Curriculum provision for students requiring higher levels of support
The Curriculum Council has increased the range of courses and programs available to students who require high levels of support.
The changes to curriculum highlight the council's commitment to meeting the needs of all Western Australian students.
In the new WACE, students can count up to 10 unit equivalents from endorsed programs. This means students can be awarded credit for achievement in programs developed by schools or other providers to meet their needs. This provides increased flexibility to meet student needs and ensures there is a rich and broad curriculum.
Students must also undertake at least 10 course units to meet WACE requirements.
To increase curriculum access, additional units are being developed for foundation and Levels 1 and 2 in a variety of courses. Some of the first courses prioritised for this work are: English; Maths; Food Science and Technology; Career and Enterprise; Health; Recreation and Environmental Studies; Building and Construction; Applied Information Technology; Agriculture; Business Management and Enterprise; Visual Arts; and, Materials Design and Technology.
Another initiative introduced for students with high support needs has been brought about by changes to the Curriculum Council's Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) program. In the new WACE, two modes of workplace learning replace the SWL subjects.
Employability Skills have been developed in consultation with education support staff and provide more flexibility for student achievement. Workplace learning coordinators can now select 20 skills from an extensive list, allowing a workplace program to be tailored to meet the needs of an individual.
The Curriculum Council will acknowledge all student achievement in its comprehensive record of achievement.
