Draft HSC syllabuses released for feedback

The draft English and Mathematics HSC syllabuses have been released by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for community feedback.

The structure of these syllabuses aims to promote high levels of attainment and mastery of knowledge and skills for all students.

Students will be able to continue to develop knowledge, concepts and skills gained from Kindergarten to Year 10 and to further enhance their abilities in literacy and numeracy.

“Teachers and the broader school community will notice greater consistency and clarity in these draft syllabuses that will provide teachers with time and capacity to adjust teaching to their context,” said Paul Martin, CEO of the NSW Education Standards Authority.

“I encourage schools and the community to review the drafts and to tell us how they work and how they can be improved.”

The key changes in HSC English syllabuses include:

• Refined and reduced outcomes: Each outcome now expresses distinct knowledge and skills.
• Clearer structure that outlines essential content: All essential content is now structured and described in the focus areas, with repetition addressed.
• The introduction of a core focus area for English Extension 2: A new and examinable core focus area will provide all students with a common knowledge base and support the development of a Major Work.
   

The key changes in HSC Mathematics syllabuses include:

• Refined outcomes: All outcomes are now specific to a focus area, where they previously overlapped.
• A structural review of the syllabuses: By reorganising content, students and teachers in Advanced, Extension 1 and 2 will no longer cover the same content multiple times.
• Content points made explicit: Previously some content points were ambiguous. The change aims to support consistent interpretation of content points and equity across classrooms.
   

NESA will also consult on HSC History syllabuses, including Modern History, Ancient History, History Extension, Ancient History Life Skills and Modern History Life Skills.

Final English and Mathematics syllabuses will be released in 2024 and taught from 2026. The new History syllabuses will be taught in NSW schools from 2027.

Schools and the broader community are encouraged to have their say on the draft syllabuses until 19 December 2023.

Image credit: iStock.com/Abu Hanifah