Australia will soon finalise the latest National School Reform Agreement – a policy document enjoining all governments to deliver on a range of policy initiatives and reforms aimed at lifting student outcomes in Australian schools. The Agreement focuses on wellbeing, numeracy, literacy and a range of other worthy pursuits; what you won’t find in great measure is any orientation to wonder, awe, beauty, the need for cultural capital, the power of rhetorical skills, the pursuit of veritas, much less any notion of the transcendent. Yet, the agreement comes at a time of increased questioning of mandated curricula, their utilitarian outlook, a narrow focus on job readiness and a recent history of falling learning outcomes; many are reconsidering the practices of the past as a potential guide for the future. 

Schooling in the tradition of the liberal arts is one of the most dynamic areas of inquiry and exploration in education, with frenetic activity across Western jurisdictions including Australia. This paper explores its antecedents, notes the heightened activity taking place abroad and considers the consonance of the liberal arts tradition with Australian schools in the context of a mandated curriculum.