"...child has powers of mind which fit him to deal with all knowledge proper to him, give him a full and generous curriculum; taking care only that all knowledge offered him is vital, that is, that facts are not presented without their informing ideas... ~ Charlotte Mason ~ As a teacher in a Queensland classroom I work closely with the requirements of the Australian Curriculum (AC) as I work to present the curriculum using CM teaching practices and resources. Running into roadblocks is a common occurrence and I teach within the tension of balancing a happy middle road or a compromise between AC and CM. This tension is created by a mismatch of aims. The About the Australian Curriculum page says something of the role of education - in shaping the lives of young Australians and contributing to a democratic, equitable and just society that is prosperous, cohesive and culturally diverse - and the quality of education - setting out the knowledge, understanding and skills needed for life and work in the 21st century. It appears the AC's educational aims are to shape the lives of our young people and set them up for good jobs in our current societal landscape. These are not unworthy goals but they are not the end of the matter. Life is more than being able to contribute to society and building a career and with these as our aims we fall short. The aim of education, as Mason views it, is to give a full life. A full life encompasses much of what the AC is about, and yet it is so much more. How can education give a full life? Through opening students to an immense range of interests; to opening the door to great ideas, great truths, and great art; to model how to be in touch wherever we go and whatever we see, hear, feel, with some degree of keen interest. Here we look on education as something between the student's soul and God, whereas with the AC goal we are in danger of looking at education as something between the student's brain and the standardised test. When we head into the area of what to teach our students we bump into specialised and disconnected subjects, standardisation, testing, data, and checklists. If our aim in education is give a full life then what we teach matters and what we teach cannot be disconnected subjects tucked into neat little boxes. It's not Science vs Art. Technology vs Nature. Sport vs Literature. We need a full and living curriculum that as accessible to all students. With a bit of thought and care the Australian Curriculum can be transformed into something that can open the door to a full life and a pleasant place for the mind to roam. Not just a job. © Amy George, May 2020
Please seek permission to link or reference this post.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI teach with the Charlotte Mason method in home education, tutoring and P-12 Christian school contexts in Australia. Archives
January 2022
Categories
All
|