Recognition register (Version 9.0)
ACARA’s charter includes the requirement for a ‘nationally agreed approach and criteria for determining how well-established alternative curriculum frameworks meet the requirements of the national curriculum’.
ACARA administers a process to assess the extent to which well-established alternative curriculum frameworks can deliver comparable educational outcomes for students as for those who are taught the Australian Curriculum. The assessment process is undertaken by a recognition committee, with the results published on ACARA’s recognition register.
ACARA’s recognition process does not replace state and territory school registration processes, which continue to apply in addition to ACARA's process.
ACARA's recognition register relates only to the specified versions of the well-established alternative national curriculum frameworks that have been compared to the Australian Curriculum, Version 9.0.
The recognition register provides a summary statement for each curriculum framework that has been assessed, with additional detail of the assessment available through the ‘more information’ links shown below. Recognition only applies to the particular learning areas and/or subjects with published assessments.
Assessments
General outcomes for organisations that have submitted alternative national curriculum frameworks for assessment of comparability with the Australian Curriculum are:
International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program and Middle Years Program
English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, Languages, Technologies and The Arts – assessed 2023
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (PYP) and Middle Years Program (MYP) curriculum frameworks document the organisation of knowledge and skills in a conceptual framework. The Recognition Committee acknowledges the difference between this approach and that taken for the Australian Curriculum and considers that these IB frameworks allow students to achieve comparable learning outcomes in English, Mathematics, Science and Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, Languages, Technologies and The Arts by the end of Year 10, given that school programming and delivery of the PYP and MYP will address the Australian Curriculum content.
More information
Read the Recognition recommendation for an alternative curriculum framework to be included in:
Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework
English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, Technologies and The Arts – assessed 2023
The Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework (ASCF) documents the knowledge and skills in conceptual frameworks. The Recognition Committee acknowledges the difference between this approach and that taken for the Australian Curriculum and considers that the ASCF allows for comparable educational outcomes for students by the end of Year 10 in relation to the Australian Curriculum for English, Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Mathematics, Science, Technologies and The Arts with some qualifications.
More information
Read the Recognition recommendation for an alternative curriculum framework to be included in:
Australian Montessori National Curriculum
English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education and The Arts – assessed 2025
The Australian Montessori National Curriculum (AMNC) documents the knowledge and skills in planes of development. The Recognition Committee acknowledges the difference between this approach and that taken for the Australian Curriculum and considers that the AMNC allows for comparable educational outcomes for students by the end of Year 10 in relation to the Australian Curriculum for English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education and The Arts.
As the AMNC does not include a Technologies equivalent learning area, schools should teach the Australian Curriculum: Technologies (or local curriculum) in conjunction with Montessori guidelines and support materials. Given that in Montessori schools Digital Technologies content will typically be introduced to students later than presented in the Australian Curriculum the expectation is that students should be able to demonstrate achievement of the Year 8 achievement standard by the end of Year 10.
More information
Read the Recognition recommendation for an alternative curriculum framework: