Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne has warned he will take a much more hands-on approach to what is taught in the nation's schools, as he prepares to overhaul the government body in charge of the curriculum and NAPLAN tests.

In an ominous sign for the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, Mr Pyne vowed not to outsource his ministerial responsibilities and declared the agency was ''not the final arbiter on everything that is good in education''.

Feet under the desk: Education Minister Christopher Pyne, in his Parliament House office on Friday, will take a hands-on approach to his portfolio. Credit:Melissa Adams

And Mr Pyne was not worried about sparking a fresh round of ''history wars'' by claiming the national curriculum favoured progressive causes, saying he did not mind if the left wanted to fight the Coalition on the topic.

''People need to understand that the government has changed in Canberra, that we're not simply administering the previous government's policies or views,'' Mr Pyne said.