Title: Civics and Citizenship Education: Standards and Progression Points
Country: Australia
Authors: Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
CategoryStandards Documents and Curricular Frameworks
Date of Publication: 2007 (ongoing)
Keywords: assessment, citizenship, civics, essential learning, levels, reporting, standards
Resource Language(s): English
Pages: 5
Level of Education: Primary and Secondary Schools
Publisher: VCAA
Access: Can be obtained at the VCAA website.
Abstract: This document is part of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS). It outlines in key areas what students in Victoria (the second most populous Australian state with about 25 percent of the national population) are required to learn from the beginning of school (preparatory year) to year ten (the end of compulsory schooling). The VELS cover the full curriculum with special mention made of civics and citizenship. The CCE standards cover levels three through six, as well as beyond level six. Standards are quite detailed and relate to civic knowledge and understanding as well as civic engagement. This set of standards is a good example of what can be achieved at the state level, as compared with the national level. However, it also highlights the problem of many jurisdictions with independent standards for what may be viewed as an essential national issue. There are problematic associations with the agreed national set of key performance measures in civics and citizenship, which were adopted earlier by all states and the federal government.