New National curriculum - year 11/12

[Dee]

Just been having a quick look at the national curriculum on the ACARA site.

It looks like there will be no more Senior Science and that of the 4 other courses only 4 topics per course instead of the 7 plus options we presently have in NSW

Interesting times!!!!!!

[Ocker]

Is this what the teachers were afraid of:-
Dumbing down NSW to meet the rest?

[Mother]

At the beginning of this school year we had 8 students doing Senior Science,this has now dropped to 3!!!! So I can understand why it is being dumped. This course has been on the slippery slide for some years now, at this College anyway. Can't speak for other schools though.
Cheers
Mother

[smiley]

WOW! We currently have one class of 30, yes 30 , in Yr11 Chem, and a second class of about 17, 2 classes of Yr12 Chem, 2 each of Yr 11 & 12 Bio and one each of Physics. All this in a school with a TOTAL population of 550!

Frankly we are beating them off with sticks! Our HT has tried attrition through the "make the work really hard" method, only it hasn't worked, and the little buggers keep coming!

[cosmo]

That's fantastic smiley...you must be doing something (read 'alot') right
keep up the good work

[fibreweb]

For the information of those in states other than NSW, "Senior Science" is a separate subject to Chem, Bio and Physics.
It has been refered to as "science for dummies" and does topics such as Water for living, plants, humans at work, lifestyle chemistry and disasters.

We have about 5 in Year 11 and 6 in Year 12 and they are taught at the same time. It is a subject the teachers here don't like teaching. A couple of years ago we only had one student left in the class by the end of year 12.
Wendy

[tuesday]

We have one class of Gen Science in year 11(18 Students) and 12(8 students), then we have 2 full year 11 Chem, 2 full year 12 chem, 2 year 11 Bio, 1 year 12 Bio, 1 class of Phys in year 11 & 12. PLus your 8 classes of Jnr science in each year group. I have 4 Jnr labs and 1 Snr lab, but the school is going to add one more Snr lab next year. And they wonder why I'm sooooooooo busy

So our Gen Science must be similar to yours in NSW ???????

[noona]

Here we have two year 12 and 1 year 11 Senior Science classes all 3 quite full
It is used when we need to get them out of Bio Phy or Chem .
I hope they don't scrap it
What will these little dummies do ???
What will the Teachers Do ?? maybe they will have to teach larger classes
The Teacher will not coup with out it

[smiley]

Oh Ri-i-i-ight! Silly me.

OK, we have "Multi-strand" (one of the staff refers to this set of clientele as multi-brains, meaning assorted, not in possession of more than one!), and yeah, we have one class each in Yrs 11 & 12, and about 17-20 kids in each.

[Lyn]

We have a "Contemporary Issues in Science" which has a combined Y11/12 clientele. Students in this class may not be as academically minded as those doing physics, biology or chemistry but at least this is a forum in which they can excell in their own right. We have a number of indigenous students in our senior years and this is a subject in which they can achieve results.
Lyn.

[smiley]

Years ago in a tough neighbourhood in Canberra (yes, they do exist) we did a Sex, Drugs and RocknRoll course. Kids had to investigate the effects of drug use, including alcohol and cigarettes (this was in the day when 16-yr-olds could legally smoke). They also did human reproduction, and associated issues like contraception, diseases etc. Finally they looked at music, reproducing sound etc etc.

If we had titled the course Physiology and Physics, the little darlings would have run a mile, but it was all relevant, quite a lot of content, and a high level of interest, proving that they had the capacity to learn, if only we could engage the preciouses.

[cheltie]

We have two year 12 Senior science classes and two year 11 so not sure what will happen to all the kids who want to do a less taxing science.
I haven't read the info yet so can anyone tell me if EES is still there?
Helen

[Ocker]

The advise I got is that, as present students doing the courses at the moment go through Yr12 the course will cease to exist


4 Science Courses – Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental & Physics – again the courses comprise 4 units to be studied over 4 semesters – it is suggested that as ‘synergy’ exists between courses it may be advantageous for students to study courses in tandem – it is unclear how many courses students can study concurrently.

[vlclabbie]

Oh phew! Thanks Wendy! I thought it meant all the normal sciences - chem / biol etc... too! THat's currently what i'm studying to teach!! Freak me out or what! Thought I was being made redundant before I even started!!!