, drug education, health and safety, student leaders on teacher committees, Aboriginal student leadership, anti-discrimination and anti-racism. These activities provide opportunities for the development of student leadership skills  that will not only assist school organisation and planning, but will be beneficial for  the students in many areas of their life in  the future.