QUEENSLAND HOME ECONOMICS CURRICULUM INFORMATION

 
In Queensland, the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) has responsibility for syllabus development. QSA’s functions also relate to moderation, testing, assessment, accreditation, certification, Vocational Education and Training and tertiary entrance.

Years 11 - 12

Years 11-12 syllabuses, available from Queensland Studies Authority for home economics departments include:

* Home economics
* Early childhood practices
* Hospitality practices
* Hospitality Studies

Home Economics (2001) in
Years 11-12

The senior syllabus in Home Economics (2001) was approved for general implementation with Year 11 students in 2002. The final year that schools can implement the 1992 syllabus is 2004, by which time all schools must be offering the 2001 syllabus with Year 11 students. No student in Year 12 will be able to record semester units of the board subject Home Economics (1992) on the Senior Certificate after 2004.

A two-year course of study in senior Home Economics must draw upon three areas of study:

* Food Studies
* Living Environments
* Textile Studies

Each of these areas of study consists of a core plus electives. The minimum requirements for the two-year course of study are:

The core of the areas of study
One elective from each of two areas of study


The core of each area of study is presented as a list of key concepts. The core units are:

* The health of individuals and society - the impact of food
* Individuals and families in their living environments
* Consumer textiles.

Early Childhood Practices

The study area specification for the two-year course of study in Early Childhood Practices, the R9 and study guide are available on the QSA website www.qsa.qld.edu.au.

This practical course helps students develop skills such as parenting, communicating (eg with children, family, clients), planning and preparing resources and activities, reading and acting out stories, and working cooperatively. The subject encourages students to perform roles that facilitate, support and enhance child development, and helps them to develop confidence and readiness for the workplace and parenthood.

The minimum requirements for a course of study are:

* Three study area core topics
* At least four units of work.


The study area core topics are

  1. The value of play
  2. Observing quality practices
  3. Observing children’s behaviour.


Units of Work:

  1. Introducing early childhood
  2. Foundations of child development
  3. Social and emotional development of children
  4. Physical development
  5. Intellectual and language development
  6. The physical care of children
  7. Play in early childhood education
  8. Creativity, self-expression and problem solving and the young child
  9. Parenting
  10. Behaviour guidance
  11. Children with special needs
  12. Accident prevention and safety
  13. Career pathways in childcare



Hospitality Practices

Subject Area Specification

The study area specification in Hospitality Practices has been developed as a two-year course of study for students in Years 11 and 12. It was released in 1999. It provides students with a variety of thinking and operational skills, and vocational competencies. The syllabus provides three strands, each comprising the study area core and a range of practical topics. The study area core is designed to allow students to achieve a broad understanding of the hospitality industry and to develop the personal skills and attitudes that underpin employment in the industry. It consists of five topics that are closely aligned to the hospitality and tourism common core units of competency.

These are:

* introducing the hospitality industry
* interpersonal and communication skills in the hospitality industry
* cultural awareness in the hospitality industry
* workplace health and safety issues in the hospitality industry
* workplace hygiene procedures in the hospitality industry

The three strands are:
Strand A (Hospitality). In addition to the study area core and elective units, Strand A allows schools to select one of two certificates, THH11097 Certificate I in Hospitality (Operations), or THH11197 Certificate I in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations), provided that the human and physical resource requirements can be met.
Strand B (Introduction to Hospitality). In addition to the study area core and elective units, Strand B allows schools to offer the five common core units of competency from the Hospitality Industry National Training Package (THH97). There are human and physical resource requirements for the common core units of competency.
Strand C (Catering Practices) is designed for those schools that do not wish to offer the units of competency or that cannot meet the human and physical resource requirements of the other two strands. It allows schools to develop programs of study based on the study area core plus practical catering and hospitality components.

Hospitality Studies

The Hospitality Studies Syllabus was released in 2001 for use by Year 11 students from 2002. The syllabus is approved for general implementation until 2008. The syllabus explicitly combines general and vocational education components. The syllabus comprises five topic areas and two certificate courses. The minimum requirement for a course of study is:

*three topic areas

*one of the two certificate courses embedded in the syllabus

*the general objectives of the course of study.

The five topic areas in the syllabus have been developed to reflect the sectors of the hospitality industry. The topic areas are:

*Food production
*Beverage production and service
*Food and beverage service
*Accommodation services
*Clubs and gaming

The three or more topic areas that the school chooses for its course of study should integrate the teaching and assessing of the general objectives and the selected hospitality certificate.