Teaching ‘Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia’ in primary education: A comparative analysis of different States’ curriculums

The cross-curriculum priority of Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia that is designed to help Australians navigate their regional relationship with Asia into the future has opened up the classrooms to inclusion of Asian texts and Asian perspectives but whose texts and whose perspectives? This paper will comparatively analyse the relevant curriculum contents of cross-curriculum priority Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia from different States and Territories curriculums in Australia. We have employed a critical interpretative research methodology to analyse data for this paper to examine how the Australian government’s innovation policy and its new business development policies that are predicated on strengthening its partnerships with Asia are being supported by the new Australian Curriculum and its State and Territory derivatives. The authors have undertaken a thorough review of literature and policy documents, the Australian Curriculum, and relevant State and Territory policies and curriculum guiding frameworks. We have found that relevant curriculum content of cross-curriculum priority Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia is unevenly distributed across the different learning areas and general capabilities. We further found that the inclusion of mandated content varies in the new Australian Curriculum and its State and Territory derivatives across key ideas, in the learning areas, and in the explanatory materials.