Major change looms for top-level HSC English course

“It won’t necessarily make a big difference to the students, but it will make a difference to the teachers,” he said.

In the draft proposal, the requirement that English advanced students study a Shakespearean drama has been retained.

English educators across the state are keenly awaiting the release of the HSC prescription lists next year, he said, which dictate the books, films and poetry pupils will study.

“We’re all looking forward to that,” Henry said.

The biggest material change in the proposed standard and advanced syllabus was additional guidance when studying texts composed by Indigenous authors.

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“There are some clearer pointers – it is a lovely part of the curriculum in both standard and advanced,” he said.

The draft states that students must learn about Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property and how cultural symbolism, imagery, allusion and irony shape meaning.

The HSC mathematics draft syllabuses set to be released on Monday will reorganise content, so students and teachers will no longer cover the same content multiple times.

The modern history, ancient history, history extension syllabuses will also be released for consultation on Monday.

The English and maths curriculum will be released next year and taught from 2026 while the new history syllabuses will be taught in NSW schools from 2027.

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