Education Ministers endorse changes to strengthen the early years mathematics curriculum
06 November 2026 Education Ministers have endorsed changes to the Foundation to Year 2 Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, providing greater clarity about what students should learn and when, while strengthening the foundations for numeracy success.
The changes were developed by ACARA during its targeted iterative review. They raise expectations for early years mathematics and provide clearer, more practical guidance for teachers.
- Revising and simplifying curriculum content to clearly identify the essential mathematical knowledge, understanding and skills students should learn at each year level.
- Strengthening and sequencing of mathematical concepts to give teachers greater clarity about what to teach and when.
- Raising expectations by introducing fractions in Year 1 rather than Year 2, requiring recall of addition and subtraction facts up to 10 in Year 1, and strengthening multiplication content in Year 2.
- Introducing new content to build the foundations of consumer and financial literacy, including understanding the value of money and simple transactions.
ACARA CEO, Stephen Gniel, said the changes would help ensure young Australians develop strong foundations in mathematics from their earliest years of schooling.
“A strong grounding in mathematics and numeracy is essential for young people to succeed in their education and later in life.
“We’ve listened to teachers and made the curriculum clearer and more practical, removing ambiguity and strengthening the sequencing of mathematical concepts so teachers know what students need to learn, and when,” he said.
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New Australian Curriculum content to combat antisemitism and strengthen civil discourse
06 November 2026 Education ministers have endorsed changes to the Australian Curriculum following the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority’s (ACARA) focused review into Antisemitism and Australian Values, as part of national efforts to combat antisemitism and all other forms of hate.
The new and revised curriculum content will strengthen students’ understanding of Jewish histories and cultures, the recognition and rejection of antisemitism, and the importance of Australian values, including respectful and civil engagement with different perspectives.
The key changes to Australian Curriculum content include:
- Explicit learning about contemporary antisemitism, including common tropes and stereotypes, and how historical prejudice manifests in modern contexts.
- Strengthened Holocaust content in Year 10 History, including its causes, significant events and consequences
- Explicit teaching of civil discourse in Years 7-10 Civics and Citizenship, helping students engage respectfully with different perspectives on contemporary issues.
- Greater opportunities to learn about Jewish histories, cultures and lived experiences in Australia and overseas.
- Strengthened Civics and Citizenship content addressing discrimination, respect, inclusion in Australian society.
- Greater emphasis on responsible and ethical online behaviour in Digital Technologies.
ACARA CEO, Stephen Gniel, said the changes deliver on the direction of education ministers and the Prime Minister’s Antisemitism Education Taskforce.
“While curriculum changes alone won’t solve the challenges of antisemitism, racism and hate, they have an important role to play in strengthening social cohesion and helping young Australians become inclusive and tolerant citizens who recognise and reject all forms of racism and hate,” Mr Gniel said.
Read our media release (PDF 157 KB)