Chronologies of Secondary School Curriculum Policy: Australian Capital Territory

1996 – 2005

2005

The Department of Education and Training launched the first phase of a new curriculum framework, Every Chance To Learn: Curriculum for ACT Schools P-10 Principles and Framework.
The Department of Education and Training published School Excellence: Improvement and achievement in ACT government schools in 2004.

2004

Legislation was passed consolidating the different Acts that had governed education in the ACT, Education Act 2004.
The Curriculum Renewal Taskforce released its report, Every Chance to Learn: Curriculum renewal evaluation report.
The Curriculum Renewal Taskforce released Every Chance to Learn: A curriculum renewal discussion paper.
The Government Schools Education Council released the report, Review of Government School Reporting: A review of ACT government school reporting processes with recommendations for improvement of reporting to parents and the broader community.
The Department of Education and Training published Planning framework: ACT vocational education and training.
The School improvement framework for achieving high standards in student learning, innovation and best practice in ACT government schools. was launched as part of the School Excellence Initiative.
The Department of Education and Training published Learning Technologies Plan for ACT Government Schools and Preschools 2004-2006.

2003

The Minister for Education, Katy Gallagher, launched The School Excellence Initiative: Achieving Excellence in ACT Government Schools.

2002

The Department of Education and Community Services published its vision for learning and teaching, Within Reach of Us All: ACT government schools plan 2002-2004.

2000

The Committee appointed to review school legislation in the ACT released its report, School Legislation in the ACT: Report to the ACT Minister for Education. The Committee recommended the establishment of a single Act for schooling in the ACT.

1998

The Department of Education and Community Services released Partnerships for Excellence: ACT Government schools plan 1998-2000, which set out the purposes, goals and priorities for schooling.
The Department of Education and Community Services published Literacy Matters: Preschool –Year 10: A literacy strategy.

1997

The Department of Education published The Across Curriculum Perspective Statements, which supplemented the 1994 ACT Curriculum Frameworks.

1986 – 1995

1995

The Department of Education and Training released Education plan for ACT government schooling 1995-1997, which advocated greater emphasis on outcome-based education.
The Department of Education and Training published Framework for vocational education and training for 16 – 18 year olds in the ACT.

1994

The Department of Education and Training published Curriculum Frameworks, companion documents for the eight key learning areas outlined in the National Profiles. Details

1991

The ACT Schools Accrediting Agency became the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies.

1989

With the attainment of self-government in the ACT, the Schools Authority was abolished and became the ACT Department of Education.
The Department of Education published research reporting on investigated assessment practices in senior secondary colleges in the ACT, Student Assessment Project in Secondary Colleges of the Australian Capital Territory. Details
The Schools Authority published Community Schools for Canberra, 1989-2000: Final Report.

1987

The Schools Authority published Community Schools for Canberra, 1989-2000: A draft plan for matching school accommodation with student numbers.
The Schools Authority published PEP Equals: A report of the Participation and Equity Programs in Canberra's public schools.
The report of the Ministerial Review of the ACT Schools Authority was released, A Management Review of the ACT Schools Authority. Details

1986

The Committee for the Review of Tertiary Entrance Score Calculations in the Australian Capital Territory released its report, Making Admission to Higher Education Fairer. Details
The Schools Authority published School Boards: Partnership and Participation, outlining guidelines for the constitution, function and operation of school boards. Details

1976 – 1985

1985

The Schools Authority published a draft position paper, Future Directions in Curriculum, outlining current and future curriculum policy.
The Commonwealth Minister for Education, Susan Ryan, issued a discussion paper, A Proposal Concerning the Governance of ACT Government Schools. Details
In November the Schools Authority appointed a committee to review the calculation of tertiary entrance scores following concern about gender bias in the process.

1984

The Commonwealth Department of Education and Youth Affairs released Issues and Options: a discussion paper on the governance of ACT education.
The Schools Authority published Our Public Schools: Report to the Canberra Community, a booklet explicating ACT education policy and programs. Details
The Schools Authority released Proposed policy initiatives for 1984/85.
The Schools Authority published Shrink and Swim: A Handbook for high schools adapting the curriculum to declining enrolments. The report was prepared for the ACT Schools Authority as part of the ACT Choice and Diversity Project.

1983

The Schools Authority published Response of the Authority to the Report of the Committee of Review into the Impact of Radford College.
The report of the Committee of Review into the Impact of Radford College released its report, Schools for the ACT: How public? how private?
The Schools Authority published the report of the ACT Choice and Diversity Project, Maintaining Curriculum Choice in Secondary Schools with Declining Enrolments: General conclusions and report to Commonwealth Schools Commission.
The Schools Authority released the report of the Committee to Review Education in the ACT, The Challenge of Change: A Review of High Schools in the ACT.
The Schools Authority published Multicultural education ACT 1981: A report of the school curriculum development for multicultural education initiated in 1981 and funded by the Schools Commission Multicultural Education program.

1982

The Schools Authority published an overview of curriculum policy, Sources of Existing Curriculum Policy for Government Schools. Details

1981

The Schools Authority published the task force report, Review of Provisions for Children with Special Needs, as well as the companion document, Provisions for Educating Children with Special Needs.
The Schools Authority released the report of the Task Force Managing Contraction, Managing a Contracting School System: A Task Force Report to the Chief Education Officer.
The Schools Authority published and distributed to schools, Current Curriculum Practice in ACT Government Schools as part of a broad review of curriculum. Details
The Schools Authority released the position paper, School-based evaluation in ACT government schools.
The Schools Authority Taskforce for Managing Contraction released a discussion paper, Strategies for a Contracting School System. Details

1979

The Committee to Review the ACT Schools Accrediting Agency released its report, Certificates for Year 12 Students: A review of the ACT Schools Accrediting Agency.
The Schools Authority published the report, Inquiry into the ACT Year 10 Certificate.

1977

School based assessment was introduced into ACT schools.
The Curriculum Branch of the Schools Authority published Curriculum and Organisation Statements, ACT High Schools.
School boards in the Australian Capital Territory, was published by the School of Teacher Education as part of the School and Community Project funded by the Australian Schools Commission.

1976

The Schools Authority Ordinance was ratified. Details

The 1975 Context

1975

The Interim Schools Authority published an information sheet, Secondary Colleges in the Australian Capital Territory.
The ACT Schools Accrediting Agency was established with responsibility for accreditation, assessment and certification in senior colleges.

1974

The Schools Authority took over responsibility for the public school system from the Department of Education in New South Wales.
The Interim ACT Schools Authority released for discussion and comment, Guidelines on Relationships within the Education System, outlining guidelines for relationships and responsibilities of and between the Authority and ACT schools. Details

1973

In November a statement was released outlining educational specifications of the Schools Authority, The Guiding Principles and Aims of the ACT Schools Authority.
The Interim ACT Schools Authority was established in October, based on the model recommended in the Hughes report.
The report of the Working Committee on College Proposals for the Australian Capital Territory, Secondary Education for Canberra (Campbell Report) was released. The report recommended the establishment of senior secondary colleges. Details
The report of the Assessment Panel on the ACT Education Authority, A Design for the Governance and Organisation of Education in the Australian Capital Territory (Hughes Report), recommended the establishment of a new educational authority for the ACT. Details
The Commonwealth Department of Education published An Education Authority for the ACT: A departmental paper.

1967

The working party to Report on an Independent Education Authority for the Australian Capital Territory the establishment of an independent Schools Authority released its report, Report on an Independent Education Authority for the Australian Capital Territory, (Currie Report). The report advocated the establishment of an autonomous educational authority and the formation of school councils.