Parents, teachers and communities will play an active role in the future of children’s formal education in the school system as the recent Melbourne Declaration is signed and sealed and now awaiting delivery.

Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Australian Education Ministers, in a landmark decision signed the ‘Melbourne Declaration’ on December 12th 2008 at a Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) meeting.

The new Declaration succeeds the 1989 and 1999 Adelaide Declarations on the Goals of Schooling and outlines the current range of goals that every child is expected to reach by the time they complete their secondary schooling for the next decade and beyond.

Eight key learning areas are identified; English, mathematics, sciences (including physics, chemistry and biology), humanities and social sciences (including history, geography, economics, business and civics and citizenship), the Arts (performing and visual), languages (especially Asian), computer design and technology, health and physical education.

In addition a commitment to strengthening accountability and transparency was made; the Declaration states “information about the performance of individuals, schools and systems helps parents make informed choices and engage with their children’s education and school community.” It goes on to specify, “parents, families and the community should have access to information about the performance of their school compared to schools with similar characteristics. Australian governments will work together to achieve nationally comparable reporting about schools”.

Equity and excellence in school education are the most important national goals which underpin the new Declaration. The second goal is that “all young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active, informed citizens”.

An emphasis is placed on the importance of young Australians developing personal values and attributes such as honesty, resilience, empathy and respect for others.

The Melbourne Declaration will be accompanied by a four year plan to be developed by MCEETYA for the States, Territories and Commonwealth Government to work together to achieve these important national goals.
The people behind drafting the Melbourne Declaration for the Ministers consideration included representatives of the Independent Schools Council of Australia, the National Catholic Education Commission as well as Secretaries / Directors of State, Territory and Commonwealth Education Departments. The Chair and Deputy Chair of the National Curriculum Board also took part in preparing the draft and will implement the new Declaration forming the foundations of their ongoing curriculum design.

The Declaration and Action Plan and further details are available for viewing online at www.mceetya.edu.au.