Part III — Operating Standards
Chapter 10 — Academic and Curriculum Standards
Chapter 10
Academic and Curriculum Standards
This chapter sets out the academic obligations of an Affiliated
School: the delivery of the WISE Curriculum Framework, the
deployment of qualified teaching staff, the conduct of Internal
Assessment, the maintenance of an auditable teaching record, and
the narrow scope within which curriculum may be adapted to local
context.
10.1 General Principle
10.1.1
An Affiliated School must deliver the WISE Curriculum Framework
in full for each ISCED level at which it is affiliated, using
qualified teachers, within a defined academic calendar, and
against a documented teaching record.
10.1.2
Curriculum delivery is not assessed by reference to any single
document. It is assessed by reference to the composite record
of planning, teaching, assessment, and outcome that a School
can demonstrate at audit.
10.1.3
Where this chapter imposes an obligation to maintain a record,
that record must be held in a form capable of production at
audit, and must be retained in accordance with Chapter 21.
10.2 Curriculum Delivery
10.2.1
The School must deliver all compulsory components of the WISE
Curriculum Framework for each affiliated ISCED level, and must
offer at least one elective from the approved list for each
stream at ISCED Level 3.
10.2.2
Delivery must be structured so that every learning outcome in
the Framework is taught before the examination that assesses
it.
10.2.3
The School must maintain, for each subject and each class, a
scheme of work setting out: the sequence of topics to be
taught; the learning outcomes addressed; the approximate
teaching hours allocated; and the assessment instruments to be
used.
10.2.4
The scheme of work must be revised at the commencement of each
Academic Session, and must be made available for inspection at
audit.
10.2.5
Substitution of an external curriculum for the WISE Curriculum
Framework, whether in whole or in substantial part, constitutes
a Breach. Supplementary materials may be used, but may not
displace the Framework.
10.2.6
Where a School delivers a national curriculum in parallel with
the WISE Curriculum Framework, it must be able to demonstrate
that WISE delivery is complete and independent of the national
curriculum.
10.3 Teaching Hours and Academic Calendar
10.3.1
The School must conduct not fewer than one hundred and eighty
teaching days per Academic Session across all classes in the
affiliated levels.
10.3.2
The School must provide not fewer than the minimum weekly
instruction hours specified in the table below for each ISCED
level, excluding breaks.
| ISCED Level |
Class |
Minimum Weekly Hours |
Minimum Annual Hours |
| ISCED Level 2 | Class 9 | 32 | 1,150 |
| ISCED Level 2 | Class 10 | 32 | 1,150 |
| ISCED Level 3 | Class 11 | 34 | 1,225 |
| ISCED Level 3 | Class 12 | 34 | 1,225 |
10.3.3
Instruction hours include scheduled teaching, laboratory
sessions, and supervised practical work. They do not include
assemblies, meal breaks, examination periods, or co-curricular
sessions that fall outside scheduled class time.
10.3.4
The academic calendar must be submitted to WEQSC through the
Institution Management Portal not less than thirty days before
the commencement of the Academic Session. Any subsequent
material change must be notified within seven days.
10.3.5
Where the School is prevented from conducting the minimum
teaching days by reason of a governmental order, natural
disaster, epidemic, or similar event outside its control, it
must notify WEQSC within fourteen days. WEQSC may permit a
variation in the requirements of this section for that
Academic Session.
10.4 Teacher Qualifications and Deployment
10.4.1
Every teacher delivering the WISE Curriculum Framework must
hold, at minimum, a bachelor's degree in the subject taught,
or in a closely related discipline. For subjects where a
bachelor's degree in the subject is not commonly offered, the
School must demonstrate to WEQSC that the teacher's
qualification is equivalent.
10.4.2
A teaching qualification — Bachelor of Education, Diploma in
Education, PGCE, or equivalent — is strongly preferred. Where
it is a legal requirement of the jurisdiction, it is mandatory.
Where it is not, the absence of a teaching qualification does
not of itself render a teacher ineligible, but the School must
ensure that such teachers have completed the WEQSC pedagogy
induction within one hundred and eighty days of appointment.
10.4.3
A teacher may not be deployed to teach a subject outside their
qualification, save for limited temporary substitution where
the substantive teacher is absent and the substitute's
qualification is in a closely related discipline. Any such
substitution must not exceed fifteen consecutive teaching days
without WEQSC approval.
10.4.4
No teacher may be employed who has been disqualified from
teaching by any regulatory authority, or who is the subject of
an unresolved finding of professional misconduct.
10.4.5
The School must maintain a teacher register, containing for
each teacher: full name; subjects taught; highest
qualification with institution and year; teaching
qualification, if any; date of appointment; and completion
status of WEQSC induction and continuing professional
development.
10.4.6
The teacher register must be maintained current in the
Institution Management Portal, and must be updated within
thirty days of any change.
10.4.7
Continuing professional development requirements for teachers
are set out in Chapter 36.
10.5 Student-Teacher Ratio and Class Size
10.5.1
The student-teacher ratio, calculated on the basis of total
students enrolled in affiliated classes divided by the total
number of full-time-equivalent teachers deployed to those
classes, must not exceed the values in the table below.
| ISCED Level |
Maximum Overall Ratio |
Maximum Class Size |
| ISCED Level 2 (Classes 9–10) | 45:1 | 45 |
| ISCED Level 3 (Classes 11–12) | 40:1 | 40 |
| Laboratory sessions (all levels) | 20:1 | 20 |
10.5.2
A School serving a disadvantaged community may apply to WEQSC
in writing for a variation of the maximum class size. A
variation may be granted up to a maximum of fifty students
per class, subject to the School demonstrating that the
variation will not compromise the quality of instruction.
10.5.3
Laboratory session limits are absolute. No variation will be
granted. Where a cohort exceeds the laboratory session limit,
the School must split the cohort into multiple sessions, each
within the limit.
10.5.4
Where the School is found at audit to exceed a ratio or class
size limit, the finding is a Major Finding under Chapter 28,
unless the excess is trivial or has been remedied before the
audit.
10.6 Internal Assessment — Framework
10.6.1
Internal Assessment contributes forty per cent of the final
grade in each subject. It is conducted by the School against
WEQSC rubrics, and is subject to moderation under Section 10.7.
10.6.2
Internal Assessment must comprise a combination of the
following instruments, in proportions specified in the
syllabus for each subject:
- Periodic written tests
- Practical work and laboratory reports (where applicable)
- Project work, individual or group
- Structured classroom participation
- Notebook and record-keeping assessment (where specified)
10.6.3
For each instrument used, the School must apply the WEQSC
rubric for that instrument, published with the subject
syllabus. Deviation from the rubric requires prior written
approval from WEQSC.
10.6.4
The School must maintain, for each student, an Internal
Assessment record showing the mark awarded for each
instrument, the rubric applied, and the date of assessment.
10.6.5
Internal Assessment marks must be submitted to WEQSC through
the Institution Management Portal within seven days of the
completion of the assessment in question.
10.6.6
Internal Assessment marks submitted to the Portal may not be
altered by the School after submission. Any correction requires
WEQSC approval under Chapter 22.
10.6.7
A student must be informed of their Internal Assessment marks
within fourteen days of each assessment, and must be given a
reasonable opportunity to seek clarification from the subject
teacher.
10.7 Internal Assessment — Moderation
10.7.1
WEQSC moderates Internal Assessment marks to ensure consistency
across schools. Moderation may involve statistical analysis
of mark distributions, review of a sample of student work,
or both.
10.7.2
Where moderation indicates that a School's Internal Assessment
marks are inconsistent with the School's WISE Examination
results, or with the marks of comparable schools, WEQSC may
require the School to submit evidence supporting the marks.
10.7.3
Where the evidence does not support the marks, or where the
School is unable to provide evidence, WEQSC may apply a
statistical adjustment to the marks. Any adjustment is
communicated to the School with reasons.
10.7.4
A pattern of inflated Internal Assessment marks across two or
more Academic Sessions is a Major Finding under Chapter 28,
and may constitute grounds for Suspension under Chapter 29
where it is severe or repeated.
10.7.5
Moderation does not alter the requirement that Internal
Assessment be carried out by the School. It is a check on
consistency, not a substitute for internal assessment.
10.8 Syllabus Coverage Verification
10.8.1
The School must maintain a coverage record for each subject
and each class, demonstrating that every topic and learning
outcome in the syllabus has been taught.
10.8.2
The coverage record must be signed off by the subject teacher
and countersigned by the Head of Department or, where there is
no Head of Department, by the Principal.
10.8.3
At audit, WEQSC may sample coverage records and cross-check
them against lesson plans, student notebooks, and examination
results. A significant discrepancy between the coverage
record and the observed record is a Major Finding.
10.8.4
Where the School becomes aware, before an examination, that
part of the syllabus will not be covered before the
examination, it must notify WEQSC immediately and propose a
remedy. Concealment of incomplete coverage is a Breach.
10.9 Textbooks and Learning Resources
10.9.1
Core subjects must be taught using textbooks and reference
materials from the WEQSC Approved List, published at
wise.weqsc.org/textbooks and revised not less than once every
three years.
10.9.2
Supplementary materials — workbooks, digital resources, teacher
notes — may be drawn from any source, provided they do not
conflict with the WISE Curriculum Framework or substitute for
the approved core.
10.9.3
Where the approved textbook for a subject is unavailable in
the jurisdiction, or where its price would prevent reasonable
access by students, the School may apply to WEQSC for approval
of an alternative. Approval is granted where the alternative
covers the same learning outcomes to an equivalent standard.
10.9.4
The School must maintain sufficient copies of the approved
textbooks for classroom use, and must ensure that students
who cannot afford to purchase copies have access to them
through the school library or a lending scheme.
10.9.5
A School that fails to provide adequate access to the approved
core textbooks commits a Breach, and the matter is treated as
a Major Finding if it affects more than ten per cent of the
students in any class.
10.10 Curriculum Adaptation Procedure
10.10.1
A School may adapt up to fifteen per cent of curriculum
content to reflect local historical, geographic, cultural, or
linguistic context, in accordance with Section 4.6.2.
10.10.2
Adaptation is confined to content. Learning outcomes,
assessment standards, and the sequence of topics required to
reach those outcomes are not subject to adaptation.
10.10.3
An application for adaptation must be submitted to WEQSC not
less than sixty days before the commencement of the Academic
Session in which it is to take effect. The application must
specify: the subject; the class; the content to be adapted;
the proposed replacement; and the rationale for the
adaptation.
10.10.4
WEQSC will decide an application for adaptation within thirty
days. Approval may be granted unconditionally, granted subject
to conditions, or refused.
10.10.5
An adaptation approved for one Academic Session does not
automatically carry forward. Where the School wishes to
continue the adaptation, it must submit a renewal application
not less than thirty days before the commencement of the
following Academic Session.
10.10.6
Adaptations applied without approval are treated as a
deviation from the WISE Curriculum Framework and constitute a
Breach.
10.11 Language of Instruction
10.11.1
The School may deliver the WISE Curriculum Framework in the
language of the jurisdiction, in English, or in both, at its
election.
10.11.2
Where the language of delivery is not English, the School
must ensure that students are prepared for WISE examinations
in English, and must provide translation support as required
for examination scripts.
10.11.3
All records submitted to WEQSC — student data, Internal
Assessment marks, coverage records — must be in English or
accompanied by a certified English translation.
10.11.4
A School that delivers instruction in a language other than
English, and whose students are therefore at a linguistic
disadvantage in WISE examinations, must notify WEQSC. WEQSC
may, at its discretion, provide additional examination time
or translation support for such students, on terms notified
to the School.
10.12 Practical and Laboratory Teaching
10.12.1
Where a syllabus specifies a practical component, the School
must deliver it in full, in the laboratory infrastructure
required by Chapter 9, using the equipment specified in that
chapter.
10.12.2
Every student must personally perform each prescribed
practical experiment, subject to the provision for paired
work in Chapter 9. Demonstration-only delivery does not
satisfy the practical requirement.
10.12.3
Each student must maintain a practical record book, containing
for each experiment: the aim; the apparatus used; the
procedure; the observations; the result; and the conclusion.
The record book must be signed by the subject teacher and
countersigned by the Laboratory In-Charge.
10.12.4
Practical record books form part of the Internal Assessment
record and must be produced at audit.
10.12.5
Where a School is temporarily unable to deliver a prescribed
practical, it must notify WEQSC within seven days, and must
propose a remedy. Any missed practical must be completed
before the end of the Academic Session.
10.13 Co-curricular, Physical Education, and Adult Education
10.13.1
Physical education is a compulsory component of the WISE Curriculum
Framework. The School must provide the minimum number of physical
education periods per week specified in the table below for each
class in the affiliated levels.
10.13.2
Co-curricular activity — art, music, drama, debate, and similar —
must be provided as part of the School's weekly schedule for
students in Classes KG through 9. One period per week is the
minimum.
10.13.3
In Classes 10, 11, and 12, the co-curricular period is replaced by
a period of Adult Education, in which students are prepared for
the transition from school to tertiary education or employment.
The content of the Adult Education period is specified in the
WISE Curriculum Framework, and includes tertiary admission
awareness, study skills, financial literacy, and civic
responsibility.
| Class |
PE Periods / Week |
Co-curricular / Week |
Adult Education / Week |
| KG through Class 9 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Class 10 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Class 11 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Class 12 | 1 | — | 1 |
10.13.4
Where the School maintains one or more units of Recognised Uniformed
Youth Organisations, participation must be offered to students as an
optional activity, and must be structured so that participation does
not require additional fees of any kind.
10.13.5
Participation in sports, Recognised Uniformed Youth Organisations,
and co-curricular activity is recognised through the Bonus Marks
system set out in Chapter 17. The School must maintain records
of participation, in the form specified in the Bonus Marks
documentation template in Appendix F, in order to support Bonus
Marks claims.
10.13.6
Records of participation must be maintained in the Institution
Management Portal and must be updated within thirty days of each
event or activity.
10.13.7
Where a School is unable to provide physical education for a
student on medical grounds, it must record the reason and provide
an equivalent number of periods of supervised alternative
activity. Medical exemptions must be documented and retained in
the student record.
10.14 Curriculum Breach — Consequences
10.14.1
A Breach of any provision of this chapter is subject to the
audit regime in Chapter 28 and, where applicable, to the
suspension and termination regime in Chapter 29.
10.14.2
The following are classified as Major Findings, unless the
contrary is indicated:
| Breach | Classification |
|---|
| Non-delivery of substantial parts of the WISE Curriculum Framework | Major |
| Exceeding class size or student-teacher ratio limits | Major |
| Inflated Internal Assessment marks | Major |
| Significant gaps in syllabus coverage | Major |
| Deploying unqualified teachers to WISE subjects | Major |
| Non-provision of approved textbooks to students | Major |
| Non-delivery of prescribed practicals | Major |
| Unauthorised curriculum adaptation | Major |
| Failure to maintain required records | Minor (Major if systematic) |
| Late submission of Internal Assessment marks | Minor |
| Delivering instruction in a non-approved language without notice | Minor |
10.14.3
Where a Breach is deliberate, concealed, or repeated across
two or more Academic Sessions, it is classified as Critical
irrespective of its subject-matter, and may constitute
grounds for Suspension under Chapter 29.
10.14.4
The remediation ladder in Chapter 28 applies to all
classifications. Nothing in this chapter displaces the
School's right of appeal under Chapter 35.
Further Resources
- WISE Curriculum Framework —
wise.weqsc.org/curriculum
- Scheme of work template —
wise.weqsc.org/forms/scheme-of-work
- Internal Assessment rubrics —
wise.weqsc.org/ia-rubrics
- Approved textbooks list —
wise.weqsc.org/textbooks
- Curriculum adaptation application —
wise.weqsc.org/forms/adaptation
- Continuing professional development —
wise.weqsc.org/cpd