Australia’s education ministers have approved significant changes to the Australian Curriculum review cycle, aiming to keep curriculum content current while giving schools greater stability during implementation.
The updates were endorsed at the ministers’ meeting on 17 October 2025, following advice from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
Iterative review process introduced
Ministers agreed to introduce an iterative review process for the Australian Curriculum, allowing adjustments to be made during the implementation phase. The shift is designed to ensure the curriculum stays relevant and responsive, without creating unnecessary disruption for teachers.
ACARA says the change strikes a balance between long-term curriculum stability and the flexibility to respond quickly to emerging needs in classrooms.
Early-years Mathematics under the microscope
As part of the new approach, ACARA will provide ministers with advice in February 2026 on whether content or sequencing changes are required in Mathematics for Foundation to Year 2.
The review is driven by recent NAPLAN data and a national focus on improving numeracy outcomes, ahead of the rollout of the Year 1 Numeracy Checks. ACARA will work with states, territories, sectors and key stakeholders to determine whether adjustments are needed and whether teachers will require extra support to deliver high-quality early-years mathematics.
Next full curriculum version set for 2032
Ministers also confirmed that the next major update to the Australian Curriculum will be scheduled for 2032, maintaining a 10-year review cycle. The current version, approved in 2022, is still being implemented nationally, with full rollout expected by 2027.
The decade-long cycle acknowledges the extensive work undertaken by jurisdictions and schools to transition to new curriculum content, while the newly introduced iterative updates will allow targeted refinements in between major reviews.
More information about the changes is available on ACARA’s Curriculum Review page.
