Counting controversy: IPA sticks to claim that maths curriculum is 3500 pages long
Colleen Harkin, director of the Institute of Public Affairs' schools program and research fellow, recently alarmed the good people of LinkedIn by posting four bulging binders full of Australia's maths curriculum, next to Singapore's slimline curriculum.
Harkin explained that Australia's prep to year 10 maths curriculum is '3500 pages long – bursting with ideology: climate change, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders History and Culture, Sustainability, social justice etc ( yes – this is in maths).'
According to Harkin, Singapore's maths curriculum is about 80 pages long with 'no ideological pollution'.
Astounding. Shocking. Also untrue, according to the body that writes the curriculum. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority says the foundation-to-year-10 maths curriculum is only 273 pages long, including optional resources.
The core content – the achievement standards and content descriptions – comes in at a whopping 33 pages.
In the face of doubters, Harkin posted to LinkedIn that she would be sticking to her guns: 'Unsurprisingly, some people cannot believe the image of our math curriculum. (See my immediate past post). I don't blame them.'
Harkin later told CBD that it would not be honest to suggest that the national curriculum is straightforward.
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