Too many subjects hurts kids

A CROWDED curriculum is crushing Victorian schools with increasing pressure to cram in lessons on gender equality, cultures, technology and how to “contribute to the world”.

The crunch on the amount of time dedicated to literacy and numeracy is causing the state’s results to flatline, experts say.

The State Government this year added digital technologies and Respectful Relationships to the curriculum, with Safe Schools to become compulsory in public high schools next year.

The curriculum also includes minimum requirements for exercise and physical education, critical and creative thinking, “intercultural capability” and “ethical capability”.

Parents also often expect schools to teach a raft of social programs, including healthy eating, stranger danger, bike education, wellbeing and resilience.

Australian Catholic University’s Dr Kevin Donnelly reviewed the national curriculum in 2014 and warned that students were getting a superficial education.

“It is a mile wide and an inch deep,” he said.

St Mary’s Primary School principal Jim Sheedy said schools faced an “impossible” task.

“Everyone wants you to do everything, and it’s a good idea, but the impact is academic,” he said.

“School can go from five maths sessions to four to three to two in busy weeks. You can’t catch those up.”

Victoria’s school results have flatlined with no significant improvement in years 7 and 9 NAPLAN results over the past decade.

Students in grades three and five failed to make strides in writing, spelling and numeracy and Australia’s results are also slipping on a global scale.