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Co-chairing education review: Dr Kevin Donnelly.

The Abbott government's controversial review of the national curriculum has failed to reignite the culture wars as expected with its recommendations receiving widespread support across the country.

The review's primary finding - that the curriculum is overcrowded, especially in the primary school years - was backed by the federal Opposition, principals, Catholic and independent schools and the Victorian government.

Kate Ellis described some of Dr Donnelly's views as "extremely offensive, dangerous and extreme". Photo: Andrew Meares

The contentious "cross-curriculum priorities", which require sustainability, Australia's engagement with Asia, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures to be "embedded" in every subject, should only be taught where relevant, the review said.

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And it said the Australian Curriculum was "manifestly deficient" in its accommodation of students with a disability.

Other key recommendations of the review include:

A more explicit focus on literacy and numeracy in the early years of primary school;

A greater focus on phonics when teaching reading and the Western canon of literature;

Read more:
School review abates culture wars

By Jewel TopsfieldOct. 12, 2014, 11:36 p.m.

When right-wing ideologue Kevin Donnelly was appointed to co-chair a review of the national curriculum many braced themselves for a re-ignition of the culture wars.

When right-wing ideologue Kevin Donnelly was appointed to co-chair a review of the national curriculum many braced themselves for a reignition of the culture wars.

This was a man, after all, who complained that in English "literary classics are on the same footing as SMS messages, graffiti and movie posters", who had called for the Bible to be taught in state schools and who said many parents would consider the sexual practices of gays "decidedly unnatural".

"The cultural left has taken the long march through the education system and enforced its biased, ideological world view on schools," Donnelly once opined.

Academics frothed at the mouth at his appointment: more than 170 educators signed an open letter of protest to Education Minister Christopher Pyne.

All the signs pointed to politically motivated curriculum carnage. "It will be like a small atom bomb going off," one curriculum specialist predicted in the Good Weekend.

But the response to the review has been somewhat miraculous: there is broad consensus.

The review echoes the plaints of teachers, principals and parents across the country that the curriculum - especially in primary school - is ridiculously overcrowded.

It says the national curriculum is "manifestly deficient" in its accommodation of the needs of students with a disability.

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Culture wars fizzle out in national curriculum review

ANALYSIS

170 educators signed an open letter of protest to Education Minister Christopher Pyne. Photo: Andrew Meares

When right-wing ideologue Kevin Donnelly was appointed to co-chair a review of the national curriculum many braced themselves for a reignition of the culture wars.

This was a man, after all, who complained that in English "literary classics are on the same footing as SMS messages, graffiti and movie posters", who had called for the Bible to be taught in state schools and who said many parents would consider the sexual practices of gays "decidedly unnatural".

"The cultural left has taken the long march through the education system and enforced its biased, ideological world view on schools," Donnelly once opined.

Advertisement

Academics frothed at the mouth at his appointment: more than 170 educators signed an open letter of protest to Education Minister Christopher Pyne.

All the signs pointed to politically motivated curriculum carnage. "It will be like a small atom bomb going off," one curriculum specialist predicted in the Good Weekend.

But the response to the review has been somewhat miraculous: there is broad consensus.

The review echoes the plaints of teachers, principals and parents across the country that the curriculum - especially in primary school - is ridiculously overcrowded.

See the rest here:
No 'bloody battle' in culture wars

Co-chairing education review: Dr Kevin Donnelly.

The Abbott government's controversial review of the national curriculum has failed to reignite the culture wars as expected with its recommendations receiving widespread support across the country.

The review's primary finding - that the curriculum is overcrowded, especially in the primary school years - was backed by the federal Opposition, principals, Catholic and independent schools and the Victorian government.

Kate Ellis described some of Dr Donnelly's views as "extremely offensive, dangerous and extreme". Photo: Andrew Meares

The contentious "cross-curriculum priorities", which require sustainability, Australia's engagement with Asia, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures to be "embedded" in every subject, should only be taught where relevant, the review said.

Advertisement

And it said the Australian Curriculum was "manifestly deficient" in its accommodation of students with a disability.

Other key recommendations of the review include:

A more explicit focus on literacy and numeracy in the early years of primary school;

A greater focus on phonics when teaching reading and the Western canon of literature;

Continued here:
Wide support for curriculum review

Is it time to declare the culture wars over?
Jasmyn Richardson, Advancement Project, joins Thom Hartmann. It was a big day for same-sex marriage at the Supreme Court - as the nine justices effectively made the practice legal in most of...

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Is it time to declare the culture wars over? - Video