This past year has seen an enormous amount of work on the development of new syllabuses to incorporate the Australian curriculum content.

The level of engagement from teachers and stakeholders has resulted in extensive feedback, which is so important if NSW is to maintain the high standards expected of its curriculum.

The Minister for Education’s announcement that the new K-10 syllabuses for Mathematics, English, Science and History will not be required to be taught before 2014 has allowed the Board additional time to consult with stakeholders and prepare support materials. We know this additional time is particularly important for primary teachers who face a challenging time implementing four new syllabuses.

A second round of consultation on the draft syllabuses for K-10 English, Mathematics, Science and History will begin in Term 1, 2012.

2011 also saw the end of an era with the final School Certificate tests held last month. The School Certificate has played an important role in education in NSW but with the increase in the school leaving age there is no longer a need to provide large numbers of students with an exit credential at the end of Year 10.

Consultation on the new credential for students who do leave school before completing their HSC is currently underway. There is widespread community support for a record of school achievement that:

• reports results for all courses completed in Years 10 and 11 using moderated, school-based assessment;
• is available when a student leaves school any time after they complete Year 10;
• will allow reliable comparisons between students across NSW; and
• offers the ability to record a student’s extracurricular achievements.

Earlier this term the Board held the first of its Building our Cultural Capital lecture series. The lectures provided new opportunities to engage with the community, initially in the areas of Arts and Business, and to start an important conversation about the Board’s role in developing a shared vision. The response to the series was very encouraging and I look forward to next year’s continuing series.

As 2011 draws to a close I would like to thank all the Board’s officers for their hard work throughout the year. In particular, our Chief Executive, Carol Taylor has continued to lead the operation of the Board with great energy and insight. 2011 has been a year combining both innovation and consolidation – never an easy combination but one which the Board, under Carol’s leadership, has executed with great success.

In closing, I want to also acknowledge the work of teachers and staff in all NSW schools. The Board is always conscious of the need for our work to hold at its centre the requirements and expectations of teachers and students. We are grateful for the generosity shown by hundreds of teachers throughout 2011 to make a contribution to the work of the Board.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season and I look forward to the start of another successful year in education.