Effective education which is the purpose of various school programs depends on several factors and it is on the basis of the programs introduced in a specific school system that effectiveness of education is rated. The school programs, therefore, takes into consideration several of such factors that define the quality and effectiveness of the education provided. It is on the basis of clear-cut norms and standards that every educational program is maintained. However, depending on the principles, perspectives, and the priorities, the approaches of educating students adopted by various school programs the results of education differ. The overall development of the students’ personality and the behavioural change in them through effective means of education has been regarded as the aim of every school program. In this paper, a comparative analysis of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards which tell of the essentials to be achieved by the Victorian students with the Steiner Education program introduced in the Steiner Schools in Australia. Such a comparative analysis is necessary in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Victorian school program.
It is important, at the outset, to understand the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) as describing the various essentials that the Victorian students from Prep to Year 10 need to accomplish. In other words, VELS present the most remarkable school curriculum planning framework which starts out learning standards that the various schools may make use of in preparing their teaching and learning programs and this will include the student achievement and progress evaluation and reporting. As a replacement for the Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF), understand the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) came to being in 2006 which is now the basis for the curriculum and assessment in the Victorian schools. It is the outcome of wide-ranging discussion and association with the educating sector as well as the general community and it was the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority that developed the VELS. A comparative analysis of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards with that of an alternative school program may be significant as such an analysis can tell the merit of the program. The Victorian Essential Learning Standards “are based on the best practice in Victorian schools, national and international research and widespread consultation with school communities, educators, professional associations and community groups… The VELS provide the means for all Victorian schools to use the best curriculum thinking to better prepare students for success at school and beyond.” (Introduction to the VELS). Therefore, a comparative analysis of the program of the VELS with that of the Steiner schools of Australia is essential to understand the various elements in the program of the VELS. The Steiner school program was designed by Rudolf Steiner who considered the need for imagination, a sense of truth and a feeling of responsibility as the three forces that form the very nerve of education. “Steiner schools have a unique and distinctive approach to educating children, aiming to enable each stage of growth to be fully and vividly enjoyed and experienced. They provide a balanced approach to the modern school curriculum. The academic, artistic and social aspects, or ‘head, heart & hands’, are treated as complementary facets of a single program of learning, allowing each to throw light on the others… Steiner designed a curriculum that is responsive to the developmental phases of childhood and the nurturing of the child’s imagination in a school environment. Steiner thought that schools should cater to the needs of the child rather than the demands of the government or economic forces, so he developed schools that encourage creativity and free-thinking. His teaching seeks to recognise the individuality of the child and through a balanced education, allows them to go into the world with confidence.” (Hale and MacLean).
For the achievement of a holistic development of the academic, artistic and social aspects, or a development of the ‘head, heart & hands’ as it is often remarked, the Steiner school program has implemented the program of art as a practice, and language as a means to develop the feelings. It is done through nurturing the children with the rich legacy of wise folk tales, histories, fairy stories, poems, music and games that are part of our world civilisation. This has been especially effective in creating the necessary cultural environment in which the children can be taught reading, writing, arithmetic, nature study, geography, science, languages, music and other subjects. Therefore, the school program of the Steiner schools has a great significance in the development of the overall development of the students’ personality. The human capacity for conscious thought to be the most unique of human qualities and the “Steiner schooling strives to support the development of well rounded human beings who are able to feel deeply and broadly, to think penetratingly and clearly, and then to act rightly out of conscious and free choice. The best overall statement on what is unique about Steiner education is to be found in the stated goals of the schooling: “Our highest endeavour must be to develop individuals who are able out of their own initiative to impart purpose and direction to their lives” – Rudolf Steiner.” (Hale and MacLean). Therefore, the unique characteristic quality of the Steiner Education proves that it is a very effective touchstone to assess the quality of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards. It is most significant, for that reason, to undertake, in this analysis, a comparison between the characteristic features of these two school programs.
In understanding the most essential characteristics of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards it is fundamental to remark that these “identify three core and interrelated strands for the Prep to Year 10 curriculum. Each strand has a number of domains which describe the essential knowledge, skills and behaviours students need to prepare for further education, work and life. The domains include the standards, organised by dimension, by which student achievement and progress is measured. An English as a Second Language (ESL) Companion and Students with Disabilities Guidelines are available to assist schools in providing programs for these students.” (Prep to Year 10 Curriculum and Standards).
The various domains of the three chief strands suggest the vast areas covered in the standards can be well regarded as their particular characteristics.
Therefore, a thorough understanding of the several domains in the key strands and their various dimensions as they indicate the superiority of the program compared to the alternative school program. It can be well identified that the three core strands are 1) Physical, Personal, and Social Learning, 2) Discipline-based Learning, and 3) Interdisciplinary Learning and these cover central areas of human existence in the modern world. The first strand includes domains such as Health and Physical Education, Interpersonal Development, Personal Learning, and Civics and Citizenship. The various dimensions of these domains include health knowledge and promotion, movement and physical activity, building social relationships and working in teams, the individual learner and managing personal learning, civics knowledge and understanding, and community engagement. The discipline-based learning incorporates the Arts, English, the Humanities such as, Economics, Geography, and History, languages other than English, Mathematics, and Science. Each of these domains has various dimensions that correspond to its main purpose. Similarly, the interdisciplinary learning strand of the VELS has the chief domains such as Communication, Design, Creativity, and Technology, Information and Communication Technology, and Thinking Processes. These are most essential areas of human existence in the modern world and these indicate the superior characteristic features of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards. The program is wider in its application. (Prep to Year 10 Curriculum and Standards).
In a comparison of the main lesson curriculum also it is evident that the VELS are more comprehensive compared to the alternative school program which has various features to its credit. The curriculum of the Steiner school has some central features. One of the fundamental premises of this curriculum can be identified as an emphasis on connectedness and integration. “It provides a balanced range of learning experiences – academic, artistic and practical. Its aim is to place into the world balanced, well-rounded and emotionally stable young people with a depth of understanding about themselves, their relationships with others and the society and times in which they find themselves.” (Steiner). In an analysis of the curriculum of the Steiner school program, we identify that the areas included in the curriculum do not provide for the acquirement of the more inclusive standards as that of VELS. Most significantly, the Victorian Essential Learning Standards distinguish the learning needs of students at three stages of learning that differ from one another. These standards lay down the curriculum expectations for student achievement at six levels over the 11 years of compulsory schooling. These six levels are broadly associated with Years Prep to 10 and it is remarkable that these are parallel to those introduced in the Curriculum and Standards Framework in 1995. “By clearly specifying the standards appropriate at each of the six levels, the Standards provide a clear picture of the sequence of development a student should progress through at school in terms of the essential physical, personal and social, discipline-based and interdisciplinary knowledge and skills… Since standards describe what students know and can do, they focus on the knowledge and skills components of the three strands… Standards in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards are set at a challenging level, not minimum competence, in age and developmentally appropriate ways. This helps to ensure that students are stretched to learn, rather than doing work they find easy which potentially leaves them bored.” (Prep to Year 10 Curriculum and Standards). Thus, it can be evidently identified that these six levels when achieved by the students the students reach a stage of great achievement in life and more importantly these are comparatively more effective and easy in achievement. All these suggest the superior quality of the various standards of the VELS.
The Steiner school program incorporates areas such as Form drawing, Introduction of Numbers & Letters, Writing & Reading, Arithmetic: The four Processes, Mental Maths, Fairy Tales, Nature stories, Celtic Legends, Animal Fables, Lives of the Saints in the Class 1 and 2. Compared to these, the levels one and two spotlight on the development of physical, personal and social capacities and the introductory literacy and numeric skills. The curriculum of the later classes such as the class 3, 4, 5, 6 etc of the Steiner schools, though covers several central areas, the various levels of the VELS can be very well identified as more effective in the student achievement as well they contribute greatly to the development of the overall development of the students. In this comparative analysis, it is essential to comprehend that according to the VELS, “the standards for student achievement do not prescribe any particular curriculum. Nor do they constitute the totality of the program that students will receive. Rather, they indicate what is essential for students to know and be able to do at different levels. It is then up to schools and teachers to choose the curriculum that best helps students to meet these standards, while addressing broader student interests and needs.” (Prep to Year 10 Curriculum and Standards). These standards, however, can be central to the greater achievement of the students as well as the schools.
To conclude, the school programs are very significant in the development of the students’ personality and character. The Victorian main stream school curriculum has a greater relevance in the student achievement as it provides with the most effective standards for the development of the student personality. Compared to the alternative school program, i.e. that of the Steiner schools, the VELS has six chief levels of student achievement and at each level, a particular standard is achieved. These levels of achievement suggest the superiority of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards. Thus, in the ultimate conclusion, these characteristics of the VELS provide for the greater student achievement compared to the alternative school program.
Works Cited
Hale, Bob and MacLean, Karen. Overview of Steiner Education. 2008. Web.
Introduction to the VELS. Victorian Essential Learning Standards. 2008. Web.
Prep to Year 10 Curriculum and Standards. Victorian Essential Learning Standards. 2008. Web.
Steiner, Rudolf (Dr.).The Steiner Curriculum. Orana InfoNet. 2008. Web.