$828 million Round One of National School Pride program

Hon Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Education, 5 April 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today announced that 5,965 Australian schools will receive $828.16 million in funding for minor infrastructure and refurbishment projects under Round One of the National School Pride program.

The National School Pride program is a component of the Australian Government’s $14.7 billion Building the Education Revolution.

The National School Pride program builds on the Rudd Government’s commitment to make sure every school in Australia is a great school and every child receives a world class education.

The $1.3 billion National School Pride program will deliver much needed funding for school maintenance and importantly, support local jobs.

These projects will create demand for tradespeople in thousands of communities across Australia.

Under this program, every Australian school will receive up to $200,000, based on the size of the school, for maintenance and minor building works.

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

Further information on Building the Education Revolution including a list of successful schools will be available at: http://www.buildingtheeducationrevolution.gov.au

Spending should target poor schools, analyst says

Anna Patty, Sydney Morning Herald, April 2, 2009

THE equity gap between public and private schools will remain despite the Federal Government's $14 billion stimulus package to upgrade school buildings, an economic analysis has found.

The former World Bank education economist and policy analyst, Adam Rorris, said that while schools welcomed the additional capital funding to build new halls and improve facilities, the extra money would not target the poorest public and private schools.

"It does not take into consideration the existing capital investment in schools," he said.

Mr. Rorris said the estimated capital investment for private schools last year was $1774 per student, compared to $948 per public school student.

This year, it would increase to $3020 for each private school student and $2470 for a public school student. This would reduce the equity gap from $826 to $550 this year.

Read entire article: http://www.smh.com.au/national/spending-should-target-poor-schools-analyst-says-20090401-9jra.html

Funding rich schools boosts jobs, says Gillard

Sydney Morning Herald, April 6, 2009 (AAP)

Giving Australia's wealthiest private schools additional government funding will help support jobs across the country, Education Minister Julia Gillard says.

Almost 6000 government and non-government schools have won funding - from between $50,000 and $200,000 each - in the first round of Labor's $1.3 billion national school pride program.

But the government has been criticised for providing extra funds to some of nation's most exclusive - and least needy - schools.

Sydney's King's School will receive $200,000 to construct outdoor sporting facilities and student amenities, Sydney Grammar will receive $200,000 for a library refurbishment, Melbourne Grammar will use its $200,000 for a "sustainable building comfort project" and Victoria's Scotch College plans to spend $200,000 on vision impaired safety, reclaimed water and landscaping projects.

However, the government says the $14.7 billion building the education revolution program was meant to boost the economy, not target disadvantaged schools.

Read entire article: http://www.smh.com.au/national/funding-rich-schools-boosts-jobs-says-gillard-20090406-9tx5.html

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SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Levelling the Playing Field

Hon Julia Gillard MP: speech (edited extract) to Independent Education Union 2 April 2009

When Kevin Rudd and I said in our election campaign that our interest was in schools, not in school systems, we meant it.  Parents don’t send their children to a system – they send them to a school.

By adopting common goals for every school, I want to use education to bring the nation together.

That means focusing on what really is possible and using transparency and hard data to inform expert judgement.

It means making investments across the board, in a way that reflects real need across the community.  All these programs are for public, independent and Catholic schools alike.

And it means building the framework of governance, accountability and transparency so that Governments treat schools and students fairly and consistently for the future and we are all accountable to students and the community for delivering the outcomes they are entitled to expect.

Read entire speech at: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Pages/default.aspx

Practical Lessons in League Tables

Trevor Cobbold, 3 April 2009

Primary school league tables were published in England this week. 

The first lesson is that publishing tables of school results means league tables.  The UK Government calls the tables “Achievement and Attainment Tables”. However, the media use the official tables to construct tables of results that rank schools by performance.

The second lesson is that the best and worst schools get highlighted by the press. For example, the Times did a profile on the highest performing primary school while the BBC reported on the worst performing school. The BBC went so far as to construct a table of the 201 worst performing schools in England, ranked according to their aggregate scores.

Read entire article at: http://soscanberra.com/league-tables/practical-lessons-in-league-tables

Trevor Cobbold is an independent researcher and commentator on education issues.

UK: The most controversial primary school league tables of all time

Richard Garner, Independent, 1 April 2009

Heads and opposition MPs argue that they have lost confidence in the marking of last summer’s tests - although Ofqual, the new regulatory, reckon there is no reason to believe standards were any different than in previous years.

It is another piece of ammunition for those in the teaching unions who believe we should abolish the tests - as secondary schools no longer rely on their results believing they do not give an accurate reflection of pupils’ abilities as youngsters are coached for the tests.

Whatever the outcome, there will be changes by this time next year with a review of testing and assessment being carried out by an expert group set up by Schools Secretary Ed Balls.

Read entire article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/the-most-controversial-primary-school-league-tables-of-all-time-1658828.html

Education is no place for a free market:

Competition has fostered a system that penalises the poor.

Chris Bonnor, The Age, April 1, 2009

A FEW weeks ago I attended a reunion at my old country town school. There I was with solicitors and shopkeepers, millionaires and mechanics — a wonderful experience. The school enrolled just about every kid in town.

It made such good sense, and helped make such a good community, that I thought the age of inclusive schools would last forever, but the free-market era of choice and competition was soon to change all that.

Years later I became principal of a government school in Sydney at a time when a selective school was dropped into the next suburb. "The choice will be good for you," the community was told. It was good for a few, but bad for the rest, and that probably sums up the real impact of the free market on kids and schools.

We've now muddled through about three decades of choice and competition. Surely it is time to question whether it has worked? After all, the unregulated free market has received quite a hammering lately — including from our Prime Minister. If competition between schools is delivering, let's have more of it. If it isn't, then it's time to say so — and build something better.

The idea of a free market of schools was driven by the belief that choice creates quality in schools because consumers vote with their feet. And so, as the narrative goes, pressure is placed on low-demand schools to improve and become more attractive. Not bad in theory, but it hasn't worked out like that.

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/education-is-no-place-for-a-free-market-20090331-9i8l.html?page=-1

UK:  Teachers becoming the worst cheaters in school exams

Invigilators accused of 'over-aiding' pupils in maths, English and science tests

Richard Garner, Independent, 19 March 2009

Teachers are coaching their 11-year-old pupils inside the exam hall to give the right answer during tests.  The most common allegation of malpractice during the maths, English and science tests was that invigilators "over-aided" pupils.

Teachers' leaders have warned that their members are under increasing pressure to make sure their pupils do well in tests because of schools' desire for a good showing in government league tables listing primary school results.

Read entire article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/teachers-becoming-the-worst-cheaters-in-school-exams-1648402.html  

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Play in, politics out for new early learning manifesto

Natasha Bita, The Australian, April 02, 2009

THE federal Government has torn up its politically correct curriculum for children in daycare, quietly replacing it with a family-friendly guide for carers and parents.

The revised "early years learning framework", to be introduced nationally on July 1, bears little resemblance to the original version, which was criticised for its academic jargon and focus on social engineering.

In place of the original description of child's play as "a space for politics and power relations", the new document states that "play enables children to simply enjoy being".

"It can also provide opportunities for children to learn as they discover, create, improvise and imagine," it says.   "(They) use play to investigate, imagine and try out ideas."

The new version also scraps any reference to babies, toddlers and kindergarten kids discriminating on the grounds of sexuality.  And it removes the reference to toddlers "enacting custodianship of the planet and encouraging environmental sustainability".   Instead, it says children can care for the environment by recycling, gardening, turning off running taps and cleaning up litter.  

Read entire article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25277353-2702,00.html

Toddlers 'should get career counselling'

The Age, April 4, 2009 (AAP)

The committee drawing up the nation's first childcare curriculum has been told that toddlers in daycare should be given early career counselling.

Kate Castine, who runs the Principals Australia career education project on behalf of the federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, is calling for "career development concepts" to be included in the new curriculum to be introduced nationally by July 1.

Her concern is that little children rarely think beyond what their parents and relatives do for a living.

"The argument that children should be exposed to career development concepts at an early age has been endorsed by current worldwide research," she wrote in comments posted on the department's official online forum, seeking feedback on the latest draft of the "early-learning framework".

Research showed students as young as six could identify what they wanted to do when they grew up, Ms Castine said.

Source: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/toddlers-should-get-career-counselling-20090404-9s3o.html

HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Sensory play 'key to beating autism'

Danny Rose, The Age, April 6, 2009

A visiting US autism expert says that while the disorder has no cure, many children with it can be taught to be so "functional" they overcome its most incapacitating features.

The key, says Dr Richard Solomon, is for parents of autistic children to intervene early with sensory-focused play which, he adds, may at first feel counter-intuitive.

One in every 160 Australian children aged between six and 12 will have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, a range of neurobiological disorders with an unknown cause which affects development of communication and social skills.

The PLAY (Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters) Project shows parents how "sensory play" can be used to develop a link with their autistic child, and how this is a vital step in improving communication and social skills.

About 1,000 autistic children have gone through the program in the US and it is also being introduced to India, the UK and the Netherlands.

Australian parents can access the service for free through the federal government's Helping Children with Autism package, which provides grants up to $6,000 to pay for support-related services.

Read entire article: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/sensory-play-key-to-beating-autism-20090406-9u49.html

TEACHER SUPPLY

Teaching enrolments drop

Miki Perkins, The Age, April 4, 2009

MORE students want to be doctors and dentists but the number who enrolled in teaching last year has dropped, higher education figures show.

Despite a 3 per cent rise in the overall number of students, there was a 4.5 per cent drop in teaching students who enrolled last year, compared with 2007.

This is a blow to the Federal Government, which last year announced a partnership with the states to boost teacher quality and attract more teachers.

The figures also show enrolments in medicine soared 23 per cent and there was a 30 per cent jump in students starting dentistry. Enrolments in nursing — deemed a "priority" by the Government — increased about 2 per cent, according the most recent data from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Read more at http://www.theage.com.au/national/teaching-enrolments-drop-20090403-9rml.html

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AROUND THE STATES & TERRITORIES

ACT: Public school enrolments up for the first time in a decade

Andrew Barr MLA, ACT Minister for Education, 1 April 2009

ACT public schools have recorded growth in the number of enrolments for the first time in 10 years, according to the 2009 ACT School Census.

Minister for Education and Training, Andrew Barr said that, “after 10 years of consecutive reductions, the number of students in ACT public schools is now 38,280, an increase of 50 since last year”.

The Census also shows that ACT public high school enrolment overall fell by 162 since the 2008 census to reach 9,654, compared with a reduction of 182 the year before.

“While the slowdown compared to last year is pleasing we need to continue to work to ensure public high schools remain a real choice for parents and students in the ACT,” Mr Barr said.

Read entire release: http://www.chiefminister.act.gov.au/media.php?v=7865&m=49  

NSW: Lenovo wins $150m NSW schools deal

The Age, April 1, 2009

Chinese computer company Lenovo has won a contract to provide 200,000 laptops for NSW secondary school students.  The NSW government has also announced agreements reached with software giants Microsoft and Adobe to provide an extensive suite of software for the laptops.

The Lenovo contract, worth $150 million, includes 25,000 laptops for teachers.

It will be funded as part of the federal government's $1.9 billion digital education program.

Premier Nathan Rees said his government would contribute $25.5 million for the software, which he said would cost each student more than $5,500 if they were to purchase it in a store.

The first laptops will go to teachers so they can familiarise themselves with the hardware and software, before Year 9 students receive their own machines in term 3.

Read article: http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/biztech/lenovo-wins-150m-nsw-schools-deal/2009/04/01/1238261623058.html

NSW: Principals' legal threat over disabled students funding

Bruce McDougall, Daily Telegraph, April 03, 2009

PRINCIPALS are threatening to take the Rees Government to court, claiming it is failing to adequately fund thousands of disabled students.

The principals will seek legal advice on whether they can take action, arguing the Department of Education and Training has breached anti-discrimination laws over its treatment of special needs children.

Principals’ spokeswoman Cheryl McBride said yesterday the Disability Discrimination Act made it unlawful to contravene standards aimed at ensuring all students received equal opportunity.

The threatened legal action comes as a major row looms over the treatment of 30,000 special needs and disabled students in public schools across NSW.

A survey of more than 800 principals conducted by the Public Schools Principals' Forum has found that more than 2500 students receive "nil or seriously inadequate" levels of funding.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,27574,25282136-5006009,00.html

NSW: Schools not playing the game with PE lessons

Anna Patty, Sydney Morning Herald, April 3, 2009

PRIMARY school teachers do not have enough time and confidence to teach all children physical education, a university study has found.

The survey of 189 teachers at 38 randomly selected government primary schools across NSW identified common barriers to teaching PE. These included an overcrowded curriculum, low levels of expertise and confidence and inadequate equipment.

The study's author, Philip Morgan, an Associate Professor from the Faculty of Education at the University of Newcastle, found that teachers felt pressured to produce measureable performance outcomes in basic skills tests for literacy and numeracy. Teachers who responded to the survey said this often resulted in PE being "the first thing to get bumped".

The study reported that the "crowded-out curriculum meant PE was often not taught at all or only sporadically".

Read entire article: http://www.smh.com.au/national/schools-not-playing-the-game-with-pe-lessons-20090402-9l47.html

QLD: School leavers at risk over drug awareness failure

Tanya Chilcott, Courier Mail, April 06, 2009

QUEENSLAND schools are putting their students at risk because of their failure to teach drug awareness in schools, experts have warned.

Drug and Alcohol Research Training Australia director Paul Dillon said school leavers were completely unprepared for facing illegal drugs, especially ecstasy because it was not taught in Queensland state schools.

"The only information they get is either from the media, which tends to be focused on the unusual, and of course their friends," Mr. Dillon said.

"Unfortunately, we have had now, the last three or four years of young people going through our school system and coming out the other end and not being in the least bit prepared when it comes to ecstasy."

He said it was inappropriate to teach about ecstasy before Year 11 because it normalised it, but senior teachers struggled to find time for drug education.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,25293346-3102,00.html

SA: Teachers vow to continue their fight

Joanna Vaughan, Adelaide Now, April 03, 2009

TEACHERS are vowing to continue their push for more pay and better conditions despite the state's coffers taking a $1.5 billion hit in the global financial crisis.

National Australian Education Union leaders yesterday joined hundreds of teachers in a rally at Parliament House to ramp up their dispute with the State Government.

Teachers are calling for a 21 per cent pay rise over three years and changes to a controversial funding model which the union says will take money from one in three schools.

If accepted, the pay rises and improved conditions would cost more than $1 billion and take the yearly salary of an experienced teacher to $88,190 by 2010. That is a rise of more than $19,000.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25282154-2682,00.html

TAS: Millions more for early education – 30 new Child & Family Centres planned

Sue Neales, Hobart Mercury, March 14, 2009

THIRTY new Child and Family Centres, each costing $3 million, will be opened around Tasmania over the next four years.

The centres are designed to become the hub of local communities, with many located on or next to existing school grounds.

Premier David Bartlett made the commitment at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens yesterday, as he celebrated the success of his Launch into Learning program for pre-schoolers. He praised the program for giving young children a great start.

Mr Bartlett, who is also Education Minister, said funding for the $12.6 million Launch into Learning program was secure and would continue "as long as I have any say over the matter".

The program helps schools and community groups run regular play sessions for children from birth to four years old, and their parents, preparing the children for kindergarten and school.

Read more at http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/03/14/61255_tasmania-news.html

TAS: Education program’s “polywaffle” problems

Sue Neales, Hobart Mercury, March 27, 2009

FEARS of a crisis in Tasmania's new senior secondary education system are growing.

Teachers warn of a mass exodus of dissatisfied students at the Easter break.

The deepening concerns about problems in the Polytechnic structure, system and coursework came as senior education officials continued their crisis talks with staff at Tasmania's 19 new Polytechnic campuses.

Embattled Education Minister and Premier David Bartlett backed down on his statement the previous day that serious problems raised by many teachers were just "teething troubles". "I accept there are challenges in the implementation of the Tasmania Tomorrow reforms," he said.

One parent said the Government had been consistently warned about the "impending disaster" when it rushed through plans for four of Tasmania's eight senior colleges to cease to exist by January 1, creating instead the new split Academy and Polytechnic education streams.

Read entire article: http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/03/27/63561_tasmania-news.html

VIC: Universities packed to the rafters

Miki Perkins, The Age, April 4, 2009

OVERCROWDING at Victorian universities is so bad that more than half the students say they have sat on the floor at lectures.

A survey by the National Union of Students found that lectures were attended by up to 300 people and 40 per cent of students said lecture facilities were unable to meet the educational needs of the people crammed into them.

"If I'm even five minutes late for one of my arts lectures, then you have to sit on the floor," Melbourne University arts-science student Dominique Ottobre told The Age. "Some students actually skip the lecture in frustration."

Students said their largest tutorials held an average of 36 people.

The most recent national figures from the federal Education Department show that the average tutorial size is more than 20 students to one teacher, up from with 12:1 in 1990.

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/unis-packed-to-the-rafters-20090403-9rmj.html

VIC: University spot for all: Victoria leads nation

Farrah Tomazin, The Age, April 2, 2009

VICTORIA is set to become the first state in the country to offer every person a guaranteed place at university or TAFE, forcing the Brumby Government to rethink how it will cope with the expected growth of its tertiary system.

Within three years, under new state and federal funding arrangements, every Victorian school leaver will be funded for the course of their choice — provided there is the demand and they can meet the relevant course requirements.

The move has been made possible on two fronts: Victoria has announced that from July this year, every TAFE and vocational training institute would be funded according to how many students they can attract under a new "demand-driven" funding system; and last month the Commonwealth announced the nation's universities would follow suit, moving to a similar funding system by 2012 as part of a national higher-education shake-up.

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/uni-spot-for-all-victoria-leads-nation-20090401-9jt7.html

VIC: Free after-school care for bushfire-affected families

ABC News, 6 April 2009

The Victoria Government and YMCA are providing free after-school programs for the children of families affected by the Black Saturday bushfires.

The programs, for children aged from five to 16, are being run at Kinglake West, Alexandra, Yea, Flowerdale and Kangaroo Ground.

Childcare is also available in most areas of the state over the holidays, including Whittlesea, Eltham and Diamond Valley.

Education Minister Bronwyn Pike says it is important that children who have gone through so much trauma get a chance to connect with their friends.

"So even if children are enrolled in other programs, they'll be reimbursed and able to attend this program that's being provided by the government free of charge for them in the school holidays," she said.

"Obviously it's been a very disruptive period for young people in communities that were affected by the bushfires.

"And holiday programs are a great way of giving kids some focus during that period, connecting them with their friends, and giving them some great opportunities to continue their learning."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/06/2535614.htm

WA: Shrinking Year 8 threatens teacher jobs

Kate Campbell, West Australian, 2 April 2009

Up to 600 teachers in WA could lose their jobs next year when the number of students in Year 8 nearly halves, the teachers’ union says.
  
The State Government changed the cut-off date in 2001 for kindergarten enrolments, so only children born in the first six months of that year could enrol. That change created a group referred to as the “half-cohort”.
  
State School Teachers Union president Anne Gisborne said teaching and staff numbers, funding, programs, resources and specialist courses in WA secondary schools could be reduced because of the change.
  
Besides the risk of job cuts next year, Ms Gisborne also warned of a teaching black hole when the half-cohort finished high school in five years. She fears it will be difficult for schools to increase the number of teachers to normal levels.
  
Public primary schools in the western suburbs and affluent areas are being hit hardest, with some schools having 70 to 80 per cent fewer Year 7 students compared with last year.
  
Read entire article: http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuId=77&ContentID=133730

WA: Many children 'unprepared' for school

ABC News, 6 April 2009

Education groups in Western Australia have backed an international study which reveals many students do not have the social and verbal skills necessary to start school.

The British research says many students are not properly prepared for school, and some are unable to dress themselves or use the toilet.

The State School Teachers Union (SSTU) says it is a similar story in Western Australia, and it is not limited to children from low socio-economic areas.

The president of the SSTU, Anne Gisborne, says working parents need to find time to prepare their children for school.

"So that they can pay attention, and provide that time that's required for their children," she said.

A spokesman for the West Australian Council of State School Organisations, Rob Fry, agrees.

"There's no doubt that the very early years of a child's development are the most important and set the foundation for the life ahead," he said.

Read more at  http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/06/2535967.htm

WA: Minister defends numeracy, literacy focus

ABC News, Mar 27, 2009

The State School Teachers Union says teachers are being forced to focus on areas which are vcontained in national testing.

The WA Education Minister says the Government is not trying to artificially increase scores in national testing by asking teachers to focus on specific content.

All public school students in years 3, 5 and 7 take part in the national testing held in May each year.

The State School Teachers Union says teachers are being forced to focus on certain areas which are contained in the national testing... so W-A students perform well in 2009.

The Education Minister, Liz Constable, says the Government is trying to improve literacy and numeracy across the board, not just in test scores.

Read entire article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/27/2528461.htm

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AWARDS & PRIZES

Unsung Hero Award

Nominations close 17 April 2009

There are many people who work tirelessly for their rural or remote communities and contribute greatly on issues about which they are passionate.

Rural and remote communities are much richer for their contribution, yet we often don’t know who they are.

They might be the quiet achiever, the volunteer, or the worker who constantly goes above and beyond their normal role to contribute to their community.

The purpose of the friends Unsung Hero Award is to recognise these grassroots people who have made a significant contribution to the health of their remote, Indigenous or rural community.

Further information and entry form at http://nrha.ruralhealth.org.au/friends/docs/uha2009/uha_entry_form_2009.pdf

Closing This Week

The Environmental Song for Australia Contest 2009

Entry Forms to be lodged for registration by Friday 9 April 2009

Competition Entries to be submitted by Friday 24 July 2009

For further information and to download an Entry Form: http://www.imex.net.au/envsoncont.html

National Art & Poetry Competition for Secondary Students

Closing: 10 April 2009

For full details and to download an entry form, visit http://www.aahr.org.au

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS

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 www.agosci.org.au

Boys & Learning:

Developing Emotional Intelligence and Engagement through an Understanding of Behaviour

25 May - Parramatta   NSW                    
26 May - Melbourne, Victoria

Two 1-day Conferences:

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

15-16 June, 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

15-16 June - Communities in Control Conference - Melbourne, VIC - http://

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

31 July-1 August - NSW Federation of Parents’ & Citizens’ Associations Annual Conference - Penrith, NSW - http://www.pandc.org.au/annual-conference.seo

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/