South Australian public schools get a new curriculum: English, maths, arts, languages to be focus from 2025

English and mathematics, along with arts and languages, were to be the key focus of the new curriculum for South Australian public school students from 2025.
Image courtesy South Australian government education department

South Australian public school students had the first four subjects of the new South Australian curriculum for public education released in 2024.

The South Australian curriculum for public education was an adapted version of the Australian Curriculum to respond to local feedback from students, teachers and employers.

The new curriculum was being developed for every subject, with English and mathematics a key focus, along with arts and languages.

The key changes of the curriculum includes:

• A bigger focus on reading in English – inspiring students to read more and use their literacy skills on a daily basis.
• Teaching students the important life skills they need for everyday life through a strong focus on financial literacy in mathematics.
• Decluttering the curriculum to give teachers the time needed to teach topics in depth.
• Adding important qualities such as resilience and empathy into each subject area for the first time. 
• A stronger focus on creating art in the arts curriculum to strengthen students’ techniques and skills.

For the first time since the Australian curriculum was developed and released in 2010, the latest version was being comprehensively adapted by the South Australian government education edpartment to ensure it best meets the needs of the state's students – and fitted within the South Australian context. The first four subject areas would be made available through a newly developed website that will be a hub for teachers, allowing them to provide feedback and support pilot work.

The adapted curriculum, developed for Reception to Year 10 in 8 learning areas, wouldbe introduced and refined in a phased approach, expected to be completed in 2027.

The curriculum changes came as grants worth more than $12 million were being provided by the South Australian covernment to two leading South Australian arts organisations – Carclew and Patch Theatre – to help continue educating tens of thousands of South Australian students each year. Both organisations supported schools by delivering arts education, opportunities and experiences to students.

The four-year funding announcement came as the first of the key components of the new curriculum for public education – including the arts learning area – were being shared with teachers across the state for their feedback.