Dyso

Jun 23, 08 - 3:08 PM

2009 COS banned

Got the advice today from the SSTUWA.......

Jim

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 3:44 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Best news I've had for weeks!

marko vojkovic

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 4:43 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

We can now relax in the knowledge that we have another 12 months to really get it right not just 70% right.

And just in case the bods over at the CC try to tell us that the resources were there 12 months prior to implementation, may I suggest that we document on this site which parts of the jigsaws were missing day 1, term 1, 2008.

I'll start the ball rolling:

Physics and Chemistry: no textbook, lab manual, revision guide, problems books, bank of problems and exam questions covering the new content, list of new equipment we might need to order for experiments, comprehensive programs (both sequential and concurrent), actual teaching time allocation, final assessment structure, TISC requirements for graduation and rules for TER calculation or final exam format.

Just a few 'minor' details which were missing.

Snozzle

Jul 5th, 2008 - 11:02 PM

Re: Re: 2009 COS banned

As a parent (and trained secondary teacher who never took up the challenge of teaching) with a 10 year old preparing to do the new Physics, Chem, Maths and Maths Specialist courses in Year 11, 2009, now I am worried...my big fear is that when the Union gets its new EBA it will backflip on the new CsOS. And then we will see the new courses implemented in a rush, and the pernicious Spadyist objectives of OBE (subjects gutted of so-called abstract content, such as the rape of the Calculus component in the new Maths Specialist course, and the introduction of context-relevant content, such as the way the new Maths courses have, like force-fed Peking Ducks, been over-stuffed with Statistics, and other content which also -surprise- tends to be almost insultingly simplified so that anyone can get through with minimum effort.

I happen to want my kid to learn the Trig, Geometry and Calc that he will need for University. From what I hear, even the current TEE courses were a bit thin on the ground in some of these areas. The new CsOS, religiously following the William Pardyist line, will do for Calculus what OBE did for primary school arithmetic...effectively banned long division, because (in a tragi-comic misreading of Piagetian theory) it was considered that children under age 11 were not equipped for formal operations (ie abstract thought). Make no mistake, OBE is not dead, it is alive and kicking in these new courses. Sure the old TEE courses were not well organized. But the new Maths and Science course contents are pure unadulterated Pardyist OBE...peel back every Course Guide and there is a pinko feminist (ensconced with SNAG)under the covers avidly reading her American copy of the NCTM Standards.The Maths Physics and Chemistry content they couldn't understand, they simply dispensed with.

Stephen Phillip's contention that the new CsOS are replacing the "old, outcomes-based" draft courses is disingenuous. Those of us who have compared the new CsOS with what they are actually replacing (the TEE subjects) can see for ouselves that many of the new CsOS are just as OBE-driven as the drafts and are short-changing the students.

A Concerned Year 10 Parent.

Dyso

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 4:55 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Materials, Design and Tech.

Start of term two the CC were still talking about one common exam for wood, metal and textiles; for all three contexts that is. Last week talking about three different exams. Needless to say the extensive list that you have provided Marko is a very common one for MDT as well. Text books are thin on the ground and teachers were being asked to help write the exam questions last time I went to a COS PD. Anyway the ban on driving vehicles has put a stop to any up coming PD the CC may want to roll out.

Chalkie

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 5:22 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Does this mean that SSTUWA has said further COS implementation will NOT go ahead in 2009?
Or does it mean that SSTUWA members should not do anything in 2008 to prepare for COS implementation in 2009?
Or are they threatening to instruct members not to work with COS in 2009 unless there is a better EBA offer?
Or does it mean that SSTUWA members should refuse to be allocated classes for next year which involve new COS? (and hence end up teaching Physical Education somewhere beyond the black stump?)

Fred

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 5:33 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

As of June 23rd, 2008, as far as I have been made aware by my attempts to find out since Day 1 Term 1 2008,:

"Physics and Chemistry: no textbook, lab manual, revision guide, problems books, bank of problems and exam questions covering the new content, list of new equipment we might need to order for experiments, comprehensive programs (both sequential and concurrent), actual teaching time allocation, final assessment structure, TISC requirements for graduation and rules for TER calculation or final exam format."

Dyso

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 5:37 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

A few answers for you Chalkie. This is in no way connected to the new EBA. Forget the new EBA when discussing the ban on COS next year. The ban is in regard to any prep you or your school might be having in regard to the new COS. Are you in the SSTUWA? If so ask your union rep about the document that I read today. If you don't have a rep then ring the SSTUWA as they will give you advice......

Relieved

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 6:41 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I found this on the Union website a little while ago

2009 Courses of Study Implementation Banned

Written by David Kelly
Monday, 23 June 2008

Members engaged in preparation for implementation of ALL NEW COURSES OF STUDY due for implementation in the 2009 school year are advised that as per June 2008 State Council Resolution,

S.C.12 That a ban be placed on implementation of all Courses of Study subject to query, or in the process of rewriting, in 2009. If courses are not ready one year before and resources are not available, that members refuse to implement the new courses in 2009.

This means, planning and preparation for implementation of the 2009 New Courses of Study is to cease. These courses being- Accounting & Finance; Ancient History; Animal Production Systems; Automotive Engineering & Technology; Biological Sciences; Building & Construction; Business Management & Enterprise; Chemistry; Children, Family & Community; Design; Economics; Food Science & Technology; French; Geography; German; Health Studies; Human Biological Science; Indonesian: Second Language; Integrated Science; Japanese: Second Language; Literature; Mathematics; Mathematics: Specialist; Modern History; Music; Physics; Plant Production Systems; Politics & Law; Religion & Life; Visual Arts; Workplace Systems.

Queries or advice on this matter may be directed : Attention – SSTUWA Executive CoS Subcommittee on FAX: 9221 2394

Fiona

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 6:49 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

How will this affect Catholic and Independent schools? I hope we're not in for another hotch potch mix.

marko vojkovic

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 8:17 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Fiona,

That is entirely up to the CC now.

Relieved

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 8:30 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

The CC people will get upset and phone Mr McGoo to dob and he will get very, very red in the face and feel like spitting the dummy and saying some very silly things and he will quickly go see his arbitrator person friend saying that teachers are being very, very naughty and need to be punished severely.

bemused parent

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 8:32 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

So does this mean that in 2009 the kids will do TEE Chem year 11 for example rather than CoS? (To be honest, for my children I think it would be a good thing!)

$

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 8:33 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I would have supported CoS if they (that would be Dave and his maaaates)had re-introduced the photoelectric effect to the Y12 physics course. As it happens the very latest CoS for physics is not even backward thinking, it is only more gravy-train riding.
I continue to be astounded at the breathtaking stupidity of of our Educational "leadership"

Dodgy

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 8:49 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

This sounds a bit dodgy to me.

Is there not a chance that teachers will stop preparation and then, through some bodge-it, fix-it, will then be told in 8 weeks time that it's all back on again?

And then we all have to work twice as hard to make up for the lost 8 weeks in prep time?

Can someone help me out here?

Fiona

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 9:03 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Exactly!

Fred

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 9:06 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Ýou're right Dodgy. The only thing that could change to be told in 8 weeks time that it's all back on again to have been issued with a textbook, a lab manual, a revision guide, problems books, banks of problems and exam questions covering the new content, list of new equipment we might need to order for experiments, comprehensive programs (both sequential and concurrent), actual teaching time allocation, final assessment structures, TISC requirements for graduation, rules for TER calculation or final exam format and twelve months of lead-in time to actually implement the new courses.

Dodgy

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 9:15 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Fred - this is all well and good but it relies on the strength of the union to be able to keep to these conditions.

This is major, major news - I've just checked the SSTUWA website and can't find anything - should it be a press release or something?

Fred

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 9:32 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Dodgy, it's there. Go to the new website www.sstuwa.org (no .au anymore) and scroll down a bit on the homepage.

Web

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 9:54 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I have deleted the post with the huge URL that completely wrecked the forum layout. [The URL was to the msg you receive when not logged into the union website and try to access material restricted to members.]

PLEASE do not post huge URLs that wreck the layout -- PLEASE make a link.

Web

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 10:05 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

See the News on the EBA page [linked from top of PLATO home page] for:

Official union info on the CoS ban; and

today's union Update # 57.

Dyso

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 10:15 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Dodgy,

Does it rely on the strength of the union or the executive? You mention the word union and I think you mean the SSTUWA leadership group. When I hear you mention the word union......I think members! How strong are you? The Directive got up at state council and as such the work is now up to the members.....are you in the union? What will you do to ensure the success of this ban on the COS? Everything relies on the strength of the union membership. If we are weak we give the executive nothing to bargain with. If we want changes it will have to come from with-in the membership......that is the true union!

Joy

Jun 23rd, 2008 - 11:19 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Fiona

Secondary teachers have been pleading with the Union to take this stand for ages. I am rejoicing that they have done so. Maths and science teachers and tutors like me will be very happy. Please do not hinder the momentum on this. I think we need to support this move 100%

I am thrilled that another cohort will be spared the new COS, except for English, of course. However, the old Lit will still be available.

I also hope that goes for the Religion COS, because a lot of kids going to Catholic schools do not like the fact that it is compulsory to take the Religion COS in upper school. It means one other subject they can't take. Apparently, if they are doing TEE, they must pass the COS in school exams, or they cannot graduate, at some (most?) catholic schools.

B&M

Jun 24th, 2008 - 12:29 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

AIT 2A & 3B started running in 2007 and 3A & 3B this year. Support has been unfolding as we go, not the way to go. We saw an example exam approximately 6 weeks before the mid year exams. It has been quite difficult to work out what we are to teach and how deep.

There is a revised syllabus for 2009 that has tightened things up some what. We seem to have something at the moment that is halfway between a wholly school assessed subject and a traditional TEE subject, doesn't really meet anyones needs.

marko vojkovic

Jun 24th, 2008 - 2:35 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

As of yesterday, the CsoS are not going ahead in 2009 regardless of any EBA agreement between now and the end of the year. That's the way it was put at State Council and that is what was debated. Read the release. There is a ban on the implementation of new CsoS in 2009. It is not linked to the EBA, it is part of Dircetive 1. The ball is now in the CC's court. They should do the responsible thing and delay implementation until 2010 and then tell the Minister his pigheaded stance has cost them a year.

Fiona

Jun 24th, 2008 - 6:51 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

You read me wrong, Joy. I have a daughter in Year 10, if the COS are now out of the way for her, I am ecstatic - she may slip through after all. I am very annoyed at the compulsory RE that has been dumped on us all of a sudden as one of the 6 subjects and saw a COS delay to be the only possible out for this as well. I wonder what the CC will come up with. I hope non-DET schools don't do something silly like teach the COS they've prepared and then get the kids to sit the TEE.

Romulus

Jun 24th, 2008 - 7:04 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I'd have thought the problem is DET's, not CC's, which has turned out the only accredited courses that can be taught in schools in 2009, however inadequate they may be. What will be taught at DET schools in 2009?

Whatever, the whole idea is so pig-stupid, it just might work! McGoo, over to you.

Greg Schofield (GregS)

Jun 24th, 2008 - 7:20 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

My son is in Year 10, my other son in Year 9.

Thank you, thank you and again thank you SSTUWA.

Ironically those that may well be the most grateful are a good proportion of the CC not too deluded to realise that the NCOS were always a disaster.

Now they can retreat screaming to the heavens at the dinosaurs of the SSTUWA for standing in the way of educational "progress", while actually being so relieved that the cup of ill prepared nonsense has been passed away from their lips and will not have to be drunk now.

I suspect that, for once, their hope and mine will coincide. That the National Curriculum, whatever it may contain, will allow this poison to be finally poured down the sink and forgotten.

Joy

Jun 24th, 2008 - 9:42 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Bethany is quick off the mark again. See link to the online West, at:

Teachers ban 2009 courses planning

BETHANY HIATT

Teachers ban 2009 courses planning

24th June 2008, 6:45 WST

"State high schools could be thrown into chaos by a teachers’ union decision to push ahead with a ban on the implementation of more than 30 long-planned Year 11 courses next year.

Just weeks before Year 10 students choose which subjects they wish to study next year, the State School Teachers Union has directed members to ban the implementation of a range of new courses, including maths, geography, history, literature and physics"....

Stephen Phillip

Jun 24th, 2008 - 10:17 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I am unclear as to the rationale for this decision, but I can see three possibilities.
1. The courses are under-prepared, and so we cannot implement them.
2. Whether or not the courses are under-prepared, we will not work out of hours to implement them since our industrial action forbids us to.
3. Whether or not the courses are under-prepared, and even if we can implement them without working out of hours, we have resolved not to implement them as a means of imposing pressure on the government.
Which is it?

I should note that I do not work in the government system, that I am on the Mathematics Reference Group, and that I do not believe the mathematics courses to be under-prepared. I cannot speak for other courses. Certainly, no comprehensive set of textbooks has yet popped its head up, but that is a commercial issue, or perhaps one for a professional association.

Steve.

Fred

Jun 24th, 2008 - 10:23 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Stephen Phillip, your rationales 1 and 2 are valid.

Were the mathematics courses fully prepared and ready to implement twelve months before the implementation date? (Don't bother answering this rhetorical question.)

Smithers

Jun 24th, 2008 - 12:39 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Maybe by banning CoS in government schools it will also increase our enrolments?

That is, if the privates implement this rubbish curriculum then kids will come across to the government sector to avoid it.

Welcome aboard I say.

Smithers

Smithers

Jun 24th, 2008 - 12:52 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I might also add. That being a State Council member, union rep, head of department and teacher I'm very pleased about our Union's announcement yesterday.

I reckon this move is one of the best decisions our union has made and I feel proud to be part of it.

Congratulations to all those people who played their part in this. I like to think that the educrat charlatans, criminally minded politicians and faceless unaccountable bureaucrats might actually be earning their pay today by trying to solve this one!

Good luck you tossers. Don't forget, we call the shots now, you must now play by our rules.

HAHAHAHA

Smithers

Jaded

Jun 24th, 2008 - 1:06 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I am currently working for the curriculum council as a reference group member for one of the courses of study. We have been told that each course being submitted will have to be presented to possible teachers 18 months before implementation unless 90% of teachers are happy with its introduction before then.
Therefore if the union decides to be a stickler and tell their members not to support its implementation unless their members have had 18 months to peruse the course...... surely more than 10% will be union members .... do the math.

Ian Middleton

Jun 24th, 2008 - 1:11 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Fred,

Stephen is correct on these issues with regards to maths. The main issue for teachers is a textbook. I believe that there are at least two sets in the making (Sadler and MAWA). Most teachers have not really looked at the maths COS, and so assume that they are similar to the original 3 course model. They are not. I personally think they are a vast improvement over the current courses, and should have been brought in years ago.

The curriculum council has provided much more detail for the maths cos than they have for the curent D and E code maths courses. Lets be reasonable here. They have, as far as maths is concerned, done a good job since they started to listen to teachers and ignore the educrats.

moderator

Jun 24th, 2008 - 1:12 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Pride goes before a fall, Smithers.
Like you, I support the action wholeheartedly, but it is unwise to be provoke the powers. My experience has been that they can be extremely cruel and they have all the time and resources at their disposal to stitch you up.

Smithers

Jun 24th, 2008 - 1:52 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Point taken Mod but I like to think the mere fact that PLATO still exists shows that their power has very clear limitations.

Smithers

Joy

Jun 24th, 2008 - 2:45 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Ian

I am glad to forget about the new CAS calculators. Lots of time and money wasted, in my view.

Secondly, as a tutor I have noticed that it is now harder for students to get into the Year 11 Maths units they want and need, because they are being counselled and persuaded to take a combination of 1 (A,B,C,D) and 2 (A,B,C,D) units (Year 10 and Year 11 units, pretty much), or the easiest units possible, to get a TER, but not always being told about the bonus points for doing harder options, or how they are going to make it necessary to do difficult condensed and expensive "bridging courses" to reach their dreams of being engineers, etc..

In many cases, the disorganised shambles that pass for Year 10 Maths in many government schools, sees students unable to get out of lower classes, where there is little peer motivation to actually study Maths, and into classes which actually cover the Maths necessary to access the higher Year 11 offerings.

I know that if kids can actually get their heads above the murk (including the vague Levels of assessment) of Year 10 Maths in many schools, and into the clear syllabi of the old courses, they will do much better, and help address the lack of scientists and engineers out there in industry.

I am talking in particular of boys, who mature more slowly than girls, and often wake up in late Year 10 with a desire to be an engineer. Too late, their schools say. Even if they work very hard in Semester two, if they are in a dud class, they do not even get the necessary Maths presented to them, let alone in a quiet atmosphere where they can concentrate. It is very hard throughout Year 10 to change Maths classes.

I think there would be fewer and fewer people accessing the harder maths in Maths Specialist. Even the name sounds forbidding, purposely, possibly.

Another problem is the increasingly wordy and convoluted problems used in current Year 10 Maths. It really disadvantages boys in particular, hindering their efforts to access higher Year 11 Maths, in my experience.

Furthermore, the application of principles is often required before the principles themselves are understood. Middle schools Maths, like Science, another area with which I am familiar, appears to have become a hotch potch in many schools.

No criticism here is of course not of the teachers, but of the current Post - Modern style of teaching pushed on them against their will, with its emphasis on OBE, muddled 'syllabi", etc., and the lack of support for them in managing student behaviour; not to mention the hideously large classes given to them in may cases.

The OBE style of education discourages students from striving to fulfill their potential. I want to stop the rot, with a return to the old TEE subjects, Levels in Year 10 gone, and a new, fair syllabus for each Middle School subject.

Ian Middleton

Jun 24th, 2008 - 4:17 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Joy,

"The OBE style of education discourages students from striving to fulfill their potential. I want to stop the rot, with a return to the old TEE subjects, Levels in Year 10 gone, and a new, fair syllabus for each Middle School subject. "

I agree wholeheartedly except for the bit about returning to the TEE. I think that the current arrangements for year 12, with the overlaps between discrete and applicable, the universities only requiring discrete for most courses, and the discrete course being about a top year 9 class level means that new courses are not only inevitable, but necessary.

Consider also that a student who does into-calc and then drops down to discrete (fairly common now) will do no geometry/trigonometry at all in year 11/12.

Most schools are big enough to be able to offer the following year 11/12 pathways:

3A,3B/3C,3D (applic type student)
2C,2D/3A,3B (weaker intro calc/good discrete student)
2A,2B/2C,2D (foundations/discrete student)
1D,1E/2A,2B (tafe bound trades type students)
1B,1C/1D,1E (Mips/Modelling)

If the schools have more than 150 students in their year 12 cohort then these options should all be available to them. Our school will be offering these, without needing to put 11's and 12's in the same classroom as some smaller schools are planning.

Joy, the need to fix the lower school courses is great and urgent. Unfortunately many lower school maths teachers are not maths specialists, and many will have never done any maths higher than Discrete. Some will have done no year 12 maths at all. Therefore their interest in maths is not the same as those of us who know where it leads, and this in itself leads to dumbing of the year 9/10 curriculums. This is part of the reason we need to pay teachers more. If we cannot attract teachers who have decent qualifications, then we will continue to have these problems.

marko vojkovic

Jun 24th, 2008 - 5:31 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Let's be perfectly clear. SC 12 is not about whether or not the courses are better or worse, ready or not, resourced or not. It is about workload. The courses need to be translated into working programs complete with assessment structure and items, references to texts and some new lesson plans for new content.

This all takes time. Time which is over and above our normal teaching load and which is covered by Directive 1. It would simply be unfeasible to offer TOIL or contract payment for the thousands of hours needed across all schools for this work therefore the ban is in place.

The courses are not going ahead in 2009. End of story. As long as the SSTUWA sticks to its guns, there is nothing DET can do about it. And as far as 'harming the students' education' goes, well I doubt very much if there will be too many parents signing petitions for them to go ahead given the problems with the ones that already have!

And whilst I'm on that subject, what a bloody hypocrite! McGowan is quite prepared to place virtually untrained 'teachers' in front of classrooms after a 3 month, student-free conversion course, yet he has the nerve to say that WE are causing the students harm by making the already 3 times delayed, totally problematic CsoS wait for just one more year to be implemented in an attempt to improve our chances of receiving above cost of living pay increases at a time of chronic teacher shortages and unprecedented wealth!!!

dis- appointed

Jun 24th, 2008 - 5:43 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Did you all get a letter today from Mr Serich?
Looks as if they might be back to the WAIRC over the CoS line that you are all taking.

marko vojkovic

Jun 24th, 2008 - 7:16 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

The Commissioner has alreday ruled twice that D1 is not industrial action. What other possible line of argument could they present before her?

Interested

Jun 24th, 2008 - 7:29 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Given the CsOS have not been proven to benefit students (and those already introduced have shown otherwise), there is little argument, based on the 'students first' principle, the WAIRC can use to stop the DET teachers from not implementing the 2009 courses.

Unless, the argument becomes that without a full sectors implementation, students in the private sector may be disadvantaged. Not sure about this argument given if the DET schools do not go with the CsOS in 2009, there cannot be a universal examination in 2010.

Fred

Jun 24th, 2008 - 8:06 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

"What other possible line of argument could they present before her?"

None. It is physically impossible to effectively implement the New Courses of Study in physics and chemistry. The workload is too great. I am totally swamped by my current workload which is delivering the current curriculum to my current students. There is no time left for me to the develop the new courses.

Joy

Jun 24th, 2008 - 8:47 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Ian

Your course combinations are logical. Some of those being offered to students at some schools, as standard options, are not.

Any major changes to the curriculum, like the introduction of the NCOS, opens the door to more watering down, not least by course combination options offered and actively encouraged.

Argus Tuft

Jun 24th, 2008 - 10:25 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I would like to challenge the assertion that the mathematics courses are well advanced and almost ready to go.

We have received some programs, which on first glance will need much revising, depending on texts.

The package provided by the CC contains some information on investigations (all in the Chance and Data area) which are verbose and cannot be presented to students in their current form. None of the other strands have been covered. No sign of Investigations in the other areas.

The package contains no comprehensive assessment package with for example tests covering all the content areas.

Despite assertions to the contrary there is a sizeable amount of new course content to come to grips with. When will maths teachers have time to look at this?

Access to PD for the new CAS calculator has largely been restricted to Perth where the touts have been lining up to sell their wares. As far as I can see DET has done nothing to assist their teachers with the CAS. Teachers must become proficient before fronting up to their classes next year. Time demands again.

Haven't seen hide or hair of any texts so far. Will need time to evaluate these and select an appropriate book for the students. Are the booksellers able to guarantee that all students will have these for day 1 next year?

A comprehensive reference of all materials for each course hasn't been sighted yet. Those teachers old enough to remember MSIP in 1991/92 will recall that these courses were accompanied by lots of back up materials from academics and others. Will that happen this time?

I haven't seen a list of the entry requirements and pre-requisites for University entry for 2011 yet. This is needed to advise students of their correct courses.

So to tell us that the Maths courses are nearly ready to roll and that teachers should be able to hit the ground running is a patently false.

I also believe that the new courses are poorly structured. Calculus, for example, has been emasculated. This beautiful part of mathematics is currently given its own subject in Year 11, where the ideas can be taught from basic skills, through differentiation and finally reaching integral calculus in a logical, connected and sequential manner. All parts of calculus can be linked and students see it coherently develop. The new courses see diffrentiation thrown in as a part of Stage 3A/B in Mathematics. Students will then have to wait for the following year to link the ideas of integration (if they choose to continue!).

All power to the Union bans I say.

Jeff

Jun 24th, 2008 - 10:26 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

So the State School Teachers’ Union is to ban the implementation of the new year 11 courses next year and Education Minister Mark McGowan has responded by saying that this action would hurt students and anger parents.

I don't follow. These are the same courses that have caused over three years of argument, absorbed millions of taxpayers' dollars and incited a lobby against Outcomes-Based Education. To my recollection, no intelligent rationale has ever been presented as to why the new courses were needed rather than improving and modernising the current courses. And still the new courses are not ready or properly resourced.

To implement the new courses, an already disaffected and understaffed teaching workforce would be coerced into preparing materials for next year in addition to running the current curriculum. What chance of success would this have?

The union has made a professional decision, offering stability by continuing with the current curriculum until things are sorted out. Will this hurt students and anger parents? I don't think so.

emailed to theWest.com.au

FOS

Jun 24th, 2008 - 10:51 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Jeff, the English Course is not ready and we have been teaching it since 2006!

The English exam students are to sit in 2008 and 2009 still does not have the support of most English teachers. You can read the discussion on the English Exams thread and note how frustrated and angry at least some English teachers have become. Many others feel powerless and apathetic after three years of struggling with the implementation of the English Course.

Maths teacher

Jun 24th, 2008 - 10:58 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I am a Maths teacher and a Union member.

I applaud this ban on the implementation of the new CoS (for all of the reasons stated by other Maths teachers) but why has the Union left it so late? Schools would have already printed their Upper School Guides, Unis have in the last ten days stated their pre-requisites.

Has the Union thought this out? If there is a ban on the new subjects WA will need thousands of copies of the present text books in 2009. Has the Union contacted the authors of these books?

SoR teacher

Jun 24th, 2008 - 11:10 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

"why has the Union left it so late? "

Perhaps because the union is ALWAYS "a day late and a quid short"? This could be the first truly effective action the union's taken in living memory.

But late or not, it's a great move. No pain to teachers, parents or students -- in fact, overwhelming joy to most teachers, parents and students.

Only the bureaucrats will flail.

BUT IF the union reverses itself near the end of the year, and decides to implement them anyway on short notice, there will be a total mutiny by the affected members!

Joy

Jun 25th, 2008 - 12:34 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

I agree, Argus.

Boxer

Jun 25th, 2008 - 2:16 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

"To my recollection, no intelligent rationale has ever been presented as to why the new courses were needed rather than improving and modernising the current courses. And still the new courses are not ready or properly resourced."

Come on Jeff. Surely in this age of spin, half-truths and outright porkies; we don't really need an intelligent rationale to trigger change.

Dave Wood has said something about 'completing the curriculum reform process' and that's enough justification for continuing to forge ahead and turn upper school education upside down.

Old Teacher

Jun 25th, 2008 - 5:23 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

We've had promises from Louden and Wood and the Minister (for all they count as we have seen that the bureaucrats at the CC do whatever they want no matter what these men tell us will happen) The courses would only go ahead if everything was ready 12 months in advance of it being taught. It wasn't (and isn't).

Any subject teacher who willingly puts himself or herself through what English teachers were forced to face for the last three years is a prat. End of story.

marko vojkovic

Jun 25th, 2008 - 5:40 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Mr Serich has got it wrong. The ban is in place. It doesn't matter that they might appeal to the IRC. The SSTUWA has instructed members to cease work immediately. Mr Serich can not instruct union members to do otherwise.

Boxer

Jun 25th, 2008 - 7:31 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

The SSTUWA directive is doing everyone a favour and they should be publically congratulated by teachers, DET and the CC..

Teachers and students have a years respite from the CoS dross and as a result less teachers may resign at the end of this year thereby alleviating the increasing teacher shortage. This is good for teachers and the DET hierarchy.

The hapless CC clowns have ANOTHER 12 months to try to get the totally unnecessary CoS right; and with any luck, they may never have to do it because the reckless OBE experiment may be wound up. This is good for the CC as they clearly haven’t a clue how to effectively implement unnecessary change and if the CoS do get canned, they’ll be able to claim that they were just on the cusp of success (after 10 plus years).

All round, a very happy outcome for all. Now we just need to apply a retrospective ban on Aviation, Engineering, Media Studies and English.

Monty

Jun 25th, 2008 - 7:54 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Jeff,

The rationale for the NCoS is to be found in the ALP policy document "Our Youth, Our Future" published some time ago. It is just as much a hollow document today as it was when it was released. The dot point benefits of the then proposed changes have in reality pretty much disappeared.

Greg Williams

Jun 25th, 2008 - 8:01 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

Re the Mathematics COS;

There is little doubt that the Maths COS were not ready 12 months prior to implementation.

In most of my many submissions to the CC and then later to the juries, I strongly advised that the CC prepare a CD for all Maths teachers. I suggested that on that CD there should be
(i) the syllabus
(ii) sample, worked problems indicating the level of difficulty for all topics
(iii) sample tests for all topics (including solutions and marking keys)
(iv) sample investigations (including solutions and marking keys)
(v) sample examinations (including solutions and marking keys)
(vi) a 'bare-bones' text for each unit.

My rationale for this was based on the fact that the NSW teachers a few years ago got exactly that. And it took their bureaucracies just over 18 months to get from start to handing out the disc to all teachers!!

The imperative for such a resource was not for my own needs, as I happen to be surrounded by very competent and very generous teachers who don't mind sharing their resources. Rather, it was more for the isolated teacher, the teacher who perhaps doesn't have such a strong Maths background, the teacher who doesn't have a reservoir of resources.

I suggested it would cost a fair bit of money, and that there was a need for the bureaucracies to 'bite the bullet' and employ some people who were willing to invest a year or half a year to producing these resources. To rely on the diminishing supply of goodwill or the randomness of networking just isn't acceptable at this point.

Anyhow, needless to say, it didn't happen!!

So what are we left with.

I have programmes of work, no doubt about it.

I have yet to see a sample examination that indicates to me what I have to do with a CAS.

I have yet to see sample assessments like tests and investigations that are broken down into 'resource rich' and 'resource free'.

I am putting a fair bit of time into mastery of the CAS, but am still a fair way off the mark. A lot of that is to do with the fact that I don't actually know what I am aiming for with the use of this machine.

I have yet to see a text but I have great faith in Alan Sadler to fill that gap. But it's only 6 or 7 months before I start teaching these COS.

I have seen the uni pre-requisites in the past couple of weeks, and I wasn't inspired to think that kids would choose MAS over MAT, but that's another issue.

I am still at a loss to understand, and have had no rational explanation to this point in time, why the typical Year 12 Tertiary Entrance COS ( ie 3AB) is going to be given a 15 mark increment on its Year 11 counterpart (2AB) apart from MAS, which only gets a 10 mark increment. Maybe that's another issue too, but it's all part of my readiness to teach.

I think there have been losses and gains with the new COS. Various posters above mine have alluded to many of those. The greatest gain IMO is the removal of MIPs and Modelling to be replaced with actual Maths courses.

The big question I suppose is "Will I be ready to teach MAS and MAT next year if needs be?"

I guess my answer is yes, but I am a very experienced teacher, have a truckload of resources I can call on, and am surrounded by a very able staff and a highly supportive admin. Is it going to take much 'out of school' work? You bet!! Just mastering that CAS, trying to figure out how to set assessments that demand its use, and figuring out how to optimally use it to enhance learning are going to keep me off the streets over summer.

Behind all of this too is the spectre of National Curriculum! Anyone who believes that is going to happen in 2010 loses a bit of will to invest too much into COS.

Secondary Teacher

Jun 25th, 2008 - 8:42 AM

Re: 2009 COS banned

The Union should do a survey of all English and Applied Information Technology teachers about the readiness of the NCOS that they had to implement. Much of this information can be found on the posts to this forum. All the NCOS that exist in the schools today have been very poorly resourced and implemented - because they teachers did not have all the necessary resources at least 12 months before the implementation. It was like the blind leading the blind. Along the way changes and new exams etc were being foisted upon these teachers - it was an absolute disgrace that Educational leaders allowed this to happen - they should all be sacked, for their incompetence.

This banning of the implementation of the NCOS is nothing to do with the EBA, but all to do with teachers not wanting to experience what the poor English teachers have experienced over the last few years. When I state all English teachers, please include teachers of all the NCOS that have so far been very poorly resourced and implemented.

The Union needs to survey these teachers, as well as the teachers who will be implementing the NCOS next year. The findings of this survey should be made public, so that the community knows exactly what an absolute disaster that has taken place in our schools.

marko vojkovic

Jun 25th, 2008 - 5:29 PM

Re: 2009 COS banned

No course of study can be truly ready without having been part of