As part of the Australian Government's Building the Education Revolution initiative, all Australian schools - primary and secondary, government and non-government - are eligible for funding under the National School Pride Program to undertake construction of small-scale infrastructure and/or minor refurbishment projects such as:

• Refurbishment of buildings;
• Construction or upgrades of fixed shade structures, covered outdoor learning areas, sporting grounds and facilities;
• Green upgrades (water tanks), insulation; and
• Specialised infrastructure support for students with disabilities or special needs.   

As the effects of climate change are increasingly felt worldwide and schools accept a responsibility as role models for students and local communities, many schools are considering introducing water conservation measures to their schools.

BlueScope Water

Following the success of the Tank-A-Day Challenge for primary schools and the experience gained from involvement in hundreds of Australian Government Community Water Grant projects, BlueScope Water is again proud to be supporting Australian schools in their sustainability journey.

BlueScope Water is pleased to offer schools a complete solution for the National Solar Schools Program (NSSP), managing the project from start to finish, including the provision and installation of:

• Rainwater harvesting systems
• Photovoltaic solar systems
• Solahart hot water systems
• Wind turbines

BlueScope Water aims to maximise the educational objectives of the NSSP program via existing resources and new educational products.

Read more at http://www.bluescopewater.com/go/schools

BlueScope Water is a sponsor of the Australian Council of State School Organisations

Irrigation & Water Technologies is an Australian company that manufactures and markets the world's current best-practice irrigation systems for commercial, agricultural and domestic applications, winner of the People's Choice Award on ABC's The New Inventors in 2005 and Outright Winner in 2008.

The KISSS irrigation system has been installed by many schools around Australia, including:

• Creek Street College, Bendigo (Vic)
• Canberra Grammar School (ACT)
• Eatons Hill Public School (Qld) (Using recycled water)
• Flinders View Primary, Port Augusta (SA)
• Pacific Hills Christian School, Dural (NSW)
• St Liborius School (Vic)
• Wandoan State School (Qld)

The system has demonstrated water savings of 60% compared to sprinklers. Additionally KISSS has significant benefits compared to conventional drip irrigation including being the safest irrigation system for using Recycled water. The KISSS irrigation technology is Australian invented, owned and manufactured.

IWT currently has a special offer for schools, including remote soil moisture monitoring and an educational package to enable students and staff of the school to engage in the water use/savings for their sporting/playground area.

Download the Schools Offer Summary at http://www.acsso.org.au/pdf/iwtsosum.pdf
Download the Detailed Schools Offer at http://www.acsso.org.au/pdf/iwtsodet.pdf
Read more at http://www.iwtech.com.au/

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Many regional and local water services providers have developed specific resources for schools, including:

• Thinkwater, ACT: http://www.thinkwater.act.gov.au/
• Sydney Water, NSW: http://www.sydneywater.com.au/
• PowerWater, NT: http://www.powerwater.com.au/
• Qld Water Commission, Qld: http://www.qwc.qld.gov.au/
• SA Water, SA: http://www.sawater.com.au/
• Hobart Water, TAS: http://www.hobartwater.com.au/
• South East Water, VIC: http://www.southeastwater.com.au/
• Water Corporation, WA: http://www.watercorporation.com.au/

World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development

31 March-2 April, Bonn, Germany

The UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), entitled “Moving into the Second Half of the UN Decade”, will bring together some 700 experts and stakeholders.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) seeks to integrate the values and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education. The World Conference on ESD is one of UNESCO's four global Education Conferences organized in 2008-2009 to discuss education priorities.

Among the conference’s highlights, Queen Rania of Jordan, international advocate for education, and Graça Machel, international advocate for women's and children's rights and former Minister of Education and Culture in Mozambique, will present keynote speeches.

Thirty-six education ministers from all over the world have already confirmed their participation in the conference’s High-Level Segment.

Read more at http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=44803&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Australian Awards for Teaching Excellence 2009

Nominations close 19 June for this opportunity to celebrate excellence in schools and recognise the achievements of teachers, principals, support staff and schools.

The awards will be made in the following six categories, with more than $1million in prizes and an additional award for Excellence in ICT:

• Excellence by a Teacher
• Excellence in Teacher Leadership
• Excellence by a Principal
• Excellence by a Beginning Teacher
• Excellence by a Support Staff Member
• Excellence by a School and its Community.

Teaching Australia is again managing the awards nomination and selection process.

Read more at http://www.teachingaustralia.edu.au

Nominations close 17 April for up to thirteen awards for excellence and leadership in school music education by teachers and school leaders. The awards will recognise exceptional contribution to enhancing the status and quality of music education in their schools.

The 2009 National Awards for Excellence in School Music Education Project is funded by the Australian Government under the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme, andaims to:

• raise the status of music education in Australian schools; 
• Recognise individual teachers and school leaders who have made an outstanding contribution to the provision of music education in Australian schools; and 
• Provide opportunities for award recipients to further their professional learning related to music education.

Up to eleven teachers will receive an Excellence by a Teacher award.

Up to two school leaders will receive an Excellence by a School Leader award for their explicit support for music education.

Each recipient will receive a certificate and a cheque for $5,000, which is intended to be used to further their professional learning related to music education. 

One recipient from each category will be invited to attend a presentation event at the ASME XVII National Conference in Launceston, Tasmania in July 2009.

Read more at http://musicawards.asme.edu.au/

From March to June 2009, a series of 80 Schools First public workshops are being held in cities and regional centres around Australia. The workshops provide community and school participants with practical guidance on how to create successful school and community partnerships and strengthen existing ones.

Schools First is about bringing together students, teachers, parents and community members, to support each other and help improve student outcomes.

With a prize pool of $5 million every year for three years, Schools First is a national awards program that provides:

• Financial recognition of success in establishing effective school-community partnerships; and 
• Financial support to build stronger school-community partnerships.

In support of the awards and their objective, Schools First will also:

• Provide regional workshops to support schools and communities to form or strengthen partnerships and prepare submissions for an award;
• Showcase successful partnerships as a means of inspiring other school communities; and 
• Assist in developing a "knowledge bank" of resources on which school communities can draw.

Read more at http://www.schoolsfirst.edu.au/cms-home/index.phps

Entry Forms are to be lodged for registration by 9 April.

Competition Entries are to be submitted by 24 July.

We invite all Primary and Secondary schools to take part in this contest, conducted in conjunction with the International Music Exhibition in Melbourne in October.

The song needs to be an entirely original composition - and to have a positive environmental message that is inspirational and uplifting.

There is a limit of up to 40 student participants in each school's entry.

The winning school entry from Primary and from Secondary will each receive a $6,000 musical instrument package donated by Yamaha Music Australia. 

Read more at http://www.imex.net.au/envsoncont.html

Entries close 1 May for this 20th anniversary of the program, celebrating a decade of rewarding science in the classroom.  Students, teachers and schools can win over $30,000 worth of cash and prizes.

The 2009 Australian Museum Eureka School Science program includes the:

• Macquarie University Eureka Prize for Action Against Climate Change Eureka Prize - develop a science presentation about reducing the effects of climate change
• University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize - produce a short film telling a science story in an entertaining and accessible way
• UTS Eureka Prize for Science Teaching - awarded to a science teacher who has motivated and inspired students to become involved in student-centred investigation

Read more at http://www.australianmuseum.net.au/eureka

Positive Progress in Closing the Gap Welcomed

Media release, The Hon Julia Gillard MP, 17 March, 2009

New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics today shows that positive progress has been made in closing the Year 12 retention rate gap between indigenous and non-indigenous students in the first school year of the Rudd Government.

The Schools 2008 data shows a 3.6 per cent increase in the Year 12 retention rate for indigenous students from 42.9 per cent to 46.5 per cent. While this is still unacceptably low compared to the non-indigenous retention rate of 75.6 per cent, it demonstrates positive progress in Closing the Gap.

In February 2009, the Prime Minister launched Closing the Gap on Indigenous Disadvantage: The Challenge for Australia which set out a road map to meet the Government’s ambitious Closing the Gap targets.

To halve the gap by 2020, Year 12 completion rates for indigenous students need to increase by up to 2 percentage points each year. The increase of 3.6 per cent in retention to Year 12 is an encouraging step towards achieving this goal. 

Read more at http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090317_145329.aspx

Free resource for Children's Services

Media Statement, Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Child Care, Maxine McKew, 16th March 2009

Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Child Care, Maxine McKew, today launched Child Care Staff: Learning and Growing through Professional Development, a resource for children's services at the Capital Hill Early Childhood Centre in Canberra.

This professional development resource reflects good practice and learnings drawn from a national research study was commissioned by the Professional Support Co-ordinator's Alliance and conducted by Macquarie University and Charles Sturt University.

The resource presents insights into innovative practice and practical ideas about how to support the professional development of early childhood staff.

Read more at http://www.alp.org.au/media/0309/msece160.php

Govt pledges 55,000 uni places for disadvantaged students

ABC News 9 March 2009

The Federal Government has committed to a goal of having 20 per cent of university enrolments filled by students from poorer backgrounds by 2020.

The goal was recommended as part of the Bradley review into higher education, which has called for more than $6 billion to be spent on an overhaul of the sector.

In a speech at a higher education conference in Sydney today, Education Minister Julia Gillard said about 55,000 more students from disadvantaged backgrounds had to be enrolled to fulfil the goal.

Read more at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/09/2511009.htm

Andrew Trounson, The Australian, March 11, 2009

UNIVERSITY vice-chancellors have given Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard a rousing and extended round of applause, relieved that the Government had finally given them a broad vision to work to.

They clapped even though they knew they would still have to tighten their belts, given strong Government signals that extra funding intended to drive once-in-a-generation reforms will have to be drip-fed into the sector because of the economic crisis.

But mixed with the applause is a new anxiety, because life is set to become more uncertain.

The Government's new student demand-driven model largely frees universities to pursue as many and whatever type of student they want, but they will need to compete against each other and plan their own destiny. And not all plans work out.

Some universities will prosper and others won't. As Universities Australia chairman and Monash University vice-chancellor Richard Larkins told the National Press Club in Canberra last Wednesday, not all will be able to afford to stay as comprehensive, research-intensive universities and some will be forced to merge.

Read entire article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25167562-12332,00.html

Geoff Maslen, The Age, March 9, 2009

AUSTRALIAN universities are dens of inequity. From the moment the first 24 students started at Sydney University in 1852, higher education has been dominated by the offspring of the well-to-do.

Despite huge increases in enrolments over the past 30 years, despite the tens of billions of dollars spent by a succession of federal governments, despite a broadening of access, universities still open their doors most wide to the children of well-endowed, Anglo-Australian families.

The student population in universities has exploded by 300 per cent since 1979. Today there are many more women, more working-class students, more who have been to public or Catholic schools, more from ethnic minorities and more mature-age students.

Yet, except for women, every one of these groups is under-represented on campus compared with their numbers in the general population. Likewise, Aborigines, the really poor and rural Australians continue to be conspicuously absent from the nation's lecture theatres while the already privileged retain their dominant place, just as they have for almost 160 years.

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/the-heights-of-inequality-20090306-8qn7.html

Canberra Times, 9/03/2009

Julia Gillard and the Innovation Minister, Kim Carr, are performing their version of the dance of the seven veils for Australia's universities, vocation trainers and students. The slow unveiling of the Government' principles for higher education reform in three speeches over seven days has captivated expectant audiences, and garnered extensive and largely positive media coverage in the midst of so much bad economic news.

The Education Minister kicked off her response to the Bradley review into higher education mid-last week when she addressed the need for structural reform of the sector at the Universities Australia conference in Canberra.

The next day, she discussed the importance of improving vocational education and training as Carr continued to ruminate over the implications of the Cutler report on innovation and Professor Denise Bradley's recommendations on research.

Today the issue of educational equity will get a serious working over by Gillard at an education conference in Sydney.

Read entire article: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/keeping-them-guessing/1453654.aspx?storypage=0

Farrah Tomazin & Miki Perkins, The Age, March 7, 2009

THE Federal Government's plan to fund universities based on how many students they attract could place some institutions or courses at risk, according to a survey of the nation's vice-chancellors.

And they say new targets for 40 per cent of Australians to have a bachelor's degree within two decades are commendable but hard to achieve without the funding or resources to match.

As Education Minister Julia Gillard spent the week outlining plans to overhaul the higher education system, an Age survey of university chiefs revealed a range of concerns about the shake-up.

Based on recommendations in the Government's so-called Bradley review into higher education, Ms Gillard announced caps on student numbers would be scrapped from 2012, allowing universities to take as many people as they can and that funding would follow the student, not the institution.

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/shakeup-could-put-some-unis-courses-at-risk-20090306-8rgz.html

Guy Healy & Andrew Trounson, The Australian, March 11, 2009

IN a breakthrough for university research, Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Minister Kim Carr has won a commitment from Treasury to fully fund the indirect cost of research.

Although limited at this stage to a statement of progressive ambition, it represents a big win in Treasury talks ahead of the budget and will buoy sector hopes for an interim boost to infrastructure block-grant funding in the May budget.

"It is groundbreaking," University of Western Australia vice-chancellor and Group of Eight chairman Alan Robson told the HES. "It is long overdue."

He noted that it would bring the sector back into line with competing researchers in the US, Britain and New Zealand.

Read entire article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25167561-12332,00.html

NSW: Principals to lose control over school purse strings

Anna Patty, Sydney Morning Herald, March 12, 2009

PRINCIPALS will no longer have direct access to their school's bank account from next year when the NSW education bureaucracy starts paying bills on their behalf in a bid to save $120 million over five years.

The Department of Education has confirmed it is tightening control over school finances, which it believes some schools have frittered away.

Westpac will hold the accounts and offer schools the same interest rate regardless of their size.

From next year, principals will need to invoice all school purchases through the department.

Some principals say they fear the new system, which requires principals to order equipment or repairs online, will lead to lengthy delays in obtaining goods and additional costs.

Read entire article: http://www.smh.com.au/national/principals-to-lose-control-over-school-purse-strings-20090311-8vao.html

Anna Patty, Sydney Morning Herald, March 11, 2009

LESS than 6 per cent of students at most selective high schools in NSW were granted "special provisions" for last year's Higher School Certificate exams.

The figures, obtained by the Herald under freedom of information legislation, are in line with the state average for all public schools and in direct contrast to those for a significant number of private schools at which up to 30 per cent of students received special consideration.

At the top-performing James Ruse Agricultural High School, only 2 per cent of HSC students - six out of 270 - claimed special provisions last year.

The provisions include extra exam time, scribes and coloured paper for students with a range of disabilities, injuries and illnesses.

The principal of James Ruse, Larissa Treskin, said the school did not discourage any students who qualified for assistance from applying.

Read article at: http://www.smh.com.au/national/no-special-haven-at-selective-schools-20090310-8u6v.html

Paul Henderson, Minister for Education and Training, 13 March 2009

A Darwin company has been awarded the contract for a $2 million upgrade of facilities at Leanyer Primary School. 

Mr Henderson said the upgrade at Leanyer Primary School is part of the Territory Government’s record investment of $246 million to build new schools and improve existing facilities over this term of office.

“Territory schools are also eligible for a share of up to $200 million in funding from the Rudd Government’s $42 billion economic stimulus package,” Mr Henderson said.

“Under the package, every primary school in the Territory will receive a major infrastructure upgrade.

“That could mean an assembly hall or library up to the value of $3 million, as well as small-scale infrastructure or refurbishments up to $200,000.”

Read more at http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewRelease&id=5237&d=5

ABC News, 9 March 2009

The Northern Territory Education Union says local Indigenous languages have already been banned at some of the Territory's bilingual schools.

The Territory Government has made this year a transition phase towards a new bilingual policy which will make it compulsory for schools to teach only in English for the first four hours of the day from next year.

The union's president Rod Smith says he has had complaints that the policy is already in place, and it is not working.

"Staff attendance has been poor, especially with the assistant teachers, and one long-standing assistant teacher (has) resigned," he said.

"These are only the ones we hear about. This is absolutely the worst scenario."

Read article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/09/2510919.htm

Geoff Chambers, goldcoast.com.au, March 11th, 2009

GOLD Coast schools will run summer 'boot camps' under a new $72 million education push by the State Government that has been funded almost in full by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Premier Anna Bligh said the education stimulus package, which involved only $5 million of state money, would target Queensland students who were 'falling behind the pack'.

The education package guarantees between 10 and 20 hours' extra tuition every year for students aged between 8 and 10 who are struggling with reading and writing.

It will deliver up to 253 jobs, including 80 literacy and numeracy coaches who will advise teachers on how to lift performances in local schools that have failed to meet national standards.

Read more at http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/03/11/58065_gold-coast-queensland-state-election.html

Daniel Hurst, Brisbane Times, March 9, 2009

Queensland's peak childcare industry organisation has called on the State Government to scrap its plan to spend $300 million on 240 new kindergartens by 2014.

Childcare Queensland says the Government should instead employ a second full-time teacher in each preparatory year classroom.

President Gwynn Bridge said prep teachers currently had to deal with 25 students and only had assistance from a part-time teacher aide for 10 hours a week.

"We've got teachers who are absolutely not coping," she told brisbanetimes.com.au this morning.

Ms Bridge said the teachers did not have time to properly teach students life skills and had particular trouble dealing with problem children.

Read entire article: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/teachers-cant-cope-with-prep/2009/03/09/1236447093973.html

Hon Jane Lomax-Smith MP, Minister for Education, 11 March 2009

The misuse of mobile phones, email and the Internet to bully and harass young people will be tackled in new materials being produced for the State's schools.

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the finishing touches are being put to Cyber Safety: Keeping Children Safe in a Connected World, for distribution to schools later this year.

The materials are in addition to the State's Keeping Safe child protection curriculum, introduced in 2007, which teaches every child in State schools how to stay safe, including in the cyber world.

Read entire release: http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/news.php?minister=10

David Bartlett MP, Premier and Minister for Education and Skills, 9 March 2009

Community and sporting groups have welcomed the Government’s decision to trial a third party insurance policy that will insure all groups using Education Department facilities.

Premier David Bartlett said today that the issue of public liability insurance has deterred community groups from using departmental facilities for fear of being liable if someone is injured.

“Consequently some communities were missing out on using vital public sporting infrastructure.

“From 1 July this year, the Government will trial a blanket-cover third party insurance policy that will open the gates of all Education Department facilities to the broader Tasmanian community.

“It will also provide the increasing number of people in our community who are ‘time poor’ with the flexibility of using state-owned infrastructure at times that suit them,” he said.

Mr Bartlett said a number of community and sporting groups already made use of school facilities.

Read more at http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=26158

Caroline Milburn, The Age, March 9, 2009

Reforms to improve the leadership teams of Victorian government schools have begun to bite, with two international studies reporting the changes are among the world's best.

Low morale among principals, an ageing workforce and dwindling numbers of teachers applying for a school's top job, forced the State Government to introduce the reforms five years ago.

The overhaul of leadership preparation and development includes mentoring programs for new principals, a coaching program for experienced ones, an accelerated program for high-potential leaders, extension programs for high-performing principals and a more rigorous job selection process for principals.

A recent report by the US National Governors Association, Benchmarking For Success: Ensuring US Students Receive a World-Class Education, compared education systems world-wide. It praised Victoria's 19 separate leadership development programs for being firmly based in research and best practice, ranking the state's intensive strategy as one of the best in improving school leadership.

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/a-matter-of-principals-20090306-8r03.html

The Age, March 9, 2009

Skipping lunch is a teen hazard, so appealing school lunches are vital.

It started with a humble, yet good-looking sandwich that was admired and hankered for from afar. Teacher David Bramble's penchant for fresh, simple ingredients and imaginative combinations sparked the curiosity of his students. His sandwiches quickly became a talking point.

"I know from having sandwiches packed for myself that they are soggy and gross by the time they get to lunchtime no matter how healthy or nice they have been," says the Hawthorn Secondary College music and drama teacher.

"So I would bring ingredients to work and make them here on the day and when I would open up my sanger, all the kids would want to eat it. The idea that the humble sandwich can taste really good is a shock to them."

It occurred to him that here was an untapped opportunity - not only to promote healthy eating but the virtues of the often-maligned sandwich.

Read entire article:  http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/thinking-inside-the-lunch-box-20090306-8qyg.html

Education Minister Liz Constable, 11 March 2009

Education Minister Liz Constable has announced an expert review of the curriculum, assessment and reporting policies and procedures in Western Australian schools.

Dr Constable told State Parliament that the review would be headed by University of WA academic, Professor David Andrich.

“Professor Andrich will consider evaluation reports produced in the last decade and examine assessment documents,” she said.

“He will consult with a range of school administrators and teachers, particularly those with leadership in curriculum, assessment and reporting.

“The review will also consider the impact on WA schools of the new national curriculum being developed for English, mathematics, the sciences and history, with geography and languages to follow.”

Read more at http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Lists/Statements/DispForm.aspx?ID=131477

March-May - Teaching Australia Workshops and Masterclasses - locations around Australia - http://www.teachingaustralia.edu.au

21 March - Harmony Day - http://www.harmony.gov.au

23-26 March - International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Lisbon, Portugal - http://www.csedu.org/CFP.htm

2-3 April - ACOSS National Conference - Sydney, NSW - http://users.tpg.com.au/adsl444m/bulletinfinal.htm

3-5 April - WA Childcare and Early Childhood Education Conference - Perth, WA - http://www.waecec.com.au/

15-17 April - Australian Guidance and Counselling Association Conference - Hobart, TAS - http://www.agca.com.au/

15-18 April - International Outdoor Education Research Conference - Beechworth, VIC - http://www.latrobe.edu.au/oent/research_conf_2009.htm

17-21 April - National Art Education Association National Convention - Minneapolis, USA - http://www.naea-reston.org/convention.html

1 May - Australian Museum Eureka Prizes nominations close - http://www.australianmuseum.net.au/eureka/

15 May - National Walk Safely to School Day - http://www.walk.com.au

21 May - Education 09 - London, UK - http://www.govnet.co.uk/education/

31 May - Australian Rural Education Awards nominations close - http://www.spera.edu.au

4-7 July - Contasta Science Education Conference - Launceston, TAS - http://www.cdesign.com.au/conasta58

5-8 July - World Conference on Higher Education - Paris, France - http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=56642&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

5-10 July - Youth ANZAAS 2009 - Melbourne, Victoria - http://www.anzaas.org.au/youth.html

8-10 July - SPERA National Conference - Flinders University, SA - http://www.spera.edu.au//conferences/callforpapers.pdf

13-16 July - Conference of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers - Fremantle, WA - http://www.aamt.edu.au/2009-conference

6-7 August - Professional Development Network School Leaders' Conference - Gold Coast, QLD - http://www.griffith.edu.au/conference/professional-development-network-leadership-conference-2009

13-14 August - Isolated Children's Parents' Assoc. of Australia Federal Conference - Longreach, QLD - http://www.icpa.com.au

26-28 September - ACEL International Conference - Darwin, NT - http://www.acel.org.au/index.php?id=858

12-13 October - ACSSO National Conference - Hobart, Tasmania - http://www.acsso.org.au/natconf09/