Recognition register (Version 8.4)
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 current Australian Curriculum.
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 (PYP) and Middle Years Program (MYP)
English, Mathematics, Science, History – assessed 2011
The International Baccalaureate PYP and 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 History by the end of Year 10, given the assumption that school programming and delivery of the PYP and MYP will address the Australian Curriculum content.
More information
F–10 Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, Technologies, The Arts, Languages – assessed 2017
The IB PYP and MYP are framework documents that allow for use of local curriculum. Noting that the delivery of the PYP and MYP will address the Australian Curriculum content, the Recognition Committee considers that these IB frameworks allow for comparable educational outcomes for students by the end of Year 6 in relation to the Australian Curriculum: HASS, and by the end of Year 10 in relation to the Australian Curriculum: 7–10 History, 7–10 Geography, 7–10 Civics and Citizenship, 7–10 Economics and Business, Health and Physical Education, Design and Technologies, Digital Technologies, The Arts, and Languages.
More information
Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework
English, Mathematics, Science, History – assessed 2011
English, F–6/7 HASS – assessed 2018 against the Australian Curriculum v8.3
Noting that different approaches to learning are involved, the Recognition Committee considers that the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework allows for comparable educational outcomes for students by the end of Year 10 in relation to the Melbourne Declaration, the Shape of the Australian Curriculum v3 paper, the Australian Curriculum: English, the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, the Australian Curriculum: History and most aspects of the Australian Curriculum: Science.
The Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework: Science allows for comparable educational outcomes for students by the end of Year 10 in most aspects of the Australian Curriculum: Science. There are three areas that are not comparable, namely: aspects of the transmission of heritable characteristics, DNA and genes; the atomic structure and properties and elements; and the Big Bang Theory. It is the case that these aspects are included in the Steiner senior secondary curriculum.
At earlier comparison points, the sequencing of some content and achievement in each learning area varies between the Australian Steiner Framework and the Australian Curriculum (for example, aspects of digital information and communications technologies). If students transition to another school between Foundation and Year 10, there may be differences in aspects of their learning.
More information
Geography – assessed 2014
Noting that different approaches to learning are involved, the Recognition Committee considers that the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework: Geography submitted for assessment allows for comparable educational outcomes for students by the end of Year 10 in relation to Australian Curriculum: Geography.
At earlier comparison points, the sequencing of some content and achievement varies between the Australian Steiner Framework: Geography and Australian Curriculum: Geography. If students transition to other school systems, at these points there may be differences in their learning.
More information
Health and Physical Education, Technologies, The Arts – assessed 2017
The Recognition Committee considers that the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework allows for comparable educational outcomes for students by the end of Year 10 in relation to the Australian Curriculum: Design and Technologies, Digital Technologies, The Arts, and in all but one aspect of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, noting that at earlier comparison points, the sequencing of some content and achievement in each learning area varies between the Australian Steiner Framework and the Australian Curriculum. If students transition to other school systems at earlier comparison points, there may be differences in their learning.
The Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework: Health and Physical Education is not explicit in teaching Year 2 students about how the body reacts to physical activity. However, this learning is included in the Steiner Curriculum Framework: Health and Physical Education as an elaboration in Year 8.
An important difference is that the Australian Steiner Framework does not introduce digital technologies fully until Year 8, so a significant amount of the content of the Australian Curriculum is covered in Years 8–10. Given that all students in Steiner schools are required to study digital technologies to the end of Year 10, the Steiner Curriculum Framework: Digital Technologies allows for comparable learning outcomes by the end of Year 10.
More information
Civics and Citizenship – assessed 2018
Noting that different approaches to learning are involved, the Recognition Committee considers that the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework allows for comparable educational outcomes for students by the end of Year 10 in relation to the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship for Year 7 and Year 8.At the Year 8 comparison point the sequencing of some content and achievement varies between the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework and the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship. If students transition to another school prior to the completion of Year 10 there may be differences in their learning.
Montessori National Curriculum Framework
English, Mathematics, Science, History – assessed 2011
Noting that different approaches to learning are involved, the Recognition Committee considers that the Montessori National Curriculum Framework allows for comparable educational outcomes in English, Mathematics, Science and History by the end of Year 10.
The Montessori National Curriculum Framework does not always address all of the content and achievement standards in exactly the same order or detail. The Montessori National Curriculum Framework does document ‘Activities’. Where the activities listed in the curriculum are fully delivered by a school, there would be general comparability with Australian Curriculum.
Because the content of the Montessori Curriculum is addressed at different stages and in different contexts in comparison to the Australian Curriculum, a depth of understanding is built over time. School programs will need to be checked to ensure coverage of all aspects of the Australian Curriculum.
More information
State and territory school registration authorities
To learn more about the recognition of alternative curriculum as it applies in each state or territory school registration process, follow the relevant hyperlink below or contact the local school registration authority.
ACT ACT Education Directorate
NSW NSW Education Standards Authority
NT NT Department of Education
Qld Qld Non-state Schools Accreditation Board
SA SA Education Standards Board
Tas. Schools Registration Board of Tasmania
Vic. Vic. Registration & Qualification Authority
WA WA Department of Education
Further enquiries
For further enquiries about the ACARA recognition process submit an online enquiry.