Watching the pendulum swing: Changes in the NSW physics curriculum and consequences for the discipline

For the first time in 17 years, the Higher School Certificate (HSC), New South Wales'(NSW) flagship course that wraps up 13 years of schooling for around 76 000 students each year, is undergoing major changes. As part of the reforms, many courses will be rejuvenated, removed or newly created in an effort to reflect a changing world and workplace and to 'increase standards'[1]. In this article, we discuss the nature and consequences of these changes in terms of HSC physics specifically, whilst commenting more generally on how physicists can positively influence the science education space.