Teachers in 'subliminal' bid to bar phonics

Justine Ferrari, The Australian, March 19, 2009

Literacy teachers are planning a subliminal campaign to undermine phonics as an approach to teaching reading by subconsciously linking it with the idea of failure.

The target of their campaign is NSW Education Minister Verity Firth, who last week announced the nation's first direct comparison of phonics-based reading methods with other techniques.

In a group email sent to a network of literacy educators, associate professor in education at Wollongong University Brian Cambourne proposes flooding Ms Firth's office with emails that associate phonics based approaches with failure "at an almost subconscious level".

Read entire article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25208498-2702,00.html

Time to spell it out: Denying pupils the right to read is a form of child abuse

Editorial Comment, The Australian, March 19, 2009

DOGMATISTS never let the evidence get in the way of ideology, and they don't come much more dogmatic than critics of NSW Education Minister Verity Firth.

Ms Firth has ordered tests to compare the efficiency of different techniques used to teach children to read.

The program will compare phonics, where students are taught to read through the relationship between letters and sounds, and what education academics call a "balanced approach".

This relies on the whole-language technique, where children are expected to work out words by looking at pictures or understanding their context in a sentence. It is a debate that has raged for decades.

Read entire article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25207557-16382,00.html

Grammar gives the edge to primary school students

Justine Ferrari, The Australian, March 16, 2009

Students taught grammar in primary school out-perform their peers in national literacy tests, but their advantage is lost once formal teaching of the subject has ceased.

An analysis of national literacy test results shows that Year 3 students in NSW scored 13 points higher in the writing assessment than the national average. But by Year 9 this advantage had disappeared, with NSW students performing at the national average.

The NSW primary school syllabus is notable for specifying how grammar should be taught as part of teaching writing skills, but this requirement is not specified in secondary school syllabuses.

An expert in literacy education, retired University of NSW academic Peter Knapp, said NSW students scored 13 points above the national average in Year 3 in last year's national literacy tests but in Year 9 their scores were on par with the rest of the nation.

Read entire article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25191678-2702,00.html

MATHS EDUCATION

Smartkiddies Mathematics

Smartkiddies Maths is developed by experienced Australian teachers.

All content is Australian curriculum based and directly targets the skills children need to learn in mathematics while having fun!

Smartkiddies Mathematics has been providing Australian families with quality education since 2001.

Benefits of joining Smartkiddies:

• smartkiddies makes mathematics fun and challenging
• improve your child's speed and accuracy
• learn and revise concepts at home, anytime
• improve your results at school, and much more

Free to all schools and teachers. Full access from home, only $68 a year for the whole family.

"Your site is the best of its kind that I have found on the internet. I am a teacher and recommend your site to anyone who has an interest in extra support at home for maths ..." Mrs J.D Teacher

Read more at http://www.smartkiddies.com.au/

McDonald's online maths program 'not an ad'

Tracey Lien, The Age, March 20, 2009

Parents and teachers can be assured that a free online maths tutorial provided by McDonald's is not an advertisement for the fast-food chain, International Confederation of Principals world principal Andrew Blair says.

The Maths Online program, launched on Friday, is an example of the restaurant being a responsible corporate citizen, Mr. Blair says.

"There will be critics across Australia who will view that McDonald's should not have a place in supporting education, or that for some spurious reason, being engaged in the Maths Online tutorial will lead to poorer health outcomes."

"I am absolutely clear that the tutorial is not an advertisement for McDonald's," Mr. Blair told reporters.  "There's no reference to McDonald's once young people get into the tutorial. It is simply a maths support - it is there to assist."

Read article: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/mcdonalds-maths-program-not-an-ad-20090320-9451.html

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Gillard urged to ban league tables

Dan Harrison, The Age, March 23, 2009

Teachers and principals are calling for new laws to prevent the media ranking schools in "league tables" based on student test results.

Before a meeting of the nation's education ministers later this week, professional organisations have written to federal Education Minister Julia Gillard and her state and territory counterparts demanding assurances that data collected as part of a push for greater transparency in the schools system will not be misused.

The letter, signed by 15 groups including the teacher unions and principals' associations for public, independent and Catholic schools, says: "We write to strongly urge you to take legislative action prohibiting the creation and publication of league tables."

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/gillard-urged-to-ban-league-tables-20090322-95ow.html

SCHOOL SIZE

Small schools fail students

John Masanauskas, Herald Sun, March 16, 2009

Small government schools that offer few subjects are holding students back and should merge with bigger schools, a key Government education adviser says.

Melbourne University's Prof Richard Teese said yesterday there was a mistaken view that smaller was better because it was intimate and friendly.

"But there's not much point knowing everybody's name if you can't create a stimulating learning environment," he told the Herald Sun.

"What's the point of that if the kids are failing?"

Source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25191246-661,00.html

SAFETY IN SCHOOLS

Bullies turn to hi-tech torment - NZ Report

Nathan Beaumont & Rebecca Palmer, 16/03/2009

Cellphones and the internet now mean bullied school pupils often get "no respite", the NZ children's commissioner says.  

"While parents may have been on the receiving end of a small group of bullies in their days at school, their children are potentially exposed to hundreds or thousands of bullies via mobile phone and internet technology," Commissioner Cindy Kiro writes in a report to be made public today.

The report into school safety, headed by Office of the Children's Commissioner adviser Janis Carroll-Lind, follows calls for a national inquiry by parents of bullying victims at Hutt Valley High School. 

Read entire article: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/2264207/Bullies-turn-to-hi-tech-torment/#comments

The Report "School Safety: an inquiry into the safety of students at school" by Dr Janis Carroll-Lind (February 2009) can be accessed online at: http://www.occ.org.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/6028/OCC_SchoolSafetyReport_160309.pdf

ASIAN LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Applications open for new partnership fund to boost Asian languages in schools

Hon Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Education, 24 March 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today encouraged organisations to apply for funding to help increase the uptake of Asian languages in schools under Round One of the new Strategic Collaboration and Partnership Fund.

The Fund is a key element of the Rudd Government's $62.4 million National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP) which commenced on 1 January 2009.

This initiative aims to increase the study of Asian languages and studies in our schools and ensure our young people have the skills to engage with our Asian neighbours, particularly China (Mandarin), Indonesia, Japan and Korea.

Through the Strategic Collaboration and Partnership Fund, the Australian Government will make $9.36 million available over three years, delivered through annual competitive funding rounds.

Read more at http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090324_134358.aspx 

CIVICS & CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION

Students consider a new preamble for the Australian Constitution

Hon Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Education, 18 March 2009

Education Minister Julia Gillard welcomed the opportunity to speak to some of the nation's best and brightest students when she opened the 14th National Schools' Constitutional Convention in Canberra today.

The Convention brings together 122 Year 11 and 12 students from across the country to debate the topic A new Constitutional preamble for Australia?

This is an important debate for this up and coming generation to engage in as it goes to the heart of how we identify ourselves as Australians.

It will require the students to thrash out ideas like: who are we as a nation? What do we stand for? What do we value? What unites us? And consequently, what should be reflected in this fundamental document that draws our nation together?

Read more at http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090318_160125.aspx

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Kinder surprise

Margaret Cook, The Age, March 16, 2009

When then treasurer Peter Costello urged Australians in 2004 to procreate for their nation - famously imploring couples to have "one for mum, one for dad and one for your country" - he could scarcely have guessed how successful he would be.

With the sweetener of a $3000 baby bonus, Australians responded enthusiastically. The fertility rate increased by 3.2 per cent between 2004 and 2006, with almost 12,000 extra children born, according to a recent survey by the Melbourne Institute.

Now the implications of that baby surge are about to be felt by schools - just as they adjust to a burst of political concern about the way early education is provided.

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/kinder-surprise-20090313-8x3m.html

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TERTIARY EDUCATION

Selling their souls for a university education

Bruce McDougall, Daily Telegraph, March 14, 2009

Impoverished university students are working as "lab rats", sperm donors and prostitutes to scrape enough cash together to pay for their education.

While the Federal Government pushes to get another 300,000 Australians to take up university courses, The Daily Telegraph has learned many students are so financially strapped it is affecting their studies.  Some have told The Daily Telegraph the criteria governing assistance such as Youth Allowance is so tight that few students qualified.

Some are resorting to extreme measures to earn a dollar. A study by the Centre for Adolescent Health found one-in-five sex workers were studying at a university, TAFE or high school.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,27574,25183643-5006009,00.html

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Advancing our national goals and international interests

Hon Julia Gillard MP, speech to International Education Roundtable 16 March 2009

Less than three weeks ago, I released new figures which showed that international student enrolments in Australia had increased by just under 21 per cent in 2008, reaching more than 543,000.

At the time I noted that education institutions were reporting continuing strong interest from international students wishing to study in Australia - despite the current global economic downturn.

It's important to remember that historically we've seen international demand for Australian education continue, even during economic slumps.

So while the early signs in 2009 are encouraging, we need to be ready to act.  The current global financial crisis is unprecedented and the outlook is uncertain.

I want to assure you that the Australian Government is committed to supporting the continuing success of this vital industry.

Read entire speech: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Speeches/Pages/Article_090316_124529.aspx

International Education Sector Remains Strong

Hon Julia Gillard MP, speech to International Education Roundtable 18 March 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard has welcomed the International Student Data released today which shows the sector remains strong despite the global economic downturn.

The International Student Data for the month of January 2009 released by Australian Education International (AEI) revealed that the number of full-fee international students grew by 21.4 per cent.

This followed a record increase of 20.7 per cent in the number of enrolments by international students in Australian institutions in 2008.

Read more at http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090319_092218.aspx

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

Principal Conversations

Transformational dialogues for school leadership teams.

Principal Conversations is a time effective and innovative professional development DVD series designed specifically for School Principals and their leadership teams.

Each issue focuses on an effective School Principal from across Australia and provides a penetrating analysis of their thinking strategies and includes carefully designed focus questions to promote strategic conversations amongst your school leaders about your school.

For more information or to subscribe please go to: http://www.principalconversations.edu.au/

AROUND THE STATES & TERRITORIES

NSW: Students sit selective school exam

The Australian, March 19, 2009 (AAP)

At least 13,000 students will sit the selective schools entrance exam today with just over a 30 per cent chance of success.

The NSW Government last year added 630 places in selective high schools, bringing the state-wide enrolment to 4152 for the 2010 school year.

"Developing our gifted and talented kids is a long-term commitment aimed at cementing NSW as a research powerhouse," Education Minister Verity Firth said.

Read more at: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25209164-5006784,00.html

NSW: The great school scam

Anna Patty, Sydney Morning Herald, March 15, 2009

Parents are sharing houses, providing false addresses, renting and buying property in a fierce competition to secure a place for their children at some of Sydney's top comprehensive high schools.

Susan Bridge, principal of Cheltenham Girls High School in Beecroft, said she received about 450 applications for just 210 places available in year 7 each year.

Mrs. Bridge said she had been forced to withdraw one or two enrolment offers each year to parents unable to provide evidence they lived in the area.  Of the 210 new enrolments, about 10 to 12 students change their home address during their first year at the school.

Read entire article: http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-great-school-scam-20090314-8yfk.html

NT: Australia's First Online System Keeps Parents in Touch

Paul Henderson, Minister for Education and Training, 10 March 2009

The Education Minister Paul Henderson has officially launched Australia's first online system allowing parents to monitor their children's performance and development at school.

The Electronic Student Profile system (esp) is a $300,000 election commitment that allows parents to access their children's homework, achievements, certificates, awards, samples of work, enrolment history and attendance.

Mr Henderson said the Northern Territory is leading the nation's digital education revolution.

"The esp system allows parents to get informed, stay informed and keep in touch with their children's progress at school," he said.

Read more at http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewRelease&id=5225&d=5

QLD: Teachers say testing program is hurting students

Tanya Chilcott, Courier Mail, March 18, 2009

National literacy and numeracy tests are widely referred to as "napalm" by Queensland teachers who say it "kills everything in the classroom".

Teachers, their associations and even Education Minister Rod Welford have raised concerns about the effect of the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy testing regime on classrooms.

The Queensland Teachers Union warns practice tests are placing undue pressure on teachers, disengaging children and taking over subjects.

Teachers have been asked to practise 2008 NAPLAN exams with Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 after the state came second-last overall last year.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,27574,25207029-3102,00.html

SA: Teachers in poorer areas 'deserve better pay'

Joanna Vaughan, Advertiser, March 19, 2009

Schools in disadvantaged areas should be funded and equipped to attract "exceptional" teachers, the state's peak advisory group says.

A report released yesterday by the Economic Development Board states that effective student learning at school depends heavily on the quality of teaching and principals should have greater discretion within their school budgets to remunerate exceptional teachers.

"Effective early childhood education is extremely important for the acquisition of basic skills to succeed in education and work, particularly for low income and disadvantaged groups," the report states.   "Excellence in teaching should be promoted and rewarded."

The recommendation has been welcomed by the South Australian Primary Principals Association who said the best teachers deserve to be paid accordingly.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,27574,25208255-2682,00.htm

SA: Water and schools reform urged by Economic Development Board

Greg Skelton, Advertiser, March 18, 2009

User-pays water pricing and extra funding for disadvantaged schools are key elements of a new economic blueprint for South Australia.

The report, by the Economic Development Board, also proposes school principals be given greater discretion to use their school budgets to hire "exceptional" teachers.

It was drawn up by the board after a reference in May last year from Premier Mike Rann. It had been due to report in November but Mr. Rann gave the board an extension to March to examine the effects of the global financial crisis.

Cabinet was given the report on Monday and is not expected to make a formal response for several weeks.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,27574,25204856-2682,00.html

TAS: Premier praises school mergers

ABC News, Mar 16, 2009

The Tasmanian Premier says he is delighted Hobart schools are taking the lead and negotiating their own mergers.

Principals in Hobart's northern suburbs have agreed to close five primary schools and one high school in a bid to secure some of the Federal Government's $42 billion funding package for school infrastructure.

Rosetta High and Claremont will merge, as will Glenorchy and Brent Street Primary schools, Claremont, Abbotsfield, Mt Faulkner and Roseneath.

David Bartlett says it may be unorthodox to leave the decisions to the parents and principals but the outcomes speak for themselves.

"I am absolutely thrilled that we're seeing this sort of leadership in school communities, from school principals from school associations all across the State," he said.

"It's exactly what I've been talking about for the last 18 months and it's a different style of leadership admittedly but it looks to me like it's starting to work."

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/16/2516886.htm

TAS: Parents call for school cancer probe

ABC News, Mar 15, 2009 

Parents have called for Tasmania's Director of Public Heath to investigate the incidence of cancer among students at a Hobart school for special needs children.

A public health investigation found a high rate of cancer among staff at Hazelwood School in Moonah.  Out of 263 past and present Hazelwood staff, 19 have contracted cancer.

The Director of Public Health, Roscoe Taylor, said it did not amount to a cluster, because the cancers were different types and there was no environmental cause. The Director also revealed some staff were missed out of a cancer cluster investigation at the school. He had now asked the education department to find those people who slipped through the net.

Dr Taylor says he has set up an information hot line for concerned parents.

Read article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/15/2516526.htm

VIC: Row brews on student expulsions

Farrah Tomazin, The Age, March 24, 2009

The Brumby Government is facing growing dissent over contentious plans to reduce the number of days principals can suspend unruly students.

In a move schools say will make it harder to discipline children, the Government wants to cut the amount of time students can be suspended to a maximum of five consecutive days, rather than the current 10.

Principals say they will also have less power when it comes to expulsions, by being required to justify their decisions with the Education Department  -  and effectively seek permission from their regional director before a student is removed from school.

In an embarrassing rebuff, almost 150 principals passed a motion at a secondary schools conference last week condemning Education Minister Bronwyn Pike and her department over the guidelines.

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/row-brews-on-student-expulsions-20090323-97hk.html

VIC: Along for the ride

Caroline Milburn, The Age, March 16, 2009

Getting teenagers to walk or ride to school seems like a Herculean task. It was a problem for teacher Robert Sharp when he tried to coax students at Keysborough College, in Melbourne's outer south-eastern suburbs, to join the Ride2School program.

Walking was considered uncool by students used to being driven to school by their parents.

Then a few ideas worked. "We ran monthly competitions between classes to see who had the highest bike rate, or the highest walking rate, or which classes recorded the biggest improvement in the numbers of students walking or riding," says Mr. Sharp, a maths science teacher at the school's Heatherhill campus in Springvale.

"Other teachers got on board, pushing the environmental and health benefits. Then some of the more influential students got involved. When the cool kids started doing the program, others started to follow."

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/along-for-the-ride-20090313-8x42.html

VIC: Bill Henson storm prompts new schools visitor policy

John Masanauskas, Herald Sun, March 19, 2009

Controversial artists and political figures could be banned from schools under new rules introduced after the "Bill Henson affair".  Henson, a photographer known for his images of naked children, caused a storm after it was revealed he had been allowed to scout for child models at St Kilda Park Primary School.

A probe last year cleared the principal of any wrongdoing, but the Brumby Government promised to review its school visitor guidelines.

New rules, seen by the Herald Sun, mean all visitors at least will have to register their arrival and departure during school hours.   Parents walking their children to class before school starts or picking them up after school will not be affected.

The Education Department guidelines urge schools to consider the potential for a visitor to cause controversy within the school and broader community.

"Where initiatives involve external presenters speaking on controversial matters, invitations should generally come from the school ... and not from groups wishing to use the school as a forum to advance their causes," the guidelines say.

Parents Victoria and the Victorian Principals Association welcomed the new policy.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,27574,25207920-2862,00.html

VIC: Millions unspent as classrooms rot

John Masanauskas, Herald Sun, March 18, 2009

Hundreds of Victorian state schools are in urgent need of maintenance, with many plagued by leaking roofs, rotting timber, run-down toilets and faulty windows.

An Education Department audit in 2006 said repairs worth $268 million were necessary to fix the problems.

But more than two years later, about 1250 schools still have more than $150 million of work outstanding, according to maintenance updates obtained under Freedom of Information.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25202943-661,00.html

WA: Public schools face $166 million bill for maintenance backlog

Education Minister Liz Constable, 19 March 2009

A building assessment of Western Australia's 779 public schools has identified a $166million backlog of outstanding maintenance work.

Education Minister Liz Constable has described the backlog as the 'legacy of prolonged neglect' by the previous Labor government.

Dr Constable today tabled the Building Condition Assessment reports of every WA public school.

"The assessment is undertaken regularly to identify maintenance needs resulting from wear and tear and deterioration," she said.

"It reveals a wide range of repairs that are needed in schools, including painting, paving and replacing carpets."

Read more at http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Lists/Statements/DispForm.aspx?ID=131526

AWARDS & PRIZES

Young Simpson Prize Winners Announced

Hon Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Education, 16 March 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard has presented the winners and runners-up of the 2009 Simpson Prize with their prizes at a ceremony in Canberra today.

Minister Gillard and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Alan Griffin congratulates all of today's award recipients who were selected from each State and Territory, as well as the many students that submitted an entry.

The entries were a powerful reminder of this country's enduring Anzac spirit, and how in times of trouble, crisis or disaster, Australians pull together and can demonstrate enormous courage, compassion and resilience.

This year, over 580 Year 9 and 10 students submitted an essay or audio-visual presentation which looked at why Australians continue to commemorate the events of World War I given its devastating impact at home and abroad.

Eight talented young students will attend commemorative ANZAC Day services at Gallipoli as part of their award.

Read more at http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090316_124519.aspx

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Back to School 2009

May 2009

Join in Australia's biggest celebration of public education.

Back to School is a nationwide campaign where people from all walks of life go back to their former schools as positive role models.

It's about connecting schools with communities and inspiring young people to succeed.

As a teacher, principal, parent or former student you can help support this great campaign in 2009. Back to School events will be held across the country in May – make sure your school, business or community gets involved.

For more information check out: www.backtoschool.org.au or call 03 9670 5436

Australian Group on Severe Communication Impairment (AGOSCI) Conference 2009

'Communication – Feel the power"

7–9 May 2009, Canberra, ACT

This important national event has particular relevance to teachers and therapists working with students with a disability.

AGOSCI membership includes individuals with complex communication needs, family and community members, teachers, speech pathologists and other professionals.

Key Areas of Interest for AGOSCI are:

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• Sign and gesture systems 
• Mealtime assistance / dysphagia
• Saliva control
• Voice output communication aids 
• Consumer's stories 
• Research 
• Problem-solving in severe communication impairment

The conference boasts two international keynote speakers, is to be opened by the Governor-General and there will be a breakfast forum featuring federal politicians and senior public servants with responsibility for disability policy. 

The conference brochure and registration details can be found at http://www.agosci.org.au

Boys & Learning: Developing Emotional Intelligence and Engagement through an Understanding of Behaviour

• May 25 2009 - Parramatta   NSW 
• May 26 2009 – Melbourne, Victoria

Conference details including speaker profiles, program and bookings at: https://aben-2009.schoolevent.org

Communities in Control Conference 2009

Crisis, Catastrophe, Community: Rebuild, Renew, Recharge

June 15 & 16, 2009: Melbourne

Communities in Control 2009 features a fantastic line up of speakers, including

• world-leading communities for health expert Professor Len Syme; 
• Australia's great homeless youth advocate Major David Eldridge; 
• Australian of the Year and indigenous advocate Professor Mick Dodson; 
• Member of the social inclusion board and community advocate Eddie McGuire; 
• Leading futurist Richard Watson.

Pre-Conference Skills Day - June 14 2009: Fundraising, Advocacy & Evaluation: how to make compelling evidence-based proposals

As communities across Australia regroup from recent events and brace for more tough times ahead it's more important than ever to know how to tell your group's story in a way that's compelling, revealing and evidence-based. Now is the time to learn how to put to work all the information, indicators and evidence at your disposal, and use them to support your community organisation's mission.

For more information go to: www.ourcommunity.com.au/cic2009.

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REMINDERS

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

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

31 March-2 April - World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development - Bonn, Germany - http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=44803&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

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/

9 July - Registration closes for Environmental Song for Australia Contest - http://www.imex.net.au/envsoncont.html

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 - Nominations close for Australian Museum Eureka Prizes - 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

19 June - Nominations close for Australian Awards for Teaching Excellence - http://www.teachingaustralia.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/