The document discusses the Australian national curriculum, which is built around three cross-curriculum priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures; Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia; and sustainability. Each priority is developed around three key concepts. The curriculum also includes seven general capabilities that aim to help students become successful learners, confident individuals, and informed citizens. An example is provided of how the priorities and capabilities can be incorporated into a mathematics curriculum.

1. Cross-curriculum priorities and
General Capabilities
EDFD 663 Issues in the profession
(Week 7)
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Ferry Tanoto

2. The Australian national curriculum is built on
the educational goals of the Melbourne
Declaration that identified the need to address
three key areas of cross-curriculum priorities:
1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories
and cultures
2. Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
3. Sustainability

3. #1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
histories and cultures
This priority is developed around the three key
concepts of Country/Place, Peoples, and
Cultures

4. Country/Place that highlights:
• The special connection to Country/Place by
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples,
• Celebrate the unique belief systems that connect
people physically and spiritually to Country/Place.
#1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
histories and cultures

5. Peoples that examines:
• The diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Peoples’ culture through language, ways of life and
experiences as expressed through historical, social
and political lenses,
• The opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ way of
being, knowing, thinking and doing.
#1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
histories and cultures

6. Cultures that
• addresses the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander societies,
• examines kinship structures and the significant
contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people on a local, national and global scale.
#1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
histories and cultures

7. This priority is developed around the three
key concepts of Asia and its diversity,
Achievements and contributions of the
peoples of Asia, and Asia-Australia
engagement
#2 Asia and Australia’s engagement
with Asia

8. Asia and its diversity that highlights the
diversity within and between the countries of
the Asia region, from their cultures, societies
and traditions through to their diverse
environments and the effects of these on the
lives of people.
#2 Asia and Australia’s engagement
with Asia

9. Achievements and contributions of the
peoples of Asia that
• Examines the past and continuing achievements of
the peoples of Asia,
• Identifies their contribution to world history,
• Acknowledges the influences that the Asia region has
on the world’s aesthetic, and creative pursuits.
#2 Asia and Australia’s engagement
with Asia

10. Asia-Australia engagement that
• addresses the nature of past and on-going links
between Australia and Asia,
• develops the knowledge, understanding and skills,
which make it possible to engage actively and
effectively with peoples of the Asia region.
#2 Asia and Australia’s engagement
with Asia

11. This priority is developed around the three key
concepts of Systems, World views, and futures.
#3 Sustainability

12. Systems that explores the interdependent and
dynamic nature of systems that support all life on Earth
as well as the promotion of healthy social, economic
and ecological patterns of living for our collective
wellbeing and survival.
#3 Sustainability

13. World views that
• presents the issues surrounding sustainability in a
global context,
• allows for a diversity of world views on ecosystems,
values and social justice to be discussed and linked to
individual and community actions for sustainability.
#3 Sustainability

14. Futures that
• is aimed at building the capacities for thinking and
acting in ways that are necessary to create a more
sustainable future,
• seeks to develop reflective thinking processes and
empower young people to design action that will
lead to a more equitable, respectful and sustainable
future.
#3 Sustainability

15. General capabilities comprise an
integrated and interconnected set of
knowledge, skills, behaviours and
dispositions that students develop and
use in their learning across the
curriculum, in co-curricular programs
and in their lives outside school.

16. General Capabilities
Successful learner,
confident and
creative individual,
and active and
informed citizen
Literacy
Numeracy
ICT
capabilities
Critical and
creative
thinking
Personal
and social
capability
Ethical
understanding
Intercultural
understanding

17. The Australian Curriculum includes seven
general capabilities to realise the goals set out
in the Melbourne Declaration on Educational
Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA 2008) –
that all young people in Australia should be
supported to become successful learners,
confident and creative individuals, and active
and informed citizens.

18. Cross-curriculum Priorities and
General Capabilities
An example from Mathematics
1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories
and cultures
2. Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
3. Sustainability