The Schools Assistance Act 2004 requires jurisdictions to develop Statements of Learning in five domains – English, mathematics, science, civics and citizenship, and information and communications technology (ICT) – by 1 January 2006, and to implement them by 1 January 2008. The Act also requires jurisdictions to implement common testing standards in the five domains by 1 January 2008.
The Statements of Learning describe the key knowledge, skills, understandings and capacities that all students in Australia should have the opportunity to learn and develop in a domain, irrespective of the State or Territory in which they live.
The development of the Statements of Learning is being overseen by the Australian Government and the States and Territories under the auspices of the Australian Education Systems Officials’ Committee (AESOC) National Consistency in Curriculum Outcomes Steering Committee. The Statements of Learning for English for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 have already been developed and endorsed by all Education Ministers.
Further information on Statements of Learning, including a copy of the 2005 Statements of Learning for English, is available at the MCEETYA website 
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