Bicurricular Education at DSM
Deutsche Schule Melbourne follows two different curricula at the same time. The Victorian and German curricula have distinct educational approaches and structures.
The DSM Curriculum combines the German and the Victorian Curriculum
At Deutsche Schule Melbourne, we are committed to providing a bilingual and bicurricular education to our students. This is achieved through our bicurricular learning program across all levels of the school.
As a member of the German Schools Abroad network, we incorporate the German curriculum from the state of Thuringia.
As a school in Victoria, we also include the curriculum content outlined by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).
Together, these two form the foundation of our curriculum here at DSM.
The DSM program was created by carefully mapping the Victorian and German curricula against each other to identify areas in which there was significant overlap and cross-curriculum support, while planning for when and how to include points of difference. In most cases, the progression of knowledge follows a similar broad trajectory, in line with academic research as to how students learn within a specific subject area.
An example of this is Mathematics, where the broad progression from Prep to Year 6 is the same. Where there are slight differences of content knowledge, the DSM curriculum takes the higher expectation. Where the curricula differ is in their focus of learning. The German curriculum primarily focuses on building theoretical understanding and giving students the tools to think mathematically. The Victorian curriculum is focused on practical applications of strategies to solve problems. By combining them, students are exposed to two different but complimentary world views of mathematics as a discipline. Additionally, despite being drawn originally from two separate sources, the DSM Curriculum content combines the context into a single cohesive whole. This curriculum is then taught in both German and English to reinforce concepts and provide students with the vocabulary to operate in both languages.
Other subjects have a less linear progression. History, for example, involves some similar features, such as beginning with personal history and experiences, then expands beyond their immediate environment in line with their cognitive and emotional development. In middle primary, both the Victorian and German curricula look at history through the local context. The skills developed through these curricula are the same, but each takes for granted what the local context is. The German curriculum focuses on regional traditions, local identity and the roles of community members. The Victorian curriculum focuses on national celebrations, community-building as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. In these instances, the DSM curriculum again combines the two priorities, but these are expressed differently depending on the language in which the subject is taught. German-language history lessons will focus on those aspects unique to Germany and German culture while English-language lessons focus on matters relating to Australia, with both subjects working in tandem to support common skills.
Our curriculum is reviewed regularly as each jurisdiction updates their requirements, but also as a reflection on what learning has taken place each year with an eye to evaluating what has been successful, what requires improvement and striking a balance between the two source systems. Our teachers work hard to make the expression of our curriculum as relevant and engaging for our students as possible while maintaining our academic standards.
By carefully blending the strengths of both the German and Victorian educational systems, we aim to provide our students with a unique and enriching learning environment that prepares them for success in both of the school’s cultural and linguistic contexts. By including the knowledge and adopting the outlooks of both curricula, students are constantly exposed to the cultural elements of the subjects they are learning and engaging with it from multiple different viewpoints in two separate languages. The bicurricular program at DSM is the foundation through which we support the bilingual and bicultural development of our students.