Some Guiding Principles for the Primary Curriculum

Primary education must address the entitlement of each child to acquire the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes necessary for a satisfying and productive life. In keeping with its responsibilities. This document, Some Guiding Principles for the Primary Curriculum, describes the overarching purpose of the primary K-6 curriculum, the nature of primary age learners, and principles for the primary curriculum. These principles, which were primarily developed to inform the work of syllabus writers, are:

1.    Children learn best when they see purpose in their learning and know the outcomes they are working to achieve.

This requires that:

• the learning experiences in which they are engaged are perceived by them as having purpose and meaning;
• the outcomes towards which they are working reflect their individual needs and serve to structure the learning situation;
• they investigate ideas, relationships and issues;
• they  reflect upon the outcomes they have achieved and how they have learned and how they can apply this learning;
• they are encouraged to participate in planning their learning and thus move towards increasing control over, and responsibility for, their own learning;
• their learning enables them to participate in, and contribute more effectively to, their world.

2.    Learning experiences should be responsive to children’s individual needs.

This requires that learning experiences:

• cater for the learning needs of students by incorporating a suitable range of teaching and learning approaches so that each student continues to progress;
• build upon the children’s learning needs and strengths; interests, talents and purposes; and their current knowledge status;
• are selected to suit the children’s stage of schooling, level of development and maturity;
• build upon each child’s out-of-school experience;
• acknowledge the diversity of individual values;
• include parents, caregivers and community as supportive partners in the children’s learning.

3.    Children’s learning experiences should assist them to learn more.

This requires that:

• what children know and can do is the starting point in their learning;
• they are encouraged to think critically and creatively and act independently;
• learning experiences are challenging and designed to help the children achieve more demanding outcomes;
• they encounter and set for themselves high expectations and are assisted to meet them;
• the learning experiences assist them to master and understand the processes of learning as well as acquiring knowledge;
• they interact and collaborate and reflect with others as they learn.

4.    Children’s learning is enhanced when they see connections among their learning experiences and relate them to their everyday experience.

This requires that:

• they encounter a range of learning experiences that provide equitably for their physical, social, emotional, moral and intellectual development;
• the interconnected nature of their real-life experiences is reflected in the curriculum;
• the educational importance of play is appropriately addressed in their learning experiences;
• the total learning environment fosters the development of positive values and attitudes towards themselves, others, learning and the environment;
• their learning experiences make explicit connections between key learning areas and across the curriculum as a whole;
• language has a central place in the curriculum.

5.    Children learn best when they are happy to learn.

This requires that:

• they feel respected and cared for;
• they learn in a secure yet challenging environment;
• expectations are realistic — tasks are challenging but achievable;
• the way in which they learn in school complements and builds on the way they learn naturally;
• they feel confident to take risks in learning;
• they have sustained time to engage in interesting and exciting learning experiences;
• their home language and culture are valued and included in the learning experience;

6.    Children’s achievements should be effectively and appropriately recognised.

This requires that:

• they experience success in worthwhile educational endeavours;
• assessment of their progress is continuous and treated as a natural part of the learning process;
• they should be able to demonstrate achievement of outcomes in a variety of ways;
• prompt and personal feedback on their achievement will be provided by their teachers and, where appropriate, by their peers;
• they are involved in their own assessment and, as a result, participate in making decisions about learning experiences which will help them to progress;
• their teachers recognise achievement of outcomes additional to those planned in a learning experience;
• effort as well as achievement are recognised.

7.    Children learn best when concepts of justice and equity govern the learning environment.

This requires that:

• teaching and learning approaches are based on explicit assumptions that all children can learn and must be assisted to make satisfactory progress towards the achievement of desired learning outcomes;
• students are provided with learning experiences and a learning environment where they have equal opportunity to achieve the outcomes;
• school learning experiences are sensitive to each student’s culture, values and beliefs;
• children’s individual learning needs, talents and learning styles are respected and effectively addressed.