CHILDREN OF MOBILE FAMILIES
CHAPTER 8: THE BOARD OF STUDIES
The problem, however, of acknowledging achievement from the end of compulsory schooling at age 15 remains one which will require continuing attention. In addition, there needs to be a clarification of the purposes of education in Years 11 and 12 together with further development of ways to implement these purposes.
The Board of Secondary Education has introduced procedures which allow for curriculum links with Technical and Further Education. Other Approved Studies courses (OAS) developed as individual school-based courses have included a significant proportion, particularly among government schools, of Joint Secondary Schools/TAFE courses. This has led logically to the development by the Board of Joint Secondary Schools/TAFE courses, i.e. courses which would gain recognition as Board determined courses for the Higher School Certificate.
An associated development has been the increasing need to look at links with industry and vocational skills. This has involved the Board of Secondary Education in considering ways in which part-time work and part-time school attendance might be included in the overall curriculum pattern in the senior years. Resolution of this issue has not yet been achieved.
8.2.3 Registration and Accreditation
Non-government schools tend to view the merging of registration and accreditation as inappropriate. Further, many non-government schools see the rules and regulations of the Board for accreditation as being too tight and inflexible, particularly with regard to requirements for a minimum number of hours for a syllabus over Years 7 - 10. There are those in the non-government sector who believe that the Board's requirements, amounting to about 70 per cent of total school time, are too extensive.
Many non-government schools have suggested that there would be benefit in returning to the situation prior to 1987 when registration and accreditation were separated, particularly if the requirements for registration (i.e. the right to function as a school) were less stringent than those for accreditation (i.e. the right to present students for the Board Certificates).
It has been further suggested that non-government schools should have the freedom to be registered without having to meet the requirements for accreditation if they do not wish their students to receive the Board's Certificates.
Those parents who wish to educate their children at home have expressed discontent with the 1987 Act on the grounds that the requirements for homeschooling to be approved are too onerous and that their implementation by the Department of Education is unduly restrictive. Procedures to provide greater freedom are sought.
8.2.4 Independence of the Board
There has been a perception that the Board is part of the Department of Education because the Department's Statutory Board Directorate services the Board. The Department of Education is seen to have very considerable influence on the Board's decisions and on its procedures. It was argued that the Board and its administrative staff should be seen to be clearly separate from the Department of Education. With regard to this issue it should be noted that the Board
is
serviced by the Department not only in terms of the Statutory Board Directorate, but with very extensive assistance from the Studies Directorate, the Inspectorate, Regional Officers, Regional Field Officers and the Department's finance staff.8.3 The Committee's Approach
The Committee believes that there has been a preoccupation with secondary education
in
recent years. There isa
need to re-focus public attention on primary education and to ensure_a logical and smooth continuation
of
curriculum development from Kindergarten to Year 12.?he Committee stresses the importance of achieving competence in basic skills and motivation in the Years K-6 so that the student may cope adequately with the more specialised subject learning of the secondary years. Some students do experience real difficulties in making the transition from primary to secondary schooling. Hence the Committee believes that teachers in the early secondary years should undertake special in-service training for an understanding of those problems and means of resolving them. It emphasises, too, the importance of continuing effective pastoral care and counselling throughout the secondary years.
8.3.1 A Single Board
The Committee believes that there should be a single, independent Board of Studies responsible for curriculum development for all the years of schooling and serviced entirely by its own curriculum and administrative staff. The Board should be encouraged to maintain dialogue and discussion with the community.
It has examined the alternative of a separate Board of Primary Education but believes first that the effective liaison essential for a curriculum continuum could not be easily achieved by that means and second that the expense of a separate body is not justified. The Committee is aware of the possible criticism that such a Board could be dominated by secondary schooling considerations, just as some argue that the present Board is over influenced by matriculation requirements and its curriculum distorted to meet them. It is convinced, however, that a Proper balance can be achieved by legislative provision for a Board Standing Committee on primary education..
8.3.2 Determining Minimum Curriculum for Registration Purposes It
is proposed that the Board will have responsibility for determining guidelines for the minimum curriculum requirements across all years of compulsory education for the purposes of registration. The proposed requirements are specified in Chapter 7 of this Report in the section dealing with registration of schools. In addition, the Board will have responsibilities for determining curriculum for credentialling purposes.8.3.3 Co-ordination of Curriculum
1 the primary years it is envisaged that in respect of the minimum curriculum requirements the Board will issue guidelines for schools so that they may understand the Board 's intentions.
An adequately staffed curriculum unit would be attached to the Board to assist in the development of both primary and secondary syllabuses. In the secondary years the Board will continue the role of previous Boards in syllabus development but there will be the
°pportunity for coordination of curriculum across all years K-12 апд indeed beyond Year 12 for those students who may wish to re-enter the schooling system and/or continue with pan-time work/part-time study, including courses accredited with TAFE.
8.3.4 Syllabus Committees
It
is envisaged that the Board will continue to use the practice of establishing Syllabus Committees and while there should be representation from various interest groups, membership should be based on the expertise which the persons selected can bring to the Committee. Syllabus Committees must achieve a reasonable time frame for the production°f
syllabus documents. The emerging practice of appointing writing groups to work under the guidelines of representative committees has much to commend it and should be extended.8.3.5 Schools, TAFE and University Links
The responsibilities of the Board of Studies, in and beyond Years 11 and 12, will involve an extension of the activities already being undertaken by the Board of Secondary Education in relation to links with TAFE and liaison with universities on tertiary entrance. The Committee envisages the possibility of greater flexibility in credentialling so that students who have lеft school without a Higher School Certificate, or students who wish to upgrade their Higher School Certificate, may undertake further studies and attain this credential on a cumulative basis over perhaps two to three years. These students may be undertaking part-time work as well as part-time study. The Committee believes it desirable that the Board of Studies should fuпher explore the possibility of increased articulation of courses between the Board and TAFE.
8.3.6 Separation of Registration and Accreditation
Registration will be concerned with the right of the school to function. Accreditation will be concerned with the right to present candidates for the Board's certificates. The specc details and recommendations for registration and accreditation are detailed in Chapter 7 of this Report.
Registration will be achieved through schools complying with the Board's minimum curriculum requirements, and as indicated in the proposed new Act, factors relating to safety, health and the provision of a suitable educational environment. These requirements will apply also to homeschooling.
A secondary school may apply for registration and accreditation simultaneously. The proposed new Act specifies the membership of the Board's Registration Committee which will consider applications from schools and which will make recommendations to the Board. It will then be the Board which recommends to the Minister.
8.3.7 The Board's Agents
For the purposes of registration and accreditation the Board will have its own agents who will be called Board Inspectors. The Committee envisages that Board Inspectors will include among their numbers, inspectors of schools from the Department of Education or their equivalent on deployment for terms of up to four years. The remainder of the Board Inspectors would be appointed by the Board from among applicants for the role. Applicants could come from both government and non-government sources and could include principals of schools, again on deployment. The Committee envisages that the panel of inspectors visiting a school for registration/accreditation purposes might also include one or two members nominated by the school itself, being persons not immediately associated with the school but who could make a valuable contribution to the registration/accreditation process and in whom the school itself would have confidence. The appointment of such persons to the inspecting panel would be a matter for negotiation between the school and officers of the Board.
8.3.8 Registration of Government Schools
The Committee recommends that government schools be registered. This registration can
occur through the registration of schools by systems provided that the system gives guarantees
of compliance with the Board's requirements and establishes to the satisfaction of the Board
that it is able to monitor the operation of its schools in such a way as so ensure that the
Board's requirements are met. The Board may also, of course, ask Board Inspectors to
visit any school, upon due notice, to determine if requirements are being met. The Committee
envisages that the Board would institute a regular program of random visits to registered
schools for this purpose.
An appeals mechanism is included in the Act to cover the situation where the Board is not Prepared either to recommend registration to the Minister or is not prepared to accredit the school. The Appeals Tribunal to which the appeal will be made will operate under Procedures similar to those specified in the 1987Act but with the difference that the tribunal will be a recommending body to the Minister.
8.3.9 Independence of the Board
Thе Committee proposes that the Board of Studies should appropriately service government and non-government schools. 7hе Committee proposes that the Board be headed by a full- time President who will be the employer of the Board's staff. The Committee also proposes that the Board have suђicient staff to carry out all its functions and that these staf be iп pe dent of the Department of Education. Furthermore the Board would require a separate budget within the Education and Youth Affairs portfolio, sufficient to fulfil its functions.
It would be acceptable for the Board to take over from the Department many of the positions of staff who are currently working on Board related functions.
Thе Board should be able to provide curriculum advice to all schools and to parents engaged in homeschooling.
8.3.10 Staff of the Board
The