English syllabus to be debated

BRAD SPILLANE urges teachers to respond to the review of the HSC English Prescriptions.

At a time when conservative values seem to be permeating into all areas of our lives, teachers need to be suspicious of any changes to what we are required to teach. English syllabuses around the country have been the target of right wing commentators from Howard's "gobbledegook" pronouncement to the incessant campaign in the Murdoch press, led by Kevin Donnelly, Imre Saluszinsky and others, attacking the balanced approach to the teaching of reading, critical literacy, literacy tests and senior syllabuses. One similarity in all these attacks is the view that literacy must be able to be measured by simple correctness not understanding, that students need to be passive consumers of texts not active, critical responders. Anyone who heard Donnelly at last year's English Teachers Association conference would be aware of his inability to intellectually debate the issues but the attacks have continued unabated, trying to create a public perception that there is some sort of crisis in English education in Australia, rather than the reality: Australian students rank number 2 in the world at literacy. English syllabuses have been labelled "dumbed down", "trendy", "left wing", "post-modern", "politically correct", depriving students of their cultural heritage and encouraging "moral relativism" with no detailed discussion of what is actually in the syllabus or engagement in any intellectual debate. In this context teachers need to be particularly vigilant and take control over what they teach by actively participating in any debate over the syllabus.

The English Stage 6 Prescriptions -- Areas of Study, Electives and Texts (HSC English Prescriptions) is an extremely important document for the teaching of English. Not only does it prescribe the texts set for study for the HSC, but it also provides rubrics clarifying the intent of each of the electives within the Area of Study and the Modules, and is read in conjunction with the syllabus to give direction as to what is taught and how. Changing the Prescriptions could be used to change the whole intent of the syllabus.

English teachers were surprised in late term 2 when a Board Bulletin was received in schools indicating that the revision to HSC English Prescriptions had now been postponed until the 2009 HSC. Rumours have abounded about the revision since last year, particularly with regard to the new Area of Study. A working group tabled at the Board of Studies a draft list of concepts for the Area of Study and proposed electives and texts last December. Now it seems the Board wants to "enhance the strength and relevance of the HSC English Prescriptions" by inviting schools, teachers, sectors and key groups to contribute their ideas. Under the old HSC, text lists were changed every two years. The current HSC syllabus was introduced in 2001, and the Prescriptions were first revised for the 2004 HSC, so the revision, as anyone teaching Journeys would know, is long overdue. The task for 2004 was overseen by the existing Board Curriculum Committee, a body broadly representative of educational groups. The working group established to draft changes this year was not so broadly representative, for example Federation had no representation on this group, so it would appear a positive step that the Board is now seeking wider consultation, and that a wider working group "based on the membership of Board Curriculum Committees" is now considering these submissions. Other significant individuals may be invited to join.

The Board is also concurrently undertaking a "systematic evaluation of K-12 syllabuses" in the English learning area. A full report informed "by strategic consultation meetings with teachers and other key groups" is scheduled to be presented in October. A report already tabled at the Board outlines a couple of concerns about the current syllabus but focuses attention most specifically on Module B: Critical Study of Texts in the Advanced Course and recommends "that the matters of concern raised in relation to the Advanced English be addressed as far as possible by the revision to the HSC Prescriptions" and that these amendments be made prior to the implementation of the new Prescriptions. What is of great concern is that this report appears to credit the shrill criticisms of conservative commentators as "public perceptions of the syllabus". There is criticism, also, that interpretations of the Critical Study, in focusing more on different readings of texts, have led to a lack of student "personal engagement", detailed discussion, enjoyment and appreciation of the texts. Yet it is obvious from even a cursory reading of the syllabus that this is not the intent of the syllabus. Students are asked to explore text's ideas through close analysis, and others' perspectives of the text are to be tested against their own understanding and interpretation. The great benefit of the current syllabus is that it enables students to see that texts may be read and valued differently by different readers in different contexts and it encourages them to evaluate the reasons they read the text the way they do. The critical study and how it connects into the syllabus as a whole, is well explained in a recent article, "As Time Goes By" (Wendy Michaels and Eva Gold, Metaphor Issues 1 and 2, 2006). Any problems with this Module, I believe, would be best addressed with further support documents, not by abandoning or significantly changing the Module.

Perhaps the Board's time would be better directed to an issue about which there is more teacher consensus, the careful introduction of a course catering for students for whom the Standard course is too challenging.

Most importantly, any change to the syllabus, implemented after a fully representative and extensive consultation, needs to be the result of a full debate amongst teachers, not just a knee-jerk reaction to political pressure applied by ill-informed media commentators and politicians. I encourage all English teacher members to contribute their ideas. A convenient means may be the English Teachers Association's website (http://www.englishteacher.com.au/) discussion board on these issues or write to the Board of Studies directly.

Brad Spillane teaches at Brisbane Water Secondary College, Senior Campus.

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August 2006 contents