Broad-scale changes to senior assessment and the tertiary entrance system in Queensland will now be postponed until 2019, allowing teachers and schools more time to prepare.
The additional year will also provide ample time for new course material to be written, with Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s (QCAA) Chief Executive, Chris Rider telling ABC News that 80 new syllabuses were needed.
“If you think about 80 new syllabuses, 80 new subjects if you like, being redeveloped from scratch and the professional development that goes with that for more than 17,000 teachers, we need to take more time to do that really well,” Mr Rider said.
“We’re also taking the opportunity as a result of looking across the world at introducing new subjects.”
Education Minister Kate Jones said she had acted on advice from the QCAA and other “major education stakeholders” in making the decision to delay the changes, which could represent the most significant changes to senior schooling in Queensland in the past 40 years.
The current reforms, which were introduced in March, will also see the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) replacing Queensland’s OP scores.
The State’s Opposition Leader, Tim Nicholls has raised concerns regarding the fact that the previous LNP government had hoped to remove the OP system by 2017.
“Earlier this year it was delayed to 2018 and we now find it’ll be 2019. This is really concerning that the Government, in 18 months, has had to defer it two times,” he said.