English and Mathematics syllabuses for Kindergarten to Year 2 have today been released for the second round of public consultation.

Non-essential content has been identified and removed, and further guidance has been included for teachers to cater for all learning abilities.

Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said that subjects will be even more aligned with the latest evidence and research by reforming the syllabuses and giving greater priority to the foundational areas of learning in the early years.

“The Curriculum Reform is continuing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as we build an evidence-based world class curriculum,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Through this consultation, teachers are helping build and refine content and outcomes.

“The new curriculum removes any ambiguity for teachers and comes with explicit teaching advice.

“The teaching advice also includes examples to support the development of language and vocabulary. This will be particularly helpful for early-career teachers.”

Both syllabuses are aimed at giving students the opportunity to develop strong foundational skills for learning and living in the 21st Century.

“When it comes to English, the evidence for using phonics to teach reading is clear. The first round of consultation also identified the need for additional teaching advice, so we’ve provided further guidance and information, with practical advice and more helpful examples,” Ms Mitchell said.

“The revised Mathematics syllabus will support students to make connections across concepts – in turn developing reasoning skills, and supporting a deeper understanding of maths, its purpose and applications across the board.”

The NSW Government has invested almost $200 million in the reforms in the 2021-2022 Budget. Syllabuses will be available on a new interactive digital platform that will help teachers integrate syllabus materials, access resources and examples, and move between syllabuses quickly.

The final K to 2 English and Mathematics syllabuses are on track to be released later this year on the platform. They will be introduced in schools in 2022 and taught in all NSW schools from 2023.

Consultation is open until 23 August, and teachers, parents, and community members are encouraged to visit the NESA website to review the materials and have their say.