History education in Australian schools is the outcome of extensive planning processes. These have emerged from major cultural debates within the country and have been shaped through direct engagement with the national and transnational issues facing Australian society. Within the Australian education system, history is valued not only for its intrinsic significance as a means of understanding the nation’s past and the histories of other societies. It is also regarded as a field through which young Australians can be engaged in citizenship affairs and civic activities.
In collaboration with educational advisers, teachers, and academic historians, Australian curriculum planners have developed a set of curriculum frameworks for the teaching of history in Years 7–10 of secondary education. During these years, the study of history is compulsory rather than elective. These curriculum frameworks are subject to continuous critical review. The aforementioned issues have come to occupy an increasingly prominent place within them.
The curriculum places particular emphasis on two domains: historical knowledge and historical skills. These encompass both a broad body of information concerning the history of Australia and a variety of societies and civilizations, and a range of transferable approaches through which emphasis is placed on diverse and up-to-date forms of understanding and communicating historical content.
This article examines how contemporary political and cultural issues in Australia have influenced the content and practical orientation of history curriculum development in Australian schools. It demonstrates that curriculum planners have not confined their attention to substantive dimensions alone. They have also emphasized the skills required for the more effective communication of this content.