New South Wales’ new high school syllabus will see the addition of coding, cybersecurity and information systems skills to help students build their careers in the digital world and meet the expectations of industry.
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the new Computing Technologies curriculum would focus on creating the next generation of tech leaders.
“These new syllabuses mean that right from the beginning of high school, students can learn fundamental skills in coding, cyber security and information systems for businesses,” she said.
“The curriculum has also been updated to better reflect the latest computing technologies and the expectations of industry, so that we create the next generation of tech-savvy experts here in NSW.”
Key features of the new syllabuses include:
- A greater focus on cyber safety and cybersecurity content.
- Closer links to learning in other subjects, such as maths and science, to create clearer pathways into future STEM study and careers.
- All senior secondary students will undertake a new mandatory project as part of a school-based assessment to support deeper learning and the development of project skills.
Victor Dominello, Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, said the NSW Government is committed to providing the State with the skills for the 21st century.
The changes will also see new syllabuses for the Year 11 to 12 Enterprise Computing (previously known as Computing Technology Life Skills) and Software Engineering courses, as well as secondary students sitting more HSC exams online in 2025.
Mitchell stressed that the NSW Government would focus on bringing subjects and the HSC into the modern era, with new syllabuses that “align to our fast-changing digital world”.
“Modernising the HSC is essential if it is to remain a world-class qualification. While currently only one subject has an exam conducted on a computer, this will be expanded to reflect the increasingly online world we are living in,” she added.
