❓ A WA parliamentary question challenges the government's proposed shift from the existing TEE system to an outcomes-based education model, raising concerns about syllabus vagueness, examination emphasis, teacher accountability, subject status, student choices, and Curriculum Council composition.
AnsweredQoN 34Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) If, as stated during the election by the former Minister for Education, ‘our TEE system is as good as any in Australia’ why is the Government t planning on changing it from a system which has a clearly defined syllabus, a high stakes examination process and high teacher accountability, to the new proposed courses of study system often referred to as ‘Outcomes based’ which is characterized by a vague syllabus dependent on the background and skills of the teacher, decreasing emphasis on high stakes examinations and low teacher accountability?
(2) Is it true that under the new proposed courses of study system (outcomes based education) subjects like woodwork, metalwork, cooking, sewing and automotive engineering will hold exactly the same status as physics, chemistry, literature, and calculus in calculating a TER?
(3) In this academic year how many choices of study do students have under the current TEE, wholly school assessed and Vocational Education and Training?
(4) Under the new proposed courses of study system how many choices will students have?
(5) If the new system offers a substantial reduction in choices, why is this so?
(6) Why is the Curriculum Council advertising the new system as an ‘increase in choice’ for students?
(7) In relation to the Curriculum Council -
(a) how many members are there:
(b) of these how many have never held a school teaching position; and
(c) of these how many are currently practising teachers in schools?
(8) In relation to the new proposed course of study system (outcomes based education) -
(a) has this type of system, as proposed by the WA Curriculum Council, been introduced in a successful manner elsewhere; and
(b) if yes, where and how?
(9) How does the new proposed courses of study system (outcomes based education) include what most teachers and parents would agree as essential components of a good education system that being a clearly defined syllabus, a high stakes examination process and high teacher accountability?
(10) Why is the education system moving from a system understood by parents which provides a grade, mark and average score, to a new system lacking these factors and seen by many as imposed mediocrity?
(2) Is it true that under the new proposed courses of study system (outcomes based education) subjects like woodwork, metalwork, cooking, sewing and automotive engineering will hold exactly the same status as physics, chemistry, literature, and calculus in calculating a TER?
(3) In this academic year how many choices of study do students have under the current TEE, wholly school assessed and Vocational Education and Training?
(4) Under the new proposed courses of study system how many choices will students have?
(5) If the new system offers a substantial reduction in choices, why is this so?
(6) Why is the Curriculum Council advertising the new system as an ‘increase in choice’ for students?
(7) In relation to the Curriculum Council -
(a) how many members are there:
(b) of these how many have never held a school teaching position; and
(c) of these how many are currently practising teachers in schools?
(8) In relation to the new proposed course of study system (outcomes based education) -
(a) has this type of system, as proposed by the WA Curriculum Council, been introduced in a successful manner elsewhere; and
(b) if yes, where and how?
(9) How does the new proposed courses of study system (outcomes based education) include what most teachers and parents would agree as essential components of a good education system that being a clearly defined syllabus, a high stakes examination process and high teacher accountability?
(10) Why is the education system moving from a system understood by parents which provides a grade, mark and average score, to a new system lacking these factors and seen by many as imposed mediocrity?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
21 June 2005
Responded by
Minister representing the Minister for Education and Training
Response time
54 days
(b) of these how many have never held a school teaching position; and (c) of these how many are currently practising teachers in schools?
(c) of these how many are currently practising teachers in schools?
(b) if yes, where and how?
(7-10) There are 13 members of the Curriculum Council and 10 are trained teachers. The proposed system operates in varied forms in each State and the peak parent organisations in Western Australia support the changes. Details of the new courses of study are available from the Curriculum Council's website.
(c) of these how many are currently practising teachers in schools?
(b) if yes, where and how?
(7-10) There are 13 members of the Curriculum Council and 10 are trained teachers. The proposed system operates in varied forms in each State and the peak parent organisations in Western Australia support the changes. Details of the new courses of study are available from the Curriculum Council's website.
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