In this special issue of "English in Australia" dedicated to Annette Patterson, Bronwyn Mellor reflects on this "gentle dissenter". Annette Patterson published articles, book chapters, and school textbooks in Australia, the USA, and the UK. Her incisive intellect and commitment to education probably meant that she was not ever…

The current version of the draft National Curriculum (1.0.1) remains a document which dis-integrates the subject through its three strands and fails to conceptualise a relationship between these strands. Drawing on curriculum history, I argue that this stands in strong contrast to a curriculum such as the 1971 NSW Syllabus for Years 7-10, which…

Gunther Kress's call for a curriculum based on textual creation in a global era of instability is particularly appropriate to the present historical moment. Here I argue the need for a notion of creativity as the basis for a national curriculum in English. The kind of creativity envisaged issues out of a systems theory approach which sees…

When the author read the Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE) "Statements of Belief", he was surprised to see that heading the list was "We respect the enduring values and traditions of Australia's cultural heritage." It struck him as odd, that here was a statement very much of these Kemp/Nelson/Bishop…

In this article, the author shares her practicum experience in a nine-month English program and a gruelling assessment schedule for her other five subjects. During her practicum several incidents occurred that caused a shift in the way she perceives the role of an English teacher, and they have informed her English teaching practices. She reflects…

Because of the inadequacy of the three models of English teaching in Australia (the skills, personal growth, and cultural heritage models) in carrying the impact of English instruction beyond its own confines, a new model--the person-process model--is necessary. The model focuses on the individual, but serves to locate individuals in their life…

Considers some recent British criticism of the traditional senior secondary school English literature-examination dominated curriculum and suggests that these criticisms have relevance to the curriculum in Canada and other English-speaking nations. (FL)

Examines change and stability in the history of senior English in Australia and sums up the present position, noting differences within and among systems. (HOD)

Relates how the twin pressures of ignorance and prejudice acted as a serious stimulus to the replacement of the 1944 syllabus of the New South Wales curriculum with that of 1953. (HOD)

Expresses concern over the possible exclusion of literature from the English curriculum in Australia, arguing that through literature, students are able to reason, imagine, and speculate about the tension between the needs of the individual and the needs of society. (HOD)

Summarizes the discussions and findings of a working party within the Australian Commission on Language Development, which focused on ways of promoting children's language development. (HOD)

The net effect of the early experiences of writing "compositions" which involved either describing the circumstances of a student's life or recounting the kinds of events encapsulated in that proverbially hack title, "What I Did on My Summer Vacation," has been a tendency for older teachers to devalue nonfiction as an object of…

This paper looks at recent debates about text selection and censorship in Australia. Its aim is to point beyond the terms in which the censorship debate has been conducted in the mass media, and to prompt reflection on how texts are used in English classrooms. The paper raises questions of language and cultural identity in secondary English…

Identifies and discusses nine "pressures" that have influenced curriculum development in Australia: universal expertise, inertia, Australian rules, "Golden Past," unpreparedness, wishful thinking, inexperience, nondisposable resources, and public expectations. (HOD)

Examines the effects of the post-Dartmouth English curriculum revolution in the Australian context. Argues the need for a reconsideration of the English curriculum in three areas: defining the subject of English, defining growth in English, and developing of curricular frameworks. (SRT)