English Oral help!! - Curriculum review!

[boo000]

Hi!
I am doing my oral presentation on the curriculum review ignoring the needs and interests of students in modern Australia.
Any suggestions for arguements and presentation ideas would be much appreciated!!
 

[literally lauren]

Great topic! Where do I start... There's a lit teacher who wrote some really REALLY dumb articles about how students shouldn't be allowed to read books about sex (lest we learn what it is and go and do the sex with each other ) http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/sex-with-a-child-is-not-the-stuff-of-the-school-curriculum-20121205-2avl6.html
Even though that wasn't the point of the book at all... anyways he also wrote something (might be slightly out of the September 2013 restrictions) about why students should only study Australian history, none of that overseas drivel.  Everyone knows all the important stuff happened in Australia anyway. I cannot be sarcastic enough here, but I'll let the article speak for itself: http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/remembering-who-we-are-20130726-2qoz0.html

So you could start there I suppose, ie. the censorship or at least alteration of elements of vce and how that will impact our generation.

Ooorrr, I had a friend who gave a presentation about the cuts to LOTE (language) funding at a secondary level. She spoke for about 30 seconds in German. None of her class understood her, and neither did the assessor, then she said something like 'I imagine you're all really confused right now. That's because a lot of us haven't had the opportunity to learn a second language and increase our intellectual potential etc. etc.' You can really play off your audience for a topic like this because it's so relevant to school life.

Best of luck!

[walkec]

There was this really cool animation by English teacher showed us in class about the education system being designed like a factory. I think it could be quite relevant in exploring how even a review would still result in curriculum still not meeting the needs of students.

I'll ask him tomorrow if he has the link and post it on here if I get it 

[literally lauren]

on a similar note, a young lady in America spoke some wise and relevant words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M4tdMsg3ts and there's a really cool comic strip version here: http://zenpencils.tumblr.com/post/55547312307/erica-goldson-graduation-speech

[boo000]

Thank you both so much! Lauren unfortunately both the articles are passed the time frame.
My teacher wanted me to expand more on what we need to be taught to be "whole functioning human beings". However I feel that this is against my contention as I believe it is more important the WAY we are being taught rather than what we are being taught.
How do you think I could best approach this in order to please my teacher but also stay true to what I want to say?
Do you think saying something like we need to be taught to think for ourselves and have our own opinions rather than follow a system....
She wanted me to talk about the need for history of Australia but I  kind of think that is irrelevant to what I am saying.
What do you think?

I like the idea of talking in different languages as well but am unsure how to wrap something like that into mine.