The first stage of reform of the NSW schooling curriculum has seen a reduction of more than 80 courses developed by schools, classified as unnecessary.
The Department of Education said new criteria had been established to ensure elective courses adopted by schools provided students with strong foundations for future learning and their life beyond school.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the Department had exceeded its target to reduce the number of elective courses in high schools by at least 20 per cent.
Ms Berejiklian said removing unnecessary courses allowed schools and teachers the time and resources to deliver the essentials for students.
Minister for Education, Sarah Mitchell said the new criteria would ensure courses were only approved where they provided a high-quality elective option for students, and didn’t duplicate or overlap with existing opportunities within the syllabus.
“While courses will be cut, students will still have opportunities to explore their interests,” Ms Mitchell said.
“For example, courses like print-making would no longer be standalone courses, but they could still be options as part of a core course like Art,” she said.
“Removing these courses is the first step in our curriculum reform with the development of the new, streamlined K-2 English and Maths syllabuses.”
Ms Mitchell said that with the exception of Auslan and Braille, all Year Nine and 10 elective courses developed by schools would be phased out by 2022.
“Year Nine and 10 students will have the opportunity to select elective subjects that will be developed by the NSW Education Standards Authority and will be available State-wide,” the Minister said.
