Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework on ACARA’s National Recognition Register

Parents of students at Steiner schools can be assured their children are being taught to the new national curriculum standards after a decision by the national regulatory agency this month. TheAustralian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) have included the AustralianSteiner Curriculum Framework on their Recognition Register as an alternate curriculum. Steinerschools collaborated through their national association, Steiner Education Australia to submitdetailed and rich curriculum documents to ACARA.

Steiner Education Australia clearly articulated how the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework meets the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians and the Shape of the Australian Curriculum v3 paper, as well as comparable educational outcomes for students by the end of Year 10 in English, Maths, History and most areas in Science. ACARA noted that in Science, three topics are taught in the senior secondary years with all other content comparable to the end of Year 10.

The Recognition Process was established to determine the extent to which a well-established alternative national curriculum framework can deliver comparable educational outcomes for students as those based on the Australian Curriculum. Other international curriculum frameworks submissions were from Montessori and the International Baccalaureate.

Tracey Puckeridge, Chief Executive Officer of Steiner Education Australia stated, “It is essential that choice and diversity in education is valued in Australia, therefore we appreciated the opportunity from the Federal Government to be involved in this rigorous recognition process as an acknowledgement of different learning approaches and pedagogy. Since the announcement, we have received congratulations for this important recognition from other Steiner education associations worldwide.”

The holistic nature of Steiner education is an expression of the core values that inform the approach. Key features are creativity, experientially based methodology, and the developmental view of childhood. In keeping with other holistic approaches, education is understood to be the art of cultivating and integrating social-emotional, academic and ethical-spiritual dimensions of the developing child. The prime purpose of Steiner education is to support and educate children to become life long learners, such that their own innate and unique human qualities may flourish (www.steinereducation.edu.au).