Wednesday March 10 2010: Sydney, Australia LANDMARK RULING OPENS DOOR FOR BULLYING COMPO The Victorian Supreme Court has overruled a Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal decision, and awarded compensation to a girl who was bullied for four years by schoolmates at her primary school. The decision, based on evidence that the bullying was sustained and deliberate, is expected to open the way for other claims against young perpetrators. Under Victorian law, children under the age of 10 are considered too young to form criminal intent. Read more... Wednesday March 10 2010: Melbourne, Australia MATHS ABILITY 'DANGEROUSLY LOW' The latest 'Trends in Mathematics and Science Study', included in a report commissioned by eight Australian universities, has sounded alarm bells over the state of mathematics education in Australia. With the number of students taking the subject in year 12 dramatically dropping and teachers indicating that they have a fear of maths, universities may be forced to consider offering remedial classes. Tighter links between education and mathematics faculties, and increased primary teacher education in maths are two further recommendations to remedy the situation. Read more... Wednesday March 10 2010: Melbourne, Australia PARENTS BULLYING ‘SCORECARDS’ ON MY SCHOOL IMPORTANT Following an announcement by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that information about bullying from the perspective of parents and schools would be included in a future update of the My School website, Adjunct Professor Ken Rigby has underscored the role of open communication in reducing bullying. An expert in the field of peer victimisation, Professor Rigby is advocating the use of increased awareness and explicit anti-bullying policies as ways to tackle bullying. The specific issue of cyber-bullying will be the focus of the Biennial National Centre Against Bullying Conference in Melbourne next month. Read more... Wednesday March 10 2010: Sydney, Australia EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR EDUCATION & PUBLIC ADMIN SECTOR LOOKING STEADY Manpower's Employment Outlook Survey has revealed that opportunities for job seekers have grown in most sectors over the last quarter, indicating a return of confidence after the economic downturn. Seasonally adjusted figures for the Education and Public Administration sector were +19%, just below the figure from the previous quarter. Read more... Sunday March 7 2010: Sydney, Australia CURRICULUM NO RETURN TO 'GOLDEN AGE' The perception that literacy levels were higher in the past has been challenged by research that indicates standards were lower when grammar was explicitly taught. The push for the inclusion of grammar in the new national curriculum stems from the fact that while overall literacy levels have improved, the literacy levels of disadvantaged students have remained low. It is believed that the teaching of traditional grammar within the context of a language and literacy programme, rather than in isolation, will improve outcomes for those students. Professional development of current and trainee teachers in this area is emerging as a key implementation issue. Read more... Sunday March 7 2010: Melbourne, Australia HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF MY SCHOOL WEBSITE Education Consultant Russell Boyle has developed his own Value Added Learning (VAL) index for parents to use to assess schools using My School data. The VAL involves dividing the year 5 average score for a subject by the year 3 score and multiplying by 100. According to Boyle, this figure can then be compared with the VAL of other schools in a way that is far less complex than My School's ICSEA. He has also provided national VAL averages for comparison. Boyle acknowledged that there is a margin of error in all statistics but the VAL is an alternative view of the success of schools. Read more... Sunday March 7 2010: Booragoon, Australia KIDS GET CREATIVE AT BEACH As part of Alcoa's 'Connecting with Schools' programme, 44 art workshops for school children will be run at the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. The workshops will involve working with a variety of materials, including aluminium, and are to be held at Cottesloe Beach. The Alcoa School Education Workshop programme runs from 4 - 23 March. Read more... Sunday March 7 2010: Brisbane, Australia PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION AND ART SHOW COMING SOON FOR BRISBANE STUDENTS Registrations for the Brisbane City Green Heart Schools Public Speaking Competition and Art Challenge are now open. Both sections of the competition revolve around the theme of sustainability in 2010, with prep to year 3 students eligible for the Art Challenge, while the Public Speaking section is open to students from year 4 to year 10. Public Speaking registrations close on 24 March and Art Challenge registrations close on 1 April. Read more... Wednesday March 3 2010: Sydney, Australia MY SCHOOL FOR UNIVERSITIES ON THE WAY The federal government will work with universities across Australia to build a My University website, based on the My School website. Content could include completion and attrition rates, student satisfaction surveys and the results of standardised tests. The proposal has been warmly received by the chief executive of Universities Australia. Read more... Wednesday March 3 2010: Melbourne, Australia 'BLACK ARMBAND' VIEW RISKS NATIONAL CURRICULUM The focus on Aboriginal perspectives in the new national curriculum has led the federal opposition to threaten to maintain the current state-by-state organisation of curriculum if it wins the upcoming federal election. Labelling the draft document as 'black armband' opposition education spokesperson Chris Pyne has lamented the lack of references to British institutions such as Westminster, or to the positive influences of European culture. Education Minister Julia Gillard has responded by saying that the curriculum is 'neither black armband, nor white blindfold.' Read more... Wednesday March 3 2010: Melbourne, Australia LACK OF CONSULTATION ON NATIONAL CURRICULUM The Australian Education Union (AEU) Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos has criticised the speed with which the federal government has released the national curriculum, asserting that inadequate time has been allocated for meaningful consultation. Mr Gavrielatos has also expressed concern about the lack of budget support for resources and professional development to implement of the curriculum. Read more... Wednesday March 3 2010: Brisbane, Australia NATIONAL CURRICULUM PUTS TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOUNG CHILDREN: EXPERTS In contradiction to the emphasis on play-based learning in the government's Early Years Learning Framework for Australians, the new national curriculum places too much of a burden on learning achievements for young children, according to Queensland University of Technology (QUT) experts. The QUT has also raised concerns that some children will experience failure from the earliest stages of schooling if the new measures are not changed. QUT experts contend that a more balanced approach that builds on the strengths of young children is required. Read more... Wednesday March 3 2010: Geelong, Australia SECONDARY STUDENTS DRIVE ROAD SAFETY MESSAGES The Transport Accident Commission has launched a road safety writing competition for Victorian secondary school students. With peer relationships identified as the greatest influencing factor on behaviour, the competition seeks to encourage young people to examine road safety issues in a new way. Entries close on 2 August. Read more... Sunday February 28 2010: Sydney, Australia 'LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR' CURRICULUM WORRIES OPPOSITION In response to newspaper reports about the proposed content of the national curriculum, opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne has raised concerns about the high priority given to events such as Sorry Day. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has played down the emphasis being placed on the role of less crucial concepts, spruiking the national curriculum as a return to the basics that he had at school. Read more... Sunday February 28 2010: Melbourne, Australia BACK-TO-BASICS APPROACH FOR AUSTRALIA'S CLASSROOMS Aboriginal and Asian perspectives and a return to fundamental grammar and phonics skills are some of the central features of the first of the national curriculum drafts to be released on 1 March. While Prime Minister Rudd insists the curriculum represents a 'back to basics' approach, Professor Barry McGaw, who oversaw development of the drafts, suggests the curriculum aims to build on basics to extend students in areas such as literature. English, maths, history and science are the first four subjects to be covered by the national curriculum. Read more... Sunday February 28 2010: Sydney, Australia ACARA CONSULTATION ON THE DRAFT AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is calling for feedback on the draft national curriculum, to be released on 1 March 2010. While 150 schools will be involved in a trial implementing the curriculum, all interested parties are encouraged to provide feedback via the Australian Curriculum website. Consultation on the documents will be open until 23 May. Read more... Sunday February 28 2010: Brisbane, Australia UNI IN SCHOOL CLASSROOM OVERCOMES DISADVANTAGE Queensland University of Technology, in partnership with Education Queensland, has introduced a programme aimed at helping school leavers from areas with low university participation rates into tertiary education. The programme, introduced at four schools to date, sees high school students study university subjects after hours. The programme has the added advantage of strengthening university-school links. Read more... Wednesday February 24 2010: Melbourne, Australia INNOVATIVE WEBSITE TALKS TO YOUNG PEOPLE AFFECTED BY EMERGENCY The Red Cross has launched a new website to support young people who have been through emergencies such as the 2009 Victorian bushfires. The website, titled 'After the Emergency', features real stories from survivors of emergencies and offers teaching resources, digital downloads and learning materials. An MP3 player loaded with information such as trauma recovery tips and music from well-known Australian artists is also available through the website. Read more... Wednesday February 24 2010: Sydney, Australia NATIONAL STANDARD TO MARK TEACHERS The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, a body comprising representatives from all education sectors, has approved National Professional Standards for Teachers which will be used for registration and accreditation of teachers across the country. Professional knowledge, practice and engagement will be reviewed against the standards, which are expected to be in place for teacher education courses by the end of next year. Four levels of proficiency will be identified under the standards, a system that is similar to that already used in New South Wales. Read more... Wednesday February 24 2010: Brisbane, Australia JULIA GILLARD ANNOUNCES DRAFT NATIONAL CURRICULUM TO GO ONLINE ON MONDAY The long-awaited draft national curriculum will be available online from Monday 1 March. The documents, which set out essential content and achievement standards for English, maths, history and science, will be open for public feedback before being adopted nationally in 2011. Read more... Wednesday February 24 2010: Sydney, Australia TEACHERS BRACE FOR ANOTHER NEW YORK INITIATIVE Education Minister Julia Gillard has refused to rule out the possibility of Australia adopting another New York education policy, this time the linking of test results of probationary teachers' classes to their tenure. With the My School website echoing New York initiatives, many fear that Ms Gillard will drive further changes based on the policies of New York schools chancellor Joel Klein. Opponents of the idea, including the national convenor of Save Our Schools, Trevor Cobbold, fear that test scores are being too heavily relied upon as the sole measure of teacher proficiency. Read more... Wednesday February 24 2010: Sydney, Australia CHILDREN TO BE GIVEN IDENTITY NUMBERS Education Minister Julia Gillard is expected to announce a new programme that will assign identity numbers to all Australian school students. The numbers would be used to track the academic performance of students even when they change schools. Although it is understood that measures will be put in place to prevent third parties from accessing student information, the proposal is expected to raise privacy concerns. Read more... Sunday February 21 2010: Sydney, Australia GRAMMAR GUIDE AN 'EDUCATION DISASTER' A grammar guide distributed by the Queensland English Teachers Association has been slammed by a renowned grammar expert as riddled with errors. Although University of Queensland emeritus professor Rodney Huddleston has communicated his concerns to the publication's author, Dr Lenore Ferguson, the guide has remained uncorrected. Dr Ferguson maintains that rather than errors, the contentious points are merely differences of opinion. Read more... Sunday February 21 2010: Sydney, Australia SCHOOL KIDS LEARN ABOUT LYING A new programme being piloted in ten schools in New South Wales will teach year 5 and 6 students to critically consider ethical issues such as lying and animal testing. An alternative to scripture classes, the programme will be run by trained parent volunteers. An independent panel will review the efficacy of the pilot with a view to rolling it out across the state. Read more... Sunday February 21 2010: Canberra, Australia $40M FOR TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ICT The Federal Government has launched a 'Digital Strategy for Teachers and School Leaders' aimed at enhancing the capabilities of teachers to effectively integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into their programmes. The Strategy will include an ICT self-assessment tool which will be linked to an in-school professional development program. A $20m fund has also been established to provide schools across all sectors with grants to undertake ICT projects. Applications will be open in April. Read more... Sunday February 21 2010: Melbourne, Australia LOW TURNOUT 'SKEWING' SCHOOL TEST RESULTS Victoria's strong National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results have been called into question amid revelations that the state has the second highest absentee rate on testing days after the Northern Territory. Opposition education spokesman, Martin Dixon, has suggested the figures could be a result of deliberate manipulation by teachers and schools. Education minister Bronwyn Pike has defended educators, asserting it is 'offensive' to suggest that absences are encouraged to skew results. Read more... Wednesday February 17 2010: Brisbane, Australia STATEWIDE COMMUNITY FORUMS SET TO OPEN UP EDUCATION DEBATE The Queensland State Government's 'A Flying Start for Queensland Children' paper will be presented for public debate in a series of community forums. The forums aim to give parents the opportunity to give feedback on proposals such as moving Year 7 into high school. Read more... Wednesday February 17 2010: Sydney, Australia SCHOOL BILLIONS MISS THEIR TARGET IN RUSH TO SPEND RUDD STIMULUS MONEY Allegations of inflated pricing and unneeded renovations have marred the federal government's Building the Education Revolution programme. While less than one percent of grant recipients have formally complained, some principals are suggesting the unreasonably short time-lines associated with the programme have forced principals to accept building deals that they know to be unfair. Education Minister Julia Gillard has defended the scheme, asserting that it has averted higher unemployment levels in the building industry during the Global Financial Crisis, while delivering upgrades to thousands of schools. Read more... Wednesday February 17 2010: Melbourne, Australia LEGAL THREAT OVER LEAGUE TABLES FOR SCHOOLS Peter Hill, chief executive officer of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has confirmed that legal advice is being sought about the use of data from My School to produce a commercial report ranking schools. Available for $97 over the internet, the report allocates a score to schools based on their average NAPLAN results and also compares suburbs, attendance rates and growth of schools. ACARA has reiterated that My School data should only be used for personal, non-commercial educational use. Read more... Wednesday February 17 2010: Canberra, Australia SCIENCE PRIZES REWARD AUSTRALIAN EXCELLENCE Nominations are now open for the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science. A cash prize of $50 000, a silver medallion and a lapel pin will be awarded to teachers who have demonstrated innovation, creativity and commitment in the categories of Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools and Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary schools. Nominations close on Friday, 21 May 2010. Read more... Sunday February 14 2010: Sydney, Australia BEST START BEGINS BEFORE SCHOOL A programme called Best Start has seen every kindergarten child in NSW public schools being assessed for the first time this year. Information gained from Best Start has identified children who need extra support in gaining basic literacy skills so that early intervention can occur. The programme has also underscored the need for the development of early literacy skills in the pre-school years. Read more... Sunday February 14 2010: Canberra, Australia IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY, LITERACY AND NUMERACY AND SUPPORT FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS Around 2,500 schools identified as being educationally disadvantaged have been chosen to participate in the Federal Government's Smarter Schools National Partnerships. The partnerships involve three components - the Socio-economic Status Schools National Partnership, National Partnership for Literacy and Numeracy, and National Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality. An extra $11 million in funding has also been allocated to support schools who are struggling with literacy and numeracy. Read more... Sunday February 14 2010: Melbourne, Australia 2010 ROSEMARY RICHARDS AWARD Female members of the Australian Education Union (AEU) are encouraged to apply for the 2010 Rosemary Richards Award. The scholarship, now in its third year, allows recipients to pursue a proposal that will expand their skills and knowledge in the AEU's work. Full details are available on the AEU's website. Applications close on 7th May 2010. Read more... Sunday February 14 2010: Launceston, Australia HOW TO GET THE BEST OUT OF THE MY SCHOOL WEBSITE The Australian Parents Council (APC) has released an online resource to help parents effectively use information found on the My School website. The resource summarises fact sheets available on My School, with a view to giving parents guidance to make balanced judgements about school performance. The information can be downloaded from the APC's website. Read more... Sunday February 14 2010: Melbourne, Australia FUTURE LEADERS AWARDS Nominations for the 2010 Future Leaders awards are currently open. The awards are given in the areas of Writing, Environment, Leadership, Justice and Jazz to students in years 11 and/or 12. Specific criteria for each award can be found on the Future Leaders website. All nominations close on 1 August 2010. Read more... Wednesday February 10 2010: Melbourne, Australia NATIONAL APPROACH TO CYBER BULLYING A three-day conference promoting cybersafety with the theme 'Navigating the Maze: cybersafety and well being for schools' will be held in Melbourne from 9 - 10 April. The conference will include talks by international and national cybersafety experts, as well as workshops focusing on a range of issues including where schools stand in relation to the law and strategies that are working in schools. Read more... Wednesday February 10 2010: Melbourne, Australia WHY SHORT MESSAGE PLAY GOES A LONG WAY A new study at Britain's Coventry University has found a strong correlation between literacy skills and the use of text abbreviations. According to the study, a high degree of phonological awareness is required in order to be able to use 'texisms'. The study also found that children gain confidence and enjoy communicating via text messages, which in turn broadens their literacy experiences. Read more... Wednesday February 10 2010: Melbourne, Australia HEADSPACE PROVIDES 'TOP TIPS' FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ON SAFER INTERNET DAY 'Think before you post' is this year's theme chosen by 'headspace', the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, for Safer Internet Day. The initiative includes top 5 'netiquette' tips to help young people communicate sensitively and effectively via the internet and mobile phones, and aims to help people consider the impact of their behaviour on others. Tips include not replying to others when you are angry and respecting other people's views. Read more... Wednesday February 10 2010: Canberra, Australia NATIONAL PILOT TO INCREASE CYBER-SAFETY IN SCHOOLS A pilot involving 164 schools will investigate the role schools play in cyber-safety and foster the development of practices that meet the needs of their students. Funding of $3 million has been provided to help schools review cyber-safety policies and curriculum and provide support to parents and teachers to build their skills and confidence when dealing with cyber-safety issues. Results of the pilot will be independently evaluated, together with the findings of the government's Youth Advisory Group that was established to tackle cyber bullying. Read more... Sunday February 7 2010: Melbourne, Australia TEACH FOR TESTS, TEACHERS TOLD A leaked memo from the Victorian Education Department has urged principals in the Loddon-Mallee region to 'explicitly teach for NAPLAN.' The memo also encourages schools to provide extra help to students whose test scores will most benefit from it, and warns that funding could suffer if results are not improved. The memo comes amid concerns from schools that teaching to the test will be at the expense of providing a broader curriculum to students. Read more... Sunday February 7 2010: Melbourne, Australia UNION WORRY OVER FAST-TRACK TEACHERS The Teach for Australia programme, which places university graduates into teaching positions after six weeks of intensive training, has come under fire from the Australian Education Union (AEU). AEU president Angelo Gavrielatos expressed doubt that the necessary skills and knowledge to teach effectively could be acquired in such a short time. Concerns have also been raised about the amount of funding being directed towards a programme that supports a relatively small number of teaching candidates which could instead be used for mentoring and training for a large number of teachers. Read more... Sunday February 7 2010: Melbourne, Australia THE MY SCHOOL WEBSITE - MEMBERS' FEEDBACK The president of the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA), Leonie Trimper, has sent a letter to principals requesting feedback about the impact the My School website has had on their schools. Suitable feedback is posted on the APPA website. The letter also outlines the APPA's concerns about the potential misuse of My School data, and pledges to make a second approach to the Education Minister to push for the formation of a working group to develop protocols for the use of My School information. Read more... Sunday February 7 2010: Perth, Australia LONGER HOURS FOR STRUGGLING SCHOOLS Principals have reacted with cautious approval to proposals by Education Minister Julia Gillard to extend the hours of structured learning support for children in schools that have been identified as the most disadvantaged. Breakfast clubs and after-school activities are among the measures being considered. While reactions to the proposal have been generally positive, some are concerned that basing funding solely on My School information might lead to inequity in support for neighbouring schools . Read more... Wednesday February 3 2010: Sydney, Australia RURAL SCHOOLS HIT BY TEST ERRORS Experts have warned about the reliability of data relating to small rural schools published on the government's My School website. According to Education Professor Stephen Lamb, a single student's results can have a large impact on the average score of a small school. The results show the importance of taking a broader view of a school's performance. Read more... Wednesday February 3 2010: Darwin, Australia SCHOOLS BREAK RULES Principals in the Northern Territory have been asked to review their financial contributions policies in the wake of claims by parents that some schools are implying that voluntary fees are compulsory. Ambiguous wording and even withholding of access to school resources are among the tactics that it is alleged schools use to encourage parents to pay the fees. The NT Ombudsman has reiterated that 'school fees in the NT are not compulsory'. Read more... Wednesday February 3 2010: Melbourne, Australia LEARNING HOW TO PAY FOR SCHOOL Parents in Victoria with low-incomes are being helped to save for their children's education expenses by a programme run by Jewish Care and the Brotherhood of St Laurence. The programme encourages parents to save throughout the year. Savings of up to $1000 are then matched by the Brotherhood of St Laurence with support from the ANZ Bank. The State Schools' Relief Committee also offers support for parents with costs related to schooling. Read more... Sunday January 31 2010: Sydney, Australia RUDD PROMISES MY SCHOOL REVAMP Results of parent surveys, bullying policies and classroom practices could be included on an expanded My School website if Labor wins the next election. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the improvements will give a 'rounded view of a school's overall culture'. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has countered by suggesting the proposed improvements show the flaws in the current site. Read more... Sunday January 31 2010: Sydney, Australia TEACHERS SLAM INDEX COMPARISON The basis used to group 'similar schools' on the new My School website has been questioned by education professionals. Small, remote schools have been grouped with some of the most elite schools in the country, throwing doubt on the validity of comparisons. Education Minister Julia Gillard has acknowledged that some problems exist, but insists that the site is still a useful tool to compare schools' performance. Read more... Sunday January 31 2010: Melbourne, Australia WHY WON'T JULIA GILLARD PROTECT STUDENTS? Publication of league tables based on My School data by major newspapers has enraged the Australian Education Union (AEU). The AEU is citing Education Minister Julia Gillard's comments about the misleading nature of league tables as evidence that the practice must be stopped. The AEU asserts that teachers and parents recognise the potential damage that league tables may cause and are united in their desire to have them banned. Read more... Sunday January 31 2010: Sydney, Australia MY SCHOOL LAUNCH LEADS TO PARENT FRENZY Parents are already removing their children from schools identified as low performers on the My School website according to The Sunday Telegraph. Public School Principals Forum chairperson Cheryl McBride expressed concern that parents would reconsider their local schools based on the data. Some higher performing schools have also reported increased interest in enrolments. Read more... Wednesday January 27 2010: Sydney, Australia TELL OFF DEFICIENT TEACHERS: GILLARD Education Minister Julia Gillard has acknowledged that data to be published on the My School website could potentially identify specific teachers responsible for a school's poor performance in a particular subject. Ms Gillard also stated that the information could be used to 'put pressure' on people and might cause 'robust conversations' between parents and teachers. The Australian Education Union expressed concern that low-performing students might also be identifiable, and contended that protocols developed by the education ministers last year left out a previously held principle to guard against harming members of the community. Read more... Wednesday January 27 2010: Canberra, Australia SCHOOL DATA TO DISCOURAGE TEST SKEWING The My School website, which will compare schools deemed to have student populations with similar socio-economic backgrounds, will also reveal schools that encourage poorer performing students to be absent on testing days by including participation data. In addition to this, My School will feature information about a broad range of measures, which should make any areas of weakness apparent. Chair of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, Professor Barry McGaw, cautions that there is no single measure of school performance. Read more... Wednesday January 27 2010: Sydney, Australia PRINCIPALS RALLY TROOPS TO COMBAT NEW WEBSITE The president of the NSW Secondary Principals' Council, Jim McAlpine, has sent an email advising principals to use measures such as testimonies from past students and parents, and information in newsletters and school websites to promote their schools. The recommendation has come in response to concerns over backlash for schools when the My School website is launched. Mr McAlpine also suggested that principals stress the intellectual dishonesty of using results from the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy tests as a measure of school performance, as they were designed to be diagnostic. Read more... Sunday January 24 2010: Melbourne, Australia UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE 2010 NATIONAL CURRICULUM SYMPOSIUM Registrations are now open for the Melbourne Graduate School of Education's 2010 National Curriculum Symposium. The programme will include an analysis of the recently released Cambridge Primary Review from Britain within the context of the development of a national curriculum in Australia. Key speakers include Barry McGaw, Chair of the Australian Curriculum, Reporting and Assessment Authority (ACARA) as well the Chairs of each curriculum panel for the national curriculum. Registration is required by Friday 5 February. Read more... Sunday January 24 2010: Canberra, Australia SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS LEADING UP TO THE LAUNCH OF MY SCHOOL The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority has sent a support pack to principals to help prepare them for the imminent launch of the My School website. The pack includes Frequently Asked Questions and a brochure for parents and other interested parties, and principals will also be able to view their own school's information the day before the launch. The Rudd Government has underscored its commitment to publishing school performance data and My School will go live on 28 January. Read more... Sunday January 24 2010: Melbourne, Australia POOR REPORT CARD ON YEAR 12 PROMISE Year 12 completion rates in Victoria fell in 2009 for the first time in 5 years, jeopardising the state government's goal of a 90 per cent completion rate by the end of 2010. Boredom and increased employment opportunities are thought to have contributed to the drop. Many of those not completing year 12 were from disadvantaged or indigenous communities. The Federal Government has set a national year 12 completion rate target of 90 per cent by 2015. Read more... Sunday January 24 2010: Sydney, Australia BOOT CAMP PLAN GETS TEACHERS TRAINED FASTER The first 45 'associates' from the Teach for Australia programme will start in schools this week. Modelled on similar schemes in Britain and the US, the programme offers non-teaching graduates a chance to enter teaching after a six-week training program. The associates are placed in challenging or disadvantaged schools, during which time they continue to study for a graduate diploma of education during their holidays. If successful, the programme may be rolled out nationally. Read more... Wednesday January 20 2010: Sydney, Australia STUDENTS SLUGGED FOR GOVT-FUNDED LAPTOPS: OPPN Students from some South Australian schools are being charged to use school computers at home according to Liberal MP Christopher Pyne. The laptops, purchased with government funding, are free to use during school time, but many schools are imposing a fee on those students wanting them for home use. Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard has confirmed that schools are free to make their own arrangements for use of computers outside school time. Read more... Wednesday January 20 2010: Melbourne, Australia PRIVATE SCHOOLS GETTING 'TOO MUCH MONEY' A report commissioned by the Australian Education Union has labelled the Howard government's socio-economic status (SES) model of school funding as 'unfair and dysfunctional', finding that independent schools are getting a higher proportion of federal funding that their public counterparts. The Independent Schools Council of Australia alleges that this view is misleading as it does not take into account state funding, which makes the total funding per student in public schools almost twice that of independent schools. The government is expected to begin a review of the SES funding model later this year. Read more... Wednesday January 20 2010: California, USA SCIENTIFIC LEARNING'S FAST FORWORD SOFTWARE APPROVED BY AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AS INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM Fast ForWord is an educational software program designed to help young students with Autism Spectrum Disorders process information more efficiently. Based on neuroscience principles, ForWord focuses specifically on skills required to read and learn, including phonological awareness and comprehension. The program is available to eligible students under the Helping Children with Autism funding package. Read more... Wednesday January 20 2010: Sydney, Australia TEACHERS FACE PAY BEING DOCKED OVER TESTS BOYCOTT Teachers in Victoria, the ACT and the Northern Territory could be penalised under federal law if they refuse to administer the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests. Unions in other states also face sanctions if the planned boycott goes ahead. A boycott has been proposed in response to concerns that publication of NAPLAN results will lead to unfair comparisons between schools. Australian Education Union (AEU) federal president Angelo Gavrielatos asserts that the AEU is willing to work with the government to develop strategies to prevent school data from being used to create league tables. Read more... Wednesday January 20 2010: Melbourne, Australia TEACHERS RESOLVE TO ACT ON LEAGUE TABLES In response to concerns over the My School website and its potential use to create school league tables, the Australian Education Union (AEU) is urging teachers and schools not to cooperate with the administration of National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing in May. It is feared that publication of 2009 NAPLAN results in the next week could be used to stigmatise schools in disadvantaged areas. The AEU will meet in April to review progress on the issue. Read more... Sunday January 17 2010: Melbourne, Australia TEACHERS WELCOME BULLY CRACKDOWN Information about the legal and health history of violent students will be made available to NSW teachers. The information, released only if a student shows "serious and worrying violent behaviour" may be used to refer students to one of the state's behavioural schools or tutorial centres when they become too difficult for mainstream schools. Civil libertarians have expressed concern that the new guidelines will lead to prejudice against students with a violent history. Read more... Sunday January 17 2010: Melbourne, Australia BULLIES NEEDN'T BE PUNISHED: STUDY The 'Method of Shared Concern' model for dealing with bullies has been found by a recently released Howard government study to be highly effective in improving or stopping the behaviour of bullies. Developed in Sweden, the method involves mediation sessions which aim to help the bully understand the impact their behaviour has had on the victim. Education Minister Julia Gillard says the study is being considered as part of a review of the National Safe Schools Framework. Read more... Sunday January 17 2010: Adelaide, Australia SUSPENDED COOBER PEDY PRINCIPAL SUE BURTENSHAW VOWS TO FIGHT Investigations into complaints about Sue Burtenshaw, principal of the Coober Pedy Area School, have resulted in her suspension with full pay. Issues with Ms Burtenshaw have been reported since 2007, and an acting-principal has been appointed for first term this year while the most recent eight concerns are looked into. This will be the third departmental inquiry for Ms Burtenshaw since she became principal at the school. Read more... Sunday January 17 2010: Sydney, Australia CATHOLIC SCHOOLS BOOST SHARE OF HSC HONOURS The executive director of Catholic schools in the Sydney archdiocese has attributed the significant increase in students from Catholic schools achieving more than 90 percent in each of their HSC subjects to professional development for teachers and use of test scores to identify improvement areas. The results have also contributed to an increased number of students from Catholic schools receiving the Governor's all-rounder award. The Secondary Principals Council has suggested that the socio-economic background of students is making a difference to the results. Read more... Wednesday January 13 2010: Melbourne, Australia SHAKIN' IT FOR SHAKESPEARE, TEACHERS BRING BARD TO LIFE Teachers studying for a graduate certificate in the teaching of Shakespeare gathered at Melbourne University for a workshop led by Virginia Grainger from the Royal Shakespeare Company. The workshop focused on bringing the texts to life by acting them out, a technique that is recommended as a way to help students understand the complex language. Despite being written nearly 400 years ago, the issues in Shakespeare's texts are still relevant today, with many appearing on the year 12 English and drama curriculum. Read more... Wednesday January 13 2010: Sydney, Australia SCHOOL LITERACY PLAN IS FAILING, SAYS OPPOSITION With more than 20 percent of year 9 students in New South Wales performing below the minimum benchmarks in the NAPLAN reading tests, the state opposition is claiming that the government is overlooking low-performing students. Opposition spokesman on education, Adrian Piccoli expressed concern over the increase in the proportion of students not meeting minimum standards between year 3 and year 9 and called for improved intervention programmes in the middle years. The NSW Auditor-General made similar suggestions about supporting struggling students in 2008. Read more... Wednesday January 13 2010: Sydney, Australia SCHOOLS REDUCE CLAIMS FOR SPECIAL HELP WITH HSC A ten percent drop in claims for special allowances for Higher School Certificate examinations from many private schools has prompted calls for more stringent auditing and assessment of special provision applications. The decrease comes after some schools were named and shamed for misusing the system. The NSW Board of Studies has stressed that applications from schools fluctuate from year to year depending on the cohort, and cautioned against drawing conclusions from only two years worth of data. Read more... Sunday January 10 2010: Sydney, Australia FIGHT LOOMING OVER NT TEACHER PAY High rental costs and increased administrative duties are two of the factors influencing higher pay claims from Northern Territory teachers. The Northern Territory teachers' union has also indicated that the difficulties associated with attracting and retaining quality teachers means that the Northern Territory Government will need to offer competitive salaries. The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to quality education and fair and equitable pay. Read more... Sunday January 10 2010: Perth, Australia NEW STRATEGY ON SEX EDUCATION The Drug and Alcohol Office in Western Australia is developing a new sex education programme aimed at Year 11 and 12 students who will be attending events such as school dances and end of year parties. It is hoped that the programme will teach young people about the relationship between drugs and alcohol and sex, as well as educating them about sexually transmitted diseases. The programme will be introduced by the middle of the year. Read more... Sunday January 10 2010: Perth, Australia TRUANCY STAFFING SLASHED BY A THIRD The number of truancy officers, or 'participant co-ordinators' in Western Australia has been reduced for the 2010 school year, despite claims that school absenteeism is a growing problem. There is also concern that attendance figures are distorted because participant co-ordinators are already in short supply. State budget cuts are being blamed for the reduced staff numbers. Read more... Sunday January 10 2010: Canberra, Australia MORE THAN $168 MILLION FOR TASMANIAN SCHOOLS The Federal Government announced it will provide up to $93.5 million for 112 Tasmanian schools, a figure that will be matched by the State Government. The funding is part of the Smarter Schools National Partnerships programme, which aims to lift education standards for the most disadvantaged schools. Government, Catholic and Independent schools will all benefit from the funding. Read more... Sunday January 10 2010: Melbourne, Australia AUTISM STUDY FINDS THOMAS WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK A study by the University of Cambridge's Autism Research Centre has had positive results in improving the recognition of human emotions for children with autism. Participants in the study watched cartoons featuring human faces on vehicles for 15 minutes a day over a month. The study found that the predictable movement of the vehicles helped children with autism to relate to the often confusing world of human emotion. Read more... Wednesday December 30 2009: Sydney, Australia QLD STUDENTS FOCUS ON ENGLISH AND MATHS The Queensland state government has ordered that students in years one to three spend a minimum of five hours a week learning maths, and seven hours on English. The move is being made in an effort to give priority to key learning areas and prepare schools for the advent of the national curriculum. The Opposition Education spokesman has expressed concern that teachers may lose the flexibility to cater to the specific needs of their classes under the new requirements. Read more... Wednesday December 30 2009: Canberra, Australia DEPARTMENT INFLATING PRICE OF SCHOOL HALL, SAY PARENTS The NSW Department of Education and Training has cautioned public schools not to compare their budgets with Catholic or independent schools when it comes to the Building Education Revolution (BER) programme. The warning was made in response to claims by a NSW public school that it had been informed that the $2.5 million it was eligible for under the BER was not enough to build a 250 square metre hall, despite the fact that a neighbouring Catholic school had built a larger hall for less than half the price. A complaint has been lodged with the NSW Auditor General regarding the funding. Read more... Sunday December 27 2009: Melbourne, Australia TEACHERS PAID TO QUIT SCHOOL Successful applicants for the Victorian Government's Teacher Career Transition Program will be notified from January 8. The program offers lump-sum payouts to teachers who nominate themselves as wanting to leave the profession, and who can demonstrate 'a lack of contemporary teaching skills and a commitment to taking up a new career'. With over 300 applicants in less than a month, the Australian Education Union has called for the program to be expanded. Read more... Sunday December 27 2009: Melbourne, Australia APPLICATIONS FOR THE VICTORIAN EDUCATION EXCELLENCE AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN School leaders, teachers and early childhood professionals are invited to nominate themselves or worthy colleagues in one of 12 categories for the Victorian Education Excellence Awards. The Awards are designed to recognise outstanding achievements in education, and carry prize money that can be used for professional development or educational research. Applications close on Friday 19 February 2010. Read more... Sunday December 27 2009: Brisbane, Australia CENTRE TO TAME VIOLENT PREPS A new centre for violent prep students will open on the Gold Coast in 2010. Based on the American 'Incredible Years' programme, the centre aims to collaborate with parents to teach children to behave in a manner conducive to effective classroom learning. The centre will initially cater for 12 students at a time, although there are calls from the Queensland Teachers Union to expand the initiative throughout Queensland. Read more... Wednesday December 23 2009: Melbourne, Australia VICTORIAN TEACHERS NEW PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP Victorian primary and secondary teachers are invited to a free workshop hosted by the 'Herald Sun's' Teacher Ambassador Program Winners. Findings from the eighth World Young Readers Conference will be presented and teachers will also have the opportunity to participate in demonstrating how to use newspapers effectively in classrooms. The workshop is to be held on 20 January 2010. Read more... Wednesday December 23 2009: Sydney, Australia FOREIGN STUDENTS FLOCKING TO SA A Bureau of Statistics report has revealed that the number of foreign student enrolments in South Australia has more than doubled since 2002. This brings the state's share of international students to 5.3 per cent, representing the largest increase in the country this year. Read more... Wednesday December 23 2009: Melbourne, Australia SCHOOL TEST RESULTS STAGNANT In the wake of the release of the national NAPLAN report, the Federal Government has acknowledged that it will take many years for the disparity between results achieved by students of high and middle socio-economic backgrounds and those of students from poorer families to be redressed. There was little improvement in national results from 2008 to 2009, causing Education Minister Julia Gillard to affirm that the problems with the education system cannot be fixed overnight. Victoria maintained its record as the state with the largest percentage of students at or above minimum standards with the Northern Territory at the bottom of the table. Read more... Wednesday December 23 2009: Canberra, Australia STIMULUS SCHOOLS MAY WIDEN ACCESS As a result of the upgrade to school facilities made possible by the Federal Government's 'Building the Education Revolution' (BER) initiative, ACT Sport and Education Minister Andrew Barr is investigating a mutually beneficial arrangement between schools and community sporting groups. It is hoped that access to school facilities may be traded for services such as sports coaching. The ACT has received $230 million from the BER. Read more... Sunday December 20 2009: Sydney, Australia SCHOOLS IN EDUCATION MINISTER'S SEAT COULD DO BETTER The Victorian School Performance Summary 2009 has revealed that 31 out of the 32 government schools in Education Minister Julia Gillard's electorate of Lalor are performing at a 'similar' or 'lower' level than other schools in the state. While the bulk of schools in the area fall into low or mid to low socio-economic categories, the summary found that student performance in the one school with a high socio-economic profile was ranked 'lower' compared with other schools. Ms Gillard has responded by suggesting that the findings will be used to assist those schools that were under-performing. Read more... Sunday December 20 2009: Canberra, Australia 2009 NAPLAN REPORT RELEASED A detailed National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) report shows that over 90 percent of 2009 participants were above national minimum standards. However, there continues to be a large performance gap between metropolitan students and those living in remote areas. Education Minister Julia Gillard has stood by the controversial My School website, promising that NAPLAN data will be publically available from the end of January. She contends that these results will be used to identify schools requiring higher levels of support. Read more... Sunday December 20 2009: Melbourne, Australia NEW CAMPAIGN TO AMPLIFY YOUTH VOICE The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) is launching an inaugural survey in January aimed at finding out how young people view success at school. Open to secondary students, the survey will be conducted online, and will give students the opportunity to respond via video, text or photography. The survey is being undertaken in partnership with the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Read more... Sunday December 20 2009: Brisbane, Australia SCHOOLS RISK LIABILITY IF CYBER-BULLYING IGNORED Law firm McCullough Robertson is warning school leaders to ensure that they have rigorous policies to control cyber-bullying in place. With 75% per cent of respondents in a recent survey indicating that they are unhappy with current measures being taken to combat cyber-bullying, schools need to adopt a broad range of strategies to combat the problem. It is thought that the incidence of litigation against schools may increase following recent court action that has seen the victims of cyber-bullying winning large damage pay-outs. Read more... Wednesday December 16 2009: Sydney, Australia PARENTS PAYING FOR TEACHERS, TOILET PAPER A survey by the Federation of Parents and Citizens (P and C) groups in New South Wales has found that parents are becoming increasingly disgruntled at the level of fundraising conducted in public secondary and primary schools. Major concerns include funds raised by parents being used for purposes other than those specified, and funds being used to provide what many would consider basic services and resources. P and C federation president Dianne Giblin has expressed surprise over the survey results, which show that parent/school relationships are being compromised in some cases. Read more... Wednesday December 16 2009: Canberra, Australia COMMENTS SOUGHT ON INDIGENOUS EDCUATION ACTION PLAN With the completion of a draft Indigenous Education Action Plan (IEAP), the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs is seeking input from Indigenous Australians, educators and other interested parties. The Plan will then be submitted to the Council of Australian Governments. The IEAP aims to improve results of Indigenous Australians across a range of measures including readiness for school, attendance, and literacy and numeracy. Read more... Wednesday December 16 2009: Adelaide, Australia NEW PROPOSAL FOR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE RANKING Regular school inspections would be used to replace the Federal Government's My School website if the Australian Education Union (AEU) has its way. The AEU will present a ten-point charter to Education Minister Julia Gillard, recommending inspections be used to evaluate the effectiveness of schools, with the results being reported to parliament. AEU federal president Angelo Gavrielatos has stated that the government's current policies to make schools accountable for their results are too narrow in scope. Read more... Wednesday December 16 2009: Sydney, Australia PRINCIPALS SEEK TO HIRE AND FIRE The imminent launch of the My School website comparing schools that are deemed similar, has resulted in a push from principals for greater control over the hiring and firing of staff. As schools are increasingly being made accountable for their results, both primary and secondary principals associations have expressed concerns that principals are not universally empowered to make staffing decisions that could improve educational outcomes. Education Minister Julia Gillard is also in favour of increasing the power of schools to self-manage. Read more... Sunday December 13 2009: Canberra, Australia BUILDING A BETTER PICTURE OF AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT Almost 98 percent of Australian children in their first year of full-time schooling have been included in a study aimed at giving educators an accurate view of early childhood development in Australia. Five key domains, including physical health and wellbeing and social competence were measured by the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI). The AEDI concluded that most children are doing well, but 23.4 percent of children were found to be 'developmentally vulnerable' on one or more domains, while 11.8 percent were vulnerable on two or more domains. Read more... Sunday December 13 2009: Adelaide, Australia ADELAIDE SCHOOLS FIGHT ENERGY DRINKS Concerns about the possible harmful effects of energy drinks on children have sparked an information campaign to increase awareness of the dangers. Parents of all South Australian school children will receive a fact sheet at the start of the school year. While drinks high in caffeine cannot be sold on school premises, many children are bringing their own energy drinks to school in the belief that they will enhance sports performance. Read more... Sunday December 13 2009: Melbourne, Australia AUSTRALIA’S GREEN EDUCATION PRACTICES PRAISED BY INTERNATIONAL STUDY A report written by the International Alliance of Leading Education Institutes has singled out Australia for the commitment shown to educating children for a sustainable future. Australian representative Dr Dianne Chambers praised the way schools have embraced the concept of sustainability in all facets of school life. Integrating Education for Sustainability into school practices was one of eight key recommendations from the report. Read more... Wednesday December 9 2009: Sydney, Australia EDUCATION SYSTEM TOO OLD-SCHOOL FOR A NEW GENERATION OF STUDENTS The Australian Council for Educational Research has released a new report that identifies the need for our education system to evolve in response to the changing needs of students in modern society. While education practices have altered little in the last 50 years, the labour market and job requirements have undergone major changes which necessitate a rethink in our approach to today's students. The report suggests that since it is not the first time that this issue has been documented, it is time to act to make education more flexible and relevant. Read more... Wednesday December 9 2009: Melbourne, Australia BORED TEACHERS STILL IN CLASS Victorian Education Minister Bronwyn Pike has announced that there will be calls for expressions of interest from 'disengaged' teachers who would be willing to take a payout to move to another profession. The call comes after the state Government launched its education blueprint 18 months ago, which promised to remove bored teachers. Administrative issues have delayed the roll-out of the program until now. Read more... Wednesday December 9 2009: Adelaide, Australia PLAN TO START UNI IN YEAR 12 South Australia's Department of Education and Children's Services has opened discussions about the possibility of introducing the study of university subjects in Year 12. The results could then be counted as part of the student's university entrance score. The suggestion has been met with general support as it offers additional pathways for entry into tertiary education, which is in line with the recent Bradley Review of Higher Education. Read more... Wednesday December 9 2009: Adelaide, Australia LINK PUPIL RESULTS TO TEACHERS An OECD report entitled 'Evaluating and Rewarding the Quality of Teachers - International Practices' has recommended that specific teachers should be appraised and rewarded on the results achieved by their students. The report analysed practices in 20 countries to identify the conditions that lead to successful education outcomes. Read more... Sunday December 6 2009: Sydney, Australia HUMAN RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIAN TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS Amnesty International has launched a new education kit for use with trainee teachers in universities. The kit aims to help new educators find ways to incorporate human rights into the curriculum. The kit includes practical activities, resources and a DVD, and will be distributed at no cost to all tertiary institutions across Australia. The DVD will also be sent to secondary schools. Read more... Sunday December 6 2009: Sydney, Australia BIG TICK FOR ACADEMY PRIMARY SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAM The science programs in almost 50 percent of Australian primary schools have been influenced by 'Primary Connections', an initiative of the Australian Academy of Science in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Education. Increased teacher confidence, improved student perceptions and greater time devoted to the teaching of science have been among the reported benefits of the program. There are plans to align 'Primary Connections' to the new national curriculum to be released next year. Read more... Sunday December 6 2009: Sydney, Australia RURAL EDUCATION PROGRAM INJECTS $50,000 INTO OUTBACK KIDS’ EDUCATION The number of families set to benefit from extra tutoring provided under the Rural Education Program (REP) is set to double in 2010 with an additional $50,000 in funding being allocated to Volunteers for Isolated Students' Education (VISE). VISE representatives provide relief tutoring and additional educational support to children on stations and remote areas. The funding will go towards helping pay volunteers' travel expenses. Read more... Sunday December 6 2009: Melbourne, Australia SCHOOL FEE HIKE PUTS PRESSURE ON EDUCATION SAVINGS Despite an expected rise in private and Catholic school fees of six percent in 2010, an IOOF study has found that only 11 percent of respondents identified saving for their child's education as their highest savings priority. Holidays were a more popular option, with 16 percent of respondents choosing this as their first priority. IOOF Investor Solutions General Manager Renato Mota suggests that as nearly two-thirds of parents expect to need $40,000 to put one child through primary and secondary school, education costs need to be seriously considered when budgeting. Read more... Sunday December 6 2009: Adelaide, Australia VET GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT FALLS IN 2009 The latest National Centre for Vocational Education Research study has found that the economic crisis has had a negative impact on the number of VET graduates being employed after training. 77.8% of graduates were successful at finding work in 2009, a drop of almost three percent on last year's figures. There was also a slight drop in the number of students enrolling in further study after their training was completed. Read more... Wednesday December 2 2009: Melbourne, Australia SCHOOLS' WEB TANGLE A survey by school website provider Sponsor-ed has found that while a high proportion of parents would like to have access to school information such as newsletters online, many schools have only promotional or outdated material on their websites. School websites have the potential to act as information portals for parents and students, and can be used to provide links to a variety of resources and appropriate education materials. The Victorian Council of School Organisations suggests that while some schools are using their websites effectively, greater government investment is needed to help schools improve their internet presence. Read more... Wednesday December 2 2009: Canberra, Australia INVESTING IN THE BEST GRADUATES TO BOOST QUALITY TEACHING The first group of 45 graduates from non-teaching fields are about to embark on a 6-week intensive teacher training program at the University of Melbourne. On completion of the course, the graduates will be placed in disadvantaged schools in Victoria as part of the Rudd Government's 'Teach for Australia' initiative. Participants, supported by a mentoring program, will then complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching over two years while continuing to work as teachers. 'Teach for Australia' aims to attract quality candidates to the teaching profession. Read more... Wednesday December 2 2009: Melbourne, Australia TOWARDS AN AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM Peter Hill, CEO of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has released an update on the progress of the new national curriculum. The paper outlines the process used to develop the curriculum to draft stage for the learning areas addressed in the first phase of the project - English, mathematics, science and history. It also describes the anticipated timelines for Phase 2 incorporating geography, languages and the arts. Consultation has been a key element in the formulation of the curriculum to date, and Dr Hill is now calling for expressions of interest from stakeholders, including teachers and discipline academics, who would like to provide feedback on the Phase 1 draft documents. Interested parties have the opportunity to participate via an online survey as well as state and national forums. Read more... Sunday November 29 2009: Sydney, Australia IMAGINE THIS! IMAGINE THAT! The NSW branch of The Children's Book Council of Australia is conducting a conference on 18 and 19 June 2010 focusing on the future of books in the 21st century. Participants will be given the opportunity to meet some of Australian's leading authors and illustrators of children's books, to discuss the direction of children's literature, investigate resources at the trade display and engage in social functions. Read more... Sunday November 29 2009: Sydney, Australia SEND CITY STUDENTS TO BUSH: ACADEMIC Professor John Halsey of Flinders University has suggested that secondary students be sent to rural areas for a term in an attempt to address the difficulties in finding people willing to work in the country. It is hoped such a program might increase young people's interest in and experience of rural life. Read more... Sunday November 29 2009: Sydney, Australia POORER SCHOOLS OUTSHINE THE REST Performance reports for Victorian government schools published online this week have revealed that many schools in disadvantaged areas are having a greater impact on improving students' results than schools in more affluent areas. 81 schools in middle- and high-income areas were identified as high achievers, against 73 in low-income areas. The results published take into account a variety of factors including family background and the location and size of the school, unlike the proposed national results program, which compares schools that are statistically similar. Read more... Sunday November 29 2009: Melbourne, Australia HIGH SCHOOLS LOSE FOREIGN STUDENTS AS FEES, FEARS RISE A 4 percent drop in foreign student enrolments in Victorian secondary schools is being blamed on the stronger Australian dollar which has made education here more expensive for students from countries such as China. There is concern that negative publicity over international students at tertiary institutions in Australia has also had an impact. Foreign students contribute around $4 billion to Victoria's economy annually. Read more... Sunday November 29 2009: Canberra, Australia ADDITIONAL $4 MILLION FOR LITERACY AND NUMERACY IN WA The Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia has been given two grants of $1.9 million to fund literacy and numeracy programs in Independent Aboriginal Community Schools. The funding will be put towards the National Accelerated Literacy project and the Resilient Professional Numeracy Network, programs that have already proved successful at lifting the results of Indigenous Australians. Read more... Wednesday November 25 2009: Adelaide, Australia RUDD TO GIVE $42.8M FOR SCHOOL CHAPLAINS Funding for the National School Chaplaincy Program will be extended into 2011. The program was due to wind up in late 2010, but positive feedback from teachers and principals has led to a reprieve. The program will again be evaluated to decide on its future direction as the funding period expires. Read more... Wednesday November 25 2009: Sydney, Australia NEW LEGISLATION TO ENSURE GREATER ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL Agencies and non-government organisations will be able to work more effectively together to tackle non-attendance at school under new legislation introduced in NSW. The legislation, which aims to ensure children receive an adequate education during the compulsory years, also increases the Department of Education and Training's ability to access information relevant to a child's truancy and focuses on liaising with interested parties to help the child back into the school system, in preference to legal action. Where legal action is initiated, the emphasis will also be on resolving issues that are causing non-attendance, rather than punishment. Read more... Wednesday November 25 2009: Melbourne, Australia PLAY ON WORDS The use of phonics in the teaching of English has been encouraged by neuroscientists researching the brain's activity during reading. Cognitive neuroimaging technology has revealed that children learning English require highly active brains due to the complex nature of the language. Neuroscientist Professor Stanislas Dehaene also suggests that simplification of language while texting or online may eventually lead to permanent changes which make English easier to learn. Read more... Wednesday November 25 2009: Canberra, Australia 2009 NATURAL HISTORY CHALLENGE Alix Biggs, a student at Canberra Girls' Grammar School, was announced as the 2009 National Young Historian of the Year at a ceremony at Parliament House. The title, offered by the History Teachers' Association of Australia, was awarded as part of this year's National History Challenge, which focused on the topic 'Triumph over Adversity'. Year level awards and Young Historian Awards in each state were also presented by Minister for Veterans' Affairs Alan Griffin. Read more... Monday November 23 2009: Melbourne, Australia MATHS COACHING FOR TEACHERS A $5 million government program aimed at lifting interest and achievement in maths will be launched in Victoria next year. The program will see specialist maths coaches deployed to train primary teachers to use hands on maths experiences with their students. The coaches will target schools in low-socio economic regions. Read more... Friday November 20 2009: Adelaide, Australia RUDD TOLD TO KEEP SCHOOL CHAPLAINS The Opposition has urged the Federal Government to maintain funding for chaplains in 2,700 schools across Australia. The National School Chaplaincy program provides non-denominational spiritual guidance for government schools and is due to expire at the end of the year. Read more... Friday November 20 2009: Brisbane, Australia QLD'S NEW PRE-PREP YEAR: THEY'RE HERE TO PLAY All four year-old children will have access to a university trained educator as part of the Queensland government's new Pre-prep program. Both childcare and early childhood education centres will be adopting the national Early Years learning framework, which encourages children to learn through play and interaction. The focus on the program is on 'being, belonging and becoming'. Read more... Friday November 20 2009: Melbourne, Australia CHILDREN LEARN THROUGH CONFLICT The University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education has released results of a study into children and conflict. The study found that children learn vital social skills by being responsible for resolving conflicts themselves. It also revealed that adults tend to recommend strategies they themselves find useful in resolving problems, whereas children do not necessarily follow the same thought processes. Further research will be undertaken to evaluate strategies educators use to help children manage conflict. Read more... Wednesday November 18 2009: Melbourne, Australia SCHOOLS THE MAJOR SITE FOR YOUTH RACISM, NEW REPORT FINDS A study involving 823 students from 18 secondary schools across Australia has found that schools are the most common settings for racism affecting young people. The 'Impact of Racism upon the Health and Wellbeing of Young Australians' study also revealed that 80% of participants from non-Anglo backgrounds and 55% from Anglo backgrounds had experienced racism. A report about the study's findings concluded that school education programs reduce racist behaviour, which highlights the need for increased professional development for teachers and learning materials for students on the topic. Read more... Wednesday November 18 2009: Glenunga, Australia STORIES OF US 'Stories of Us' is an anti-bullying resource for primary and secondary schools, produced in association with Optima Psychologists and Mediators, and the South Australian Film Corporation. The series of videos was developed in consultation with students, who then wrote scripts and acted in dramatisations to share common experiences. The resource also comes with Teacher's Guides which give lesson plan outlines and support information. Read more... Wednesday November 18 2009: Sydney, Australia GILLARD 'TO END PARENTS' GUESSING' Education Minister Julia Gillard has hit back at critics of the government's plans to publish school results, suggesting that without the information, parents would not know if their children were attending underperforming schools. While many have expressed concern over the proposed website, Ms Gillard insists that it is a key strategy in the government's push to improve education for all children, and especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Australian Education Union is leading a campaign to try and stop school results being used to create league tables. Read more... Wednesday November 18 2009: Melbourne, Australia PARENTS, TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS CALL FOR ACTION ON SCHOOL LEAGUE TABLES A letter to the Education Minister Julia Gillard from major education organisations such as the Australian Education Union, the Australian Council of State School Organisations and the Australian Parents Council has called for a rethink on the data to be published on the controversial MySchools website. The letter contends that NAPLAN data was never intended as a tool to measure school performance and suggests that there are more effective ways to identify schools that need extra support. The signatories of the letter are asking Ms Gillard to justify how publishing the data will assist schools and also want assurances that steps will be taken to prevent the creation of league tables. Read more... Sunday November 15 2009: Melbourne, Australia TEACHER WAGES TO BE LINKED TO TEST RESULTS A trial of merit-based pay will take place in 25 Victorian state schools next year. The Teacher Rewards scheme will draw on NAPLAN results to help decide which teachers will be eligible for a bonus of up to $7000. Both The Australian Education Union and teachers expressed concern over the scheme, while Education Minister Bronwyn Pike reiterated the government's commitment to exploring ways to increase learning outcomes. Read more... Sunday November 15 2009: Hindmarsh, Australia A NATIONAL CONVERSATION WITH PRINCIPALS AND THE HON JULIA GILLARD The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, held the inaugural National Conversation with Principals on 10 and 11 November. A keynote address from Ms Gillard covered many important issues in education, including the national curriculum, Indigenous education and the new 'Myschool' website. Principals were given the opportunity to provide feedback to the Minister on six different areas, after which Ms Gillard committed to ten action points addressing their concerns. Attendees were grateful for the chance to engage directly with the Minister. Read more... Sunday November 15 2009: Canberra, Australia OUR DIVERSE SCHOOLING SYSTEM - BUILDING A MORE SOCIALLY COHESIVE AUSTRALIA A National Symposium will be held by the Independent Education Union of Australia (IEUA) to discuss and celebrate the contribution made by non-government schools in the area of social well-being in Australian society. A report investigating this topic was commissioned by the IEUA and will be released at the forum. Participants from a range of schools and associations connected with non-government education will be invited to attend. Read more... Wednesday November 11 2009: Sydney, Australia SCHOOLS LAG IN STUDY ALLOCATION, SAYS REPORT The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has released a report indicating that time spent teaching literacy and numeracy to nine to 11 year olds in Australia is well below the OECD average. While the president of the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) queried the results, citing a study by the APPA which found that 58% of time is spent on literacy and numeracy instruction, the lack of prescribed subject time in primary schools might also explain the statistics. Despite these findings, Australia has the second highest rate of entry into tertiary education. Read more... Wednesday November 11 2009: Melbourne, Australia THINKING BEYOND THE BOX Internationally renowned interior designer Mary Featherstone has urged schools to use the grants from the Federal Government's stimulus package to design flexible learning spaces that are adaptable to contemporary education practices. Building fit-outs should consider how the space will be used, to facilitate independent, small group and whole class learning. Ms Featherstone has been involved in designing innovative and practical school environments for over 20 years, working with the Education Department as well as many Victorian schools. Read more... Wednesday November 11 2009: Sydney, Australia SCHOOLS WEBSITE GIVEN TEST RUN Principals from 150 schools have been given a preview of the controversial website which will include numeracy and literacy test results from almost 10,000 schools. Some principals reiterated previous concerns that the information could be read in isolation without taking into account the many intangible aspects of education. But Education Minister Julia Gillard stressed the importance of measuring results, insisting that the website will help identify schools requiring more help. Read more... Sunday November 8 2009: Brisbane, Australia LUTHERAN TEACHERS SET TO STRIKE IN QUEENSLAND Lutheran teachers are the latest to join the fight for improved wages with a half day strike on 19 November. The action is being taken in support of pay parity for teachers across all sectors and follows similar action by state and Catholic school teachers. The strike will include a rally and march in a bid to align Queensland Lutheran teachers' pay with that of their counterparts in other states. Read more... Sunday November 8 2009: Canberra, Australia NEW CITIZENSHIP RESOURCE FOR SCHOOLS 'I am Australian: Exploring Australian Citizenship' is a new educational resource kit to help children from all backgrounds appreciate what it means to be Australian. Aimed at upper primary and lower secondary students, the kit includes classroom activities designed to help children understand civic responsibilities and the cultural heritage of our country. The book has been produced by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Read more... Sunday November 8 2009: Sydney, Australia SCHOOLS RATED ON STUDENTS' PROGRESS The Victorian government is leading the way on school report cards, launching The Victorian School Performance Summaries this month. The Summaries, developed by Melbourne University, use measures including test scores and student wellbeing and engagement to assess the effectiveness of schools. The fact that the reports take into account a variety of factors, from school location to language background, and not just test scores, has earned support from bodies such as the Victorian Principals Association, as they represent more meaningful data than simplified league tables. Read more... Wednesday November 4 2009: Sydney, Australia POOR MARKS FOR EDUCATION REVOLUTION The Rudd Government's Education Revolution is failing in key areas such as school autonomy and ridding the system of obsolete ideology according to former dean of education at Melbourne University, Brian Caldwell. Professor Caldwell also expressed concern over the national testing program and upcoming publication of league tables ranking schools. Although he praised the long awaited development of a national curriculum and the increased investment in infrastructure, Professor Caldwell believes we should be looking to countries such as Finland, who have demonstrated success in education, to improve teacher education, and school programs and structures. Read more... Wednesday November 4 2009: Melbourne, Australia HOW TO BEAT BOREDOM The final weeks of the school year can be made highly valuable to secondary students according to experts such as Professor Stephen Dinham of the Australian Council for Educational Research. Rather than filling in time with DVDs, it is suggested that now is an ideal time to run programs that are otherwise difficult to fit into a busy curriculum. Many schools are taking advantage of having extra help from senior teachers whose duties have decreased, to introduce structured programs ranging from sex education and film making to getting an early start on next year's study. Such initiatives have a positive effect on student engagement and attendance. Read more... Wednesday November 4 2009: Sydney, Australia TEACHERS UNION BACKS ACADEMY PROPOSED BY NOEL PEARSON A proposal for an Aboriginal Australian Academy in Cape York has met with general approval from the Queensland Teachers Union (QTU). The Academy will offer extended school hours in which students would learn basic literacy and numeracy skills in English, followed by health and physical education, and cultural activities encompassing traditional language studies. The QTU is eager to consult with the federal and state governments and Pearson to ensure that the expectations of teachers at the Academy are clear. Read more... Sunday November 1 2009: Canberra, Australia RECOGNISING TEACHING EXCELLENCE - 2009 AWARD WINNERS In time for World Teachers Day, the Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, has presented the Australian Awards for Teaching Excellence. The awards recognise the importance that teacher quality plays in education outcomes and were bestowed upon 64 teachers, principals and school support staff. The Rudd Government has a number of initiatives to develop and retain quality teachers as part of the Education Revolution. Read more... Sunday November 1 2009: Sydney, Australia LOW EXPECTATIONS A ROAD TO FAILURE Respected educator John Fleming claims that teachers in struggling schools are imposing low expectations on their students. Mr Fleming believes that publishing standardised test results will give educators a more accurate picture of how their students are performing against national benchmarks, paving the way for setting higher goals. Mr Fleming was responsible for a drastic improvement in results at Belfield Primary in Melbourne where he was principal for ten years. He is now at Haileybury where he has already had similar success with a return to a more traditional, direct- instruction style of teaching. Read more... Sunday November 1 2009: Sydney, Australia OPENING A WINDOW OF EDUCATION Up to 400,000 children in Australia's most remote areas will receive a computer from the charity One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). In partnership with the Commonwealth Bank, OLPC aims to increase learning opportunities and student engagement in isolated communities. The laptops have been specially designed to resist humidity, have screens that can be read in bright sunlight, and can even be charged by solar power. OLPC operates in 29 countries, most of them developing, and has already helped hundreds of thousands of children to access a world beyond the classroom. Read more... Wednesday October 28 2009: Melbourne, Australia MANY TEACHERS UNQUALIFIED FOR THEIR SUBJECT In a survey of almost 1500 Victorian government school principals, the Australian Education Union has found that more than half of the state's secondary schools have teachers responsible for instruction in subjects outside their qualifications. It is feared that the chronic shortage of qualified teachers in subject areas such as maths will lead to a lack of student interest in these disciplines. Angelo Gavrielatos, federal president of the education union, asserts that the problem will only get worse unless action is taken, as a large number of qualified teachers are nearing retirement. The Government has, however, introduced measures such as $626 million of funding for schools to increase the numbers of maths and science teachers, in recognition of the issue. Read more... Wednesday October 28 2009: Canberra, Australia A NATIONAL CONVERSATION WITH PRINCIPALS The national curriculum, school infrastructure and Indigenous education are among the topics to be discussed at a national principal forum to be held in November. Principals from 150 schools from all states and territories and across all sectors will be invited by the Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, to participate in the forum. The 'National Conversation with Principals' will also garner opinions about the role to be played by the new Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership as well as providing an opportunity to engage with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Read more... Wednesday October 28 2009: Brisbane, Australia ONE PLUS TWO EQUALS BETTER TEACHERS The Queensland University of Education plans to offer two years of supported professional learning to its Graduate Diploma in Education graduates. Based on a '4+2' model offered at the University of Aberdeen, the 'one plus two' model would provide teachers with ongoing assistance through the creation of an online community that will allow graduates to maintain professional and social contact with each other. Online resources and other flexible learning opportunities would also be available. The program is being developed in consultation with education students over the next few months with a view to offering it to 2009 graduates. Read more... Wednesday October 28 2009: Sydney, Australia RESULTS FOR PHONICS MAKE GREAT READING The Exodus Foundation, an organisation supporting marginalised and disadvantaged people, has had great success with its new literacy tutorial centre in Darwin. The phonics-based Multilit (Making Up Lost Time in Literacy) program, which was developed by education researchers from Macquarie University, has assisted the initial 18 participants to make impressive gains over the 18 week course. Assisted by federal government funds, the Exodus Foundation plans to open three further centres this year to provide phonics instruction to struggling readers. Read more... Sunday October 25 2009: Melbourne, Australia INTERPRETING NAPLAN RESULTS FOR THE LAY PERSON A new research paper, written by University of Melbourne academic Margaret Wu, urges parents and teachers alike to use caution when interpreting NAPLAN results for both individuals and schools as a whole. The paper explains that for any student sitting a single test of 40 questions, similar to the NAPLAN numeracy test, results may vary by as much as 12%. The margin for error is even greater when the tests are administered two years apart. The report also raises concerns about using the results to judge teacher and school performance. Factors out of teachers' control such as teacher 'luck' in terms of the academic ability of a particular class, and the wide range of influences on student performance in and beyond the classroom can also affect test results. Read more... Sunday October 25 2009: Canberra, Australia NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT TECHNOLOGY IS VITAL TO 21ST CENTURY LEARNING The use of information and communications technology (ICT) to improve learning outcomes was the subject of a recent study by the University of Canberra. The research revealed that students value technology in educational settings for its ability to engage and motivate learners. They also see ICT as a useful learning tool for research and skills practice. The 'Listening to Students' and Educators' Voices: Research Findings' support the Rudd Government's Digital Education Revolution, a program dedicated to improving access to and use of ICT in education. Read more... Wednesday October 21 2009: Perth, Australia NSW GOVT EXPANDS 'SUPER TEACHERS' SCHEME An additional $175 million has been allocated to improve resources and teaching in some of New South Wales' low socio-economic areas. In total 616 schools across all sectors will receive funding that can be used in a range of ways including hiring a "highly accomplished teacher", additional teacher training or for developing after school-care programs. It is hoped that the expansion of the initiative will enhance educational outcomes in schools in disadvantaged areas. Read more... Wednesday October 21 2009: Melbourne, Australia BACKING FOR MC DONALD'S ROLE IN SCHOOLS Education experts at a conference in Melbourne have encouraged schools to seek corporate sponsorship or investment to boost their funding. While concerns have been raised about the use of corporate branding in schools affiliated with big business, it was generally agreed that these were outweighed by the potential benefits. Opponents of school-business partnerships cite a lack of guidance about choosing suitable corporate sponsors and the possibility of a corresponding decrease in government funding as potential drawbacks of the initiative. Read more... Wednesday October 21 2009: Kangaroo Flat, Australia CREATING TOMORROW'S BOOK AND TRAVEL LOVERS WITH THE ART OF CONVERSATION Two new editions of 'The Art of Conversation', a game designed to stimulate oral language, will be released on 10 November. The Art of Conversation: Literary Edition includes starter questions to encourage learners to use their own experiences, thoughts and reactions to respond to a single literary work or to a body of works. The Art of Travel Conversation draws on disciplines such as geography, history and languages to promote discussions about topics including philosophy, world treasures and even travel tips. Both editions come with comprehensive endnotes that introduce children to relevant subject-specific terms. Read more... Sunday October 18 2009: Canberra, Australia 'NATIONAL SOLAR SCHOOLS' IS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED TO NEW CLAIMS UNTIL 2010 With more than half of Australian schools registered to participate, the 'National Solar Schools' program has been suspended to new claims. The high demand for funding has meant that the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts will use existing claims to allocate remaining funds budgeted for 2009-10. Claims submitted before 15 October 2009 will be processed as part of this year's program. Claims for the following financial year will be accepted from May 2010. Read more... Sunday October 18 2009: Melbourne, Australia TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAYS IN CANBERRA Special learning days for secondary teachers passionate about art will be held in Canberra on 7 and 8 December. Each one day program will include a tour of the 'Masterpieces from Paris: Van Gogh, Gaugin, Cezanne and beyond' exhibition, incorporating an educational briefing, background material and teacher resource materials. The program also includes the opportunity to visit collections in the National Portrait Gallery and Australian War Memorial. Places are limited and registrations are due before Monday 2 November. Read more... Thursday October 15 2009: Brisbane, Australia SEXUALITY EDUCATION HONOUR ROLL NOMINEES ANNOUNCED To mark 21 years of sexuality education in Queensland schools, Family Planning Queensland has announced nominees for inclusion in the 2009 honour roll. The roll aims to acknowledge contributions made to sexuality education since its inception, giving recognition to pioneers in an area that is important, but often controversial. Read more... Thursday October 15 2009: Canberra, Australia ASIAN LITERACY GRANTS FOR 141 SCHOOLS Grants of $1.8 million have been allocated to 141 schools as part of the Rudd Government's 'Becoming Asia Literate: Grants to Schools' outreach program. The program aims to equip young people to communicate effectively with our Asian neighbours, and supports teaching and learning of language or cultural studies relating to China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea. An additional $1 million of funding has been allocated in this round of the grants due to the high number of applicants. Round Two will open in 2010. Read more... Sunday October 11 2009: Canberra, Australia NATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE 2009 A National Education Conference, presented by the Australian Council of State School Organisations and the Australian Parents Council will be held in Hobart from 12 - 13 October. The Conference will explore contemporary issues in education, including how to build meaningful relationships between schools and the community and how to meet the needs of students, parents, teachers and principals in our changing world. Conference presenters include leading figures in education from Australia and overseas. Read more... Sunday October 11 2009: Canberra, Australia HELPING DROUGHT-AFFECTED FAMILIES WITH EDUCATION EXPENSES Schools in drought-affected areas have received $17.4 million to help rural families with education expenses. Eligible schools received up to $10,000 each which principals were able to use to subsidise whole class or school activities, or to support families most in need. The 2009-10 budget has extended drought assistance measures to 30 June 2010. Read more... Sunday October 11 2009: Sydney, Australia LEARNING TO LEAD: FOCUS FOR CYBER BULLYING SUMMIT Leadership will be the focus of the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development's upcoming summit on cyber bullying. Speaker Bec Heinrich, CEO of Rising Generations, believes that the technology itself is not the problem and wants teenagers to be actively involved in setting guidelines that will foster healthy relationships and positive communication while using technology. Rising Generations is an organisation committed to helping young people reach their potential by offering a range of programs in areas such as leadership and self-esteem. Read more... Wednesday October 7 2009: Melbourne, Australia EVALUATION SHOWS KIDSMATTER A SUCCESS The federal government has announced it will increase funding of Kidsmatter, a national mental health initiative for children, by $18.7 million dollars over the next three years. The funding will be used to expand the Kidsmatter Primary initiative and pilot a similar Early Childhood program. The increase comes after a recent independent evaluation report found that Kidsmatter has had a positive effect on the social and emotional wellbeing of children and has also provided support and education to help teachers deal with mental health issues. Resources for primary school staff are available on the Kidsmatter website. Read more... Wednesday October 7 2009: Melbourne, Australia VICTORIAN PRIVACY COMMISSIONER CALLS FOR PAPERS FOR NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND PRIVACY, 21 MAY 2010 The Victorian Privacy Commissioner, Helen Versey, is seeking presentations for the Children, Young People and Privacy Conference. The conference will focus on different aspects of privacy including cyber-bullying and online safety, the impact of growing up with potentially intrusive technology and the practicalities of applying privacy laws to children and young people. Papers may take the form of case studies and lectures or workshops. Interested parties have until 15 January 2010 to submit an abstract of their proposed presentation. Read more... Wednesday October 7 2009: London, UK TIMES EDUCATION - QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2009 The Times Education - QS World University rankings for 2009 have been released with Harvard University again in top spot. Cambridge has overtaken Yale to take out 2nd place, while University College London moved up from 7th to 4th. Australian universities were well represented with eight entries in the top 100. The Australian National University ranked highest in 17th place, followed by the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney in equal 36th place. Read more... Sunday October 4 2009: Canberra, Australia STATES WARY OF 'LITERARY CURRICULUM' The West Australian and Tasmanian governments have made submissions challenging the definition of literature used in the draft framework for the national English curriculum. Among their concerns is the feeling that the proposed framework is conservative in its outlook, and that it places too much emphasis on cultural appreciation, rather than critical literacy in the study of texts. The New South Wales government has strongly endorsed the central focus given to literature in the draft. Read more... Sunday October 4 2009: Hindmarsh, Australia APPA SURVEY: BUILDING THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION A survey of primary principals has revealed that 85% of respondents strongly support the Federal Government's Building the Education Revolution program (BER), despite media reports suggesting it has major difficulties. Most schools see the BER as an unprecedented opportunity to upgrade their facilities in order to deliver education that meets the needs of students in the 21st century. While some principals have encountered problems with issues such as timelines and consultation processes, the majority suggest the program is breathing new life into primary schools. Read more... Sunday October 4 2009: Canberra, Australia ANTI-POVERTY WEEK Anti-Poverty Week runs from the 11th to the 17th of October. Schools can get involved by organising an activity, such as getting to know a local or community welfare organisation, by using the week to focus on teaching children about poverty or by launching a program that will ensure students experiencing poverty or hardship can participate fully in all school activities. The Anti-Poverty Week website has full details on how to take part. Read more... Wednesday September 30 2009: Melbourne, Australia STUDENTS TO ADVISE ON TACKLING CYBER-BULLYING The Victorian State Government will hold a summit next month to ask students how to tackle the issue of cyber-bullying. About 200 year 10 students from public and private schools will be involved in suggesting initiatives that will support measures already taken by the Government to curb the problem. Read more... Wednesday September 30 2009: Sydney, Australia DISPUTE ON TEACHER STANDARDS BODY Education ministers are meeting to propose a National Teachers Institute to replace the Howard government's Teaching Australia. It is expected that the institute will be responsible for accreditation of teachers against nationally agreed standards. While the institute's board will include representatives from each state and territory government and the Catholic and independent school systems, the current draft excludes teacher unions. Union representatives contend that their inclusion is necessary to protect members' professional and industrial interests. Read more... Sunday September 27 2009: Melbourne, Australia BACKLASH AT SCHOOLS RANKING Some educators are threatening to boycott national literacy and numeracy tests if plans go ahead to publish results that group schools according to students' backgrounds and then use academic performance to rank them. While federal Education Minister Julia Gillard remains committed to "a new era of school transparency", the lack of promised contextual detail, such as how schools have assisted students starting from a lower standard due to poverty or disadvantage, has raised concerns that the information is of limited value. Education ministers are expected to sign off on the online reporting system on Monday. Read more... Sunday September 27 2009: Melbourne, Australia 2009 ACS JUDITH LEESON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CAREER TEACHING Entries for the Australian Career Service Judith Leeson Award for Excellence in Career Teaching will open on October 5th. Principals from both primary and secondary sectors can nominate teachers who have demonstrated excellence in advancing career development in their school. Prizes include $5,000 for each winner's school, plus conference registration, travel and accommodation for the 2010 Career Development Association of Australia Annual National Conference, where the awards will be presented. Read more... Wednesday September 23 2009: Melbourne, Australia SECONDARY TEACHERS FAMILIARISATION TOUR OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL The Australian Secondary Principals Association is conducting a special familiarisation tour of the National Capital for secondary teachers. Running from 6 - 9 November, the tour will cover 16 attractions and institutions that may be suitable for student excursions and camps. The tour cost of $350 ($250 if no transport is required) includes transport, transfers, accommodation and most meals. Places are limited and subject to a selection process. Read more... Wednesday September 23 2009: Sydney, Australia PARENTS DON'T WANT SCHOOLS NAMED AND SHAMED: POLL A recent telephone poll of 1000 parents with school aged children found that nearly two-thirds oppose the creation of school league tables. This was supported by Angelo Gavrielatos, president of the Australian Education Union, who contended that there is no evidence that league tables improve educational outcomes. Parent cited concerns that league tables would undermine the confidence of students in lower-performing schools, and the fact that the government already has data to identify struggling schools in need of assistance as major arguments against the publication of league tables. A spokesperson for Education Minister, Julia Gillard reiterated the government's commitment to providing information about how students and schools are performing. Read more... Tuesday September 22 2009: Canberra, Australia NATIONAL MAPPING OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING REPORT A report into the learning practices of Australian teachers was released last week. The 'National Mapping of Teacher Professional Learning Report' reiterated the importance of professional learning as a crucial element in creating educational change. Key findings of the report acknowledged the quality of teacher learning in seven major areas, and underlined the link between quality teaching and student achievement. The report will be used to guide the direction of professional development in the future and will also be considered in the ongoing work to establish professional teaching standards, a national professional learning network and the professional learning needs of teachers within the context of the upcoming National Curriculum. Read more... Tuesday September 22 2009: Sydney, Australia DELAY PUBLISHING RESULTS: PRINCIPALS Principals and teachers have urged the federal government to postpone publishing results from national literacy and numeracy tests on the public "My School" website later this year. The call to delay publication comes amid fears that the results will put undue pressure on struggling schools by creating league tables after education ministers approved a format that omits crucial details about the funds schools receive from various sources. This is despite the Rudd government's commitment to transparent reporting of school performance and characteristics. While Education Minister Julia Gillard continues to assure members of the public education lobby that the government will not publish simplistic information by which schools could be ranked, contextual information regarding funding sources will not appear on the My Schools website until next year. Read more...