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AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION DIGEST

Volume 3 Number 39, 27 October 2009

IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY: (3 items)
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP: (3 items)
BUILDING THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION: Building of science and languages labs at schools delayed
RESEARCH: (2 items)
DIGITAL EDUCATION REVOLUTION: Kevin Rudd's computer commitment to schools falls short:
ENGAGING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE: (4 items)
INDIGENOUS EDUCATION: (4 items)
HEALTH & WELL-BEING: Cyber safety, depression & alcohol
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: (2 items)
AROUND THE STATES & TERRITORIES: (11 items)
CONFERENCES & EVENTS: (3 items)
REMINDERS
ACSSO EMAIL NEWSLETTERS

IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY

Teacher Shortages Must Be Addressed

Australian Education Union, 27 October 2009

The Australian Education Union has called for a national approach to tackling teacher shortages after a new survey found almost 60 per cent of schools had trouble getting the teachers they needed.

In the survey of 1,473 public school principals across the nation, 59 per cent of principals reported problems with the supply of teachers in the past year and 57 per cent said the problem was getting worse.

Releasing the survey in Canberra, AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said schools faced a range of problems including major shortages of teachers qualified to teach key subjects, difficulties recruiting and retaining staff and a short pay scale that made it difficult to keep experienced teachers in the classroom.

Read State of our Schools Survey 2009 at http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/2009/SOSreport.pdf

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Three in five high schools rely on 'untrained' teachers

Angus Hohenboken, the Australian, October 27, 2009

ALMOST 60 per cent of Australia's government-run schools experienced problems sourcing teachers last year and about 30 per cent have teachers running classes outside their areas of expertise.

Among secondary schools, the percentage with classes taught by teachers not trained in that subject is a staggering 58 per cent.

Figures taken from the Australian Education Union's State of Our Schools Survey of 1472 public school principals show maths, technology, computer science and languages top the list for courses taught by teachers who do not possess the relevant qualifications.

The survey showed that while 58.9 per cent of schools experienced teacher supply problems in the past year, 56.5 per cent of schools indicated the teacher supply problem was becoming worse. Angelo Gavrielatos, federal president of the AEU, said the need to boost the ranks of teachers was an "urgent concern".

"We need to ensure that every student, in every classroom, in every school, is taught by a qualified teacher," Mr. Gavrielatos said.

Read entire article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,26263958-5013404,00.html

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We are concerned and we can do better

Hon Julia Gillard MP, Education Minister, interview 27 October 2009

TONY EASTLEY: Julia Gillard, good morning. How concerned are you about this report?

JULIA GILLARD: Good morning. Well of course we're concerned about the quality of Australian schooling and I welcome the acknowledgement from the Australian Education Union in this report that we can do better. The Government's driving an Education Revolution which is all about improving the quality of teaching in our schools and making sure that children have the specialist teachers that they need. That's why two Budgets ago we put in place measures to halve HECS for those who go into maths and science teaching, and then if they go into an area of need, to halve it again. And it's why we're investing $550 million in improving teacher quality and the quality of school leadership.

TONY EASTLEY: So you're saying this will be alleviated when?

JULIA GILLARD: It's in the process of being alleviated now. We obviously can't make teachers overnight and we inherited school system that had been neglected for more than 10 years by the Liberal Government. But our Education Revolution is already delivering measures to induce teachers in the maths and science fields, to get high performing maths and science graduates into teaching and beyond that, we are also implementing a measure called teach for Australia where high performing graduates from all disciplines will go into accelerated teacher education courses and start teaching in schools next year.

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SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

A national conversation with principals in November

Hon Julia Gillard MP, Education Minister, 25 October 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, will this week invite 150 school principals to Canberra to discuss the Rudd Government's Education Revolution.

The two-day national principal forum, to be held on 10 and 11 November, will focus on how the Government can help principals lift educational outcomes for all students.

I want to have a national conversation with school principals about the challenges they are facing on the ground.

It also gives me the opportunity to speak directly to principals about the reforms the government is pursuing in education and the difference they will make for their schools and their students.

The Rudd Government is obviously investing an unprecedented amount of new funding in education but there are also some fundamental changes taking place which we want to discuss with principals.

Topics at the forum will include the new national curriculum, assessment, reporting, literacy and numeracy, school infrastructure, Indigenous education and student wellbeing.

Read more about Smarter Schools National Partnerships at http://www.deewr.gov.au/smarterschools

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School heads to get more control

Justine Ferrari, Education writer, The Austarlian, October 27, 2009

STATE education departments should hand control of school finances and the power to hire teachers to principals and school boards, reversing a century of bureaucratic stranglehold over the running of schools.

A federal government report, released to The Australian, argues that the starting point in school governance should devolve decision-making to the school level, allowing principals to respond to the individual needs of the students and their communities.

The only place for centralised control over schools should be in setting frameworks for curriculum and standards and, in exceptional cases, where a school believes it is more efficient for decisions to be made by the department, such as for very small schools and those in remote areas.

Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard yesterday backed the broad directions outlined in the report, saying the Rudd government was already pursuing the measures in its education reforms.

"School principals should have the autonomy to make more staffing and salary decisions to help tackle local problems like poor literacy and numeracy," she said.

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Investing in quality teaching and school leadership

The Hon Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Education, 27 October, 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today released the report of the Principal Autonomy Research Project.

This report provides the first comprehensive picture of school principal autonomy in Australia and supports the direction of the education reforms the Rudd Government is pursuing.

The report found that State and Territory education systems currently have quite different approaches to principal autonomy.

The report, based on both national and international research and documented school leader perspectives, found that there is general acceptance that a degree of autonomy is necessary to enable schools to respond to individual student needs and community expectations.

The Rudd Government has already committed $550 million to improving quality teaching and school leadership; to attract, train, place, develop and retain quality teachers in our classrooms.

This is on top of the $626 million already being invested to boost the number of specialist maths and science teachers in our primary and secondary schools.

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BUILDING THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION

Building of science and languages labs at schools delayed

Dan Harrison, Sydney Morning Herald, October 23, 2009

MORE than a third of the science and language centres being funded under the Rudd Government's school stimulus program are behind schedule, a Senate committee heard yesterday.

Officials from the federal Education Department told an estimates hearing that of 537 science and language laboratories that had been approved, only 349 had met the commencement deadline of the end of September.

The committee also heard that about 20 per cent of the small-scale infrastructure and refurbishment projects funded under the National School Pride program had not started, despite guidelines requiring all projects to start by July.

The programs are part of the $16 billion Building the Education Revolution program, which the Government announced in February to quickly create jobs and stimulate economic activity.

Catherine Wall, the national co-ordinator of the program, told the hearing some projects had been postponed because they couldn't be undertaken while students were at school, while others had been delayed by weather or so they could be combined with other projects.

Read entire article: http://www.smh.com.au/national/building-at-schools-delayed-20091022-hbgp.html

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RESEARCH

Study shows waste of teacher time by disruptive students and administration

Caroline Milburn, the Age, 12 October 2009

One in four teachers loses 30 per cent of classroom time because of disruptive student behaviour and administrative tasks, according to a report card of the world's education systems.

The survey of public and private schools in 23 countries, including Australia, is the first to provide an international comparison of the conditions of teaching and learning.

It found the classroom climate — one of the most important predictors of student achievement — is being undermined by discipline problems and administrative tasks in many countries.

Teachers in Australia, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Iceland spend on average more than 14 per cent of their classroom time restoring order, slightly more than the international average of 13 per cent.

Teachers in Brazil and Malaysia spend on average the largest portion of classroom time (18 per cent) dealing with disruptive students, while their counterparts in Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary and the Slovak Republic spend less than 10 per cent of time on maintaining order.

Read entire article: http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/can-i-have-your-attention-20091009-gqkw.html

Read Education at a Glance 2009 at: http://www.oecd.org/document/24/0,3343,en_2649_39263238_43586328_1_1_1_1,00.html

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New research shows technology is vital to 21st Century learning

Hon Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Education, 21 October 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today released new research showing students' perceptions and expectations of learning with information and communications technologies (ICT).

The research was undertaken to improve teachers' understanding of how ICT may be used to improve learning outcomes. More than 1000 students from primary and secondary schools, vocational education and training institutions and universities were surveyed.

Listening to Students' and Educators' Voices: Research Findings found that students believe technology is a vital learning aid as it can provide access to detailed information, opportunities to practice for tests, help with maths and development of problem solving skills.

The research also found ICT offers more opportunities to tailor education to meet students' needs and increase their motivation to learn.

Increasing the ICT capabilities of educators is a key element of the Rudd Government's $2.2 billion Digital Education Revolution (DER).

The DER provides for online curriculum resources, high speed broadband to schools, professional development and computers for schools under the National Secondary School Computer Fund.

Read entire release: http://deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_091022_114337.aspx

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DIGITAL EDUCATION REVOLUTION

Kevin Rudd's computer commitment to schools falls short:

At this rate full roll-out could take seven years.

Emma Chalmers, the Courier-Mail, October 23, 2009

ONLY 150,000 of the nearly one million computers Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised to Australian secondary students have arrived on school desks.

Almost two years after storming to power, the Rudd Government is running out of time to deliver the extra 820,000 PCs needed to meet its much-hyped election commitment to give every year 9 to 12 student access to their own computer.

The snail's pace of the new technology rollout was laid bare at a Senate estimates hearing yesterday, which was told half of the 300,000 computers approved and funded since July last year were yet to turn up in schools.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26248622-421,00.html

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ENGAGING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

Youth Ambassador for Health Research

Hon Mark Butler MP, Parlt. Secretary for Health, 16 October 2009

Mr Butler also announced Ahmet Dalkic had been chosen from a nation-wide field of Year 9 and 10 students, as Research Australia National Youth Ambassador for Health Research 2009.

A year 10 student at Epping Boys High School in Sydney, Ahmet won the honour with his insightful essay entitled, “The Mind.”

“Demonstrating a level of understanding beyond his years, Ahmet eloquently used his personal experience of moving between different cultures to strengthen his argument,” Mr Butler said.

Ahmet wrote, “One must embrace change, be assertive and understanding, be free of prejudice, be flexible in thoughts but not in principles”.

“His essay highlighted the importance of self respect in molding the shape and function of the brain,” Mr Butler said.

In his role as National Youth Ambassador for Health Research, Ahmet will address Australian Government ministers in Canberra later this month, as well as lead a team of young people committed to raising health and medical research concerns with key opinion leaders, politicians and the media.

Read entire release: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr09-mb-mb029.htm?OpenDocument&yr=2009&mth=10

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National Conversation with Young Australians

Hon Kate Ellis & Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, 21 October 2009

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister for Youth Kate Ellis today launched a nationwide discussion with young people as part of the National Strategy for young Australians.

The National Conversation was simultaneously launched by the Prime Minister during a live web chat with young people and by Minister Ellis at the first forum at Lyneham High School in Canberra.

The National Conversation is a chance for young people, the youth sector and the community to help shape the Government's National Strategy for Young Australians through online events, local and national forums and face-to-face discussions.

The discussion will include a live, online interactive webcast on 12 November to allow young people from across the nation to join the conversation.

Young people and their communities will also have an opportunity to host their own forums in coming weeks.

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$10 Million for Youth Community Service Centres

Hon Kate Ellis MP & Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, 21 October 2009

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister for Youth Kate Ellis today announced $10 million to set up five new youth community centres across Australia.

This idea was one of the top ten ideas at the 2020 Youth Summit in April 2008, in which 100 young Australians came together in an historic meeting to help shape our national agenda.

The Rudd Government is committed to listening to young people and working with them to deliver their innovative ideas to help shape the nation's future.

The combined arts, business and community centres will be established in Priority Employment Areas and will provide opportunities for young people to take part in community activities.

The centres will offer a safe place for young people to make friends and develop new skills to support their education, training and employment

Read more at http://www.youth.gov.au.

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Challenging Australia's Young People for Fresh Ideas

Hon Kate Ellis MP & Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, 21 October 2009

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister for Youth Kate Ellis today launched a new national competition to stimulate fresh ideas about how young people can connect with their communities.

The annual Prime Minister's Australian Youth Forum Challenge will start next year.

Young Australians will be asked to propose projects that get young people engaged in their community and actively addressing local needs. The ideas will need to be sustainable and to link in with wider support, organisations and local businesses.

A panel of young people, youth workers and industry experts will shortlist the best ideas, with the Prime Minster and Minister Ellis choosing the ultimate winners.

Winners will be eligible for up to $15 000 to put their ideas into action.

The Office for Youth will call for proposals for the Prime Minister's AYF Challenge in early 2010.

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INDIGENOUS EDUCATION

Indigenous culture key in first “Footprints in Time” study

Hon Jenny Macklin MP, Media Release, 20/10/2009

The importance of maintaining strong links to Indigenous culture is a key finding of wave one of a landmark longitudinal study of Indigenous children - Footprints in Time.

More than two thirds of parents had taken their child to an Indigenous cultural event, ceremony or sorry business.

Around 44 per cent had taught their child traditional arts like painting, dance, singing and making ceremonial dress. And more than 40 per cent had taught their child traditional practices like collecting food or hunting.

Footprints in Time is tracking the long-term development of 1,687 children and will give researchers the capacity to look in depth at the early childhood experiences of Indigenous children and how these experiences influence their future.

The study measures footprints of Indigenous children aged between six months and five years from 11 sites across Australia - along with their parents and carers. The families will be interviewed yearly over at least four years.

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$18.2 million for teacher housing in remote NT

Hon Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Education, 22 October 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today announced funding of $10.7 million to improve housing for teachers working in remote communities in the Northern Territory.

Together with $7.5 million announced today by the Northern Territory Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, more than $18 million has been committed to improve teacher housing in remote communities.

The Federal Member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon welcomed this commitment to help recruit quality teachers and improve learning opportunities for Indigenous children in the NT.

This funding will be used to construct up to 50 new homes estimated to cost between $200,000 and $300,000 each in nine remote Northern Territory communities.

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Charlie Perkins Scholarships to send Indigenous Australians to Oxford

Hon Julia Gillard MP, Minister for Education, 22 October 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today announced that the Government will provide $132,000 to the Charlie Perkins Trust for Children and Students which will give two talented Indigenous Australians the opportunity to study at the University of Oxford for up to three years.

Ms Gillard said the Rudd Government was pleased to be able to provide assistance for the Charlie Perkins Scholarships which will cover living expenses, air fares and all tuition fees for the two scholars to commence at the University during the 2010/11 academic year.

The British Government and Rio Tinto will also provide funding for the scholarships, for what the Charlie Perkins Trust believes will be the first Indigenous Australians to study at Oxford.

The scholarships are aimed at postgraduate study, and the Charlie Perkins Trust will visit Australian universities and publicise the scholarships widely to encourage students to apply.

The Trust was established in memory of Charlie Perkins to establish a scholarship scheme which will give Indigenous Australians the opportunity to study at the University of Oxford.

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Aboriginal leaders seek role in national curriculum

Justine Ferrari, Education writer, The Australian, October 26, 2009

INDIGENOUS leaders, academics and educators are angered by a lack of consultation in the development of the national school curriculum, which they argue relegates Aboriginal people and their culture to "historical artifacts".

In a letter to Education Minister Julia Gillard, obtained by The Australian, the group calls for indigenous people to be actively consulted and involved in the development of the curriculum, including a representative on the board of the National Curriculum Authority.

The letter, which will be sent this week to Ms Gillard and the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, says failure to engage with indigenous people and include their perspectives in the curriculum is at odds with federal government policy, and the sentiment expressed in Kevin Rudd's Sorry Day speech to lay claim "to a future that embraces all Australians".

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HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Research shows cyber safety, depression & alcohol pose risks for young

Hon Kate Ellis MP, Minister for Youth, 22 October 2009

The Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis, says a new report shows young people are making a vital contribution to Australia, but they're also facing new risks and challenges.

Ms Ellis today released The State of Australia's Young People: a report on the social, economic, health and family lives of young people.

“Most young people are well educated, have close relationships with their families and friends and contribute to society through study, work and volunteering,” Ms Ellis said.

“But the report also shows there are serious risks to their health, safety and wellbeing.”

Amongst the findings of the wide-ranging report:

Teenagers aged 15 - 19 have the highest hospitalisation rate for acute intoxication of all age groups and one in five 16-year-olds have used illicit drugs
One in three sexually active young people report experiencing unwanted sex
One in four young people are living with a mental illness
Almost a quarter of young people feel unsafe walking alone at night and young people are more likely to be the victim of a crime but less likely to report it
Nine out of ten 17-year-olds use a mobile phone
Nine out of ten families have an Internet connection.

The State of Australia's Young People shows that some young people are at greater risk of falling behind than others, particularly those who are Indigenous, from a low socio-economic background, aren't studying or working or have a disability.

The full report is available at www.youth.gov.au.

Read entire release: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Ellis/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_091022_081047.aspx

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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

“Get up and grow”: Health Guidelines for Early Childhood Settings

Hon Nicola Roxon MP & Hon Kate Ellis MP, Media Release, 22 October 2009

The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon and Minister for Early Childhood Education, Kate Ellis, today launched new Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Guidelines for early childhood Settings, developed with the assistance of a consortium led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

The guidelines, titled Get Up & Grow, provide information to support healthy behaviour in children aged five years and younger attending early childhood education and care settings, including centre-based care, family day care and preschools.

Read entire release: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr09-nr-nr181.htm?OpenDocument&yr=2009&mth=10

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Our smartest investment in kids is before they enter the classroom

Mike Rann, Premier of South Australia, “The Punch”, 26 Oct 2009

Politicians talk and write about a range of subjects. Over the past couple of weeks I've spoken about the defence industry, mining, renewable energy and climate change, universities, infrastructure, investment and exports, science, law and order, arts, and multiculturalism.

But a few months ago, a pre-school educator said to me that we seldom hear our male politicians talking about early childhood education and development.

She was right. So here goes.

In South Australia, we have a couple of programs we are particularly proud of.

Last year, we also created a new Ministerial portfolio of Early Childhood Development.

I have asked the Minister, Jay Weatherill, to examine the world-leading early childhood teaching and learning philosophies developed in Reggio Emilia, in northern Italy. This philosophy helps to challenge and harness the creativity and imagination of the kids themselves.

It promotes children's education through the development of all their communication, expression, cognitive and imagination skills, and helps develop relationships within and between groups of children.

Read entire article: http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles

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AROUND THE STATES & TERRITORIES

ACT: Anger over college reform plan

ABC News, Oct 23, 2009

The ACT Government's plan to split the Territory's college system is being widely criticised.The Government is considering changing the system for year 11 and 12 students to have separate campuses for students going to university or through to vocational training.

Currently students can study a leaving certificate at any of the Territory's eight colleges which will allow them entry into a university, TAFE or the workforce depending on their final mark.

The ACT proposal is similar to a revamp that has started in Tasmania, which is dividing the college system into academic and vocational streams.

The Opposition has slammed the proposal. Education spokesman Steve Doszpot says the polytechnic system is proving a disaster in Tasmania.

"The Tasmanian branch of the AEU (Australian Education Union) stated there was a lack of clarity amongst educators about who is responsible for supervision of students, and teachers are concerned that they are teaching subject areas that they are not qualified to teach," he said. "It is just incredible that we would be using one of the lowest performing areas as a template for the ACT."

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NSW: Elite school's 'obscene' $35 million playground

Paul Tatnell, news.com.au, 20 October 2009

AN elite private school has bought a $35 million block for student recreation, in a purchase a education official has labelled 'obscene'.

The Sydney Church of England Grammar School (known as Shore) has agreed to pay what is believed to be a record amount for a school purchase to the NSW Government for 3ha of parklands and an old mansion in Sydney.

The school - one of Australia's most prestigious institutions - even managed to outbid Kevin Rudd for the site, whose Government reportedly offered $25 million.

The school now plans to use the site as a recreational area for students and the old mansion as an administrative building.

Australian Education Union federal president Angelo Gavrielatos said it was the biggest school purchase he has heard of.

"It is obscene ... and certainly exceeds anything we are aware of in terms of such a transaction," he said.

Read entire article: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26236214-1702,00.html

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NSW: “You have to ask: Why do we still fund private schools when they can afford to outbid the Federal Government for the purchase of public land?"

Allan Tieu, ABC News, 26 October 2009

The fate of the historic Graythwaite Estate at North Sydney was announced last week - neighbouring Shore school has been successful in its bid to buy the land.

The government's decision comes after a long campaign to keep the estate in public hands, with the Federal Government also in the bidding.

This week, the Greens will be putting a private members bill to the New South Wales upper house to stop the sale.

The construction union, the CFMEU, has also placed a green-ban on the Graythwaite site.

The Friends of Graythwaite group says the state government is morally bankrupt, and has thrown away the option of a win-win outcome by accepting the highest bid.

Read entire article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/26/2723989.htm

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NT: Australia Invests $18.2 Million To Improve Rural Housing For Teachers

The Government Monitor, 22 October 2009

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today announced funding of $10.7 million to improve housing for teachers working in remote communities in the Northern Territory.

Together with $7.5 million announced today by the Northern Territory Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, more than $18 million has been committed to improve teacher housing in remote communities.

The Federal Member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon welcomed this commitment to help recruit quality teachers and improve learning opportunities for Indigenous children in the NT.

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QLD: Move to reclaim federal payouts to small schools now due to close

Natasha Bita, the Australian, October 22, 2009

THE federal government will try to claw back more than $1million in taxpayer grants handed to tiny schools the Queensland government has decided to close at the end of the year.

Education Queensland has mothballed five schools that received $1.45m in grants for new halls, libraries and renovations under the federal government's $16billion Building the Education Revolution spending spree.

The rural schools will be shut in December, pending a final decision in 12 months.

Five more small schools, which shared in $1.5m, will be monitored next year for possible closure at the end of the year.

Riverleigh, west of Maryborough, received $250,000 for a resource centre that school principal Norah Murphy did not apply for.

The four-student school - to be mothballed at the end of the year - also received $35,000 to recarpet and repaint classrooms and buy a smartboard and data projector, $5000 for blinds, and $10,000 to convert a toilet to a shower and repaint the toilet block.

Read entire article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26243717-2702,00.html

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SA: Trade schools popular with students

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith, 21 October 2009

The Rann Government's Trade Schools for the Future have reached a new milestone, with more than 500 South Australian school students signed up to a trade school apprenticeship in 2009.

More than 1140 high school students in total are now undertaking a high-level apprenticeship through one of the State's 10 Trade Schools for the Future.

The news coincides with the official opening today of new facilities for the Northern Adelaide Trade School for the Future at Parafield Gardens High School. A $618,000 investment has created new facilities to support the trade school's focus on engineering, electro technology electronics and electrical industries. The Rudd Government is investing a further $500,000 to redevelop facilities that support the trade school's additional focus on advanced manufacturing and metals industries.

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the northern Adelaide trade school is giving more than 500 students in the northern suburbs high-tech skills for the workforce.

“Our $29.8 million trade schools initiative has been an amazing success and is helping to give high school students the skills needed for jobs in growth industries, such as defence and mining.

“Trade school students get the best of both worlds. They learn practical works skills while completing the South Australian Certificate of Education”.

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SA: More permanent education jobs

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith, 24 October 2009

Almost 450 long-serving temporary employees in the State's education system have been offered permanent positions.

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said today that 446 School Services Officers (SSOs) and Early Childhood Workers (ECWs) would be made permanent at State schools and preschools.

Dr Lomax-Smith says the move is part of the State Government's commitment to building an expert workforce in South Australia by attracting and maintaining highly skilled professionals.

“Providing permanent roles to these long-serving employees recognises their skills and their valuable contribution to their local community. It also provides continuity for school and preschool communities. They have welcomed the move to retain employees who have played a vital role in helping to educate children and students.

“We will continue our work to find more opportunities for permanency.”

Read entire release: http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/images/stories/mediareleasesOCT10/sso%20permanency.pdf

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TAS: Teachers to block proposed education changes

ABC News, 27 October 2009

Tasmania's school system could be brought to a standstill over the government's determination to force Elizabeth College to adopt the Tasmania Tomorrow plan next year.

The Education union's branch executive voted last night that the College reject changes.

The Premier, David Bartlett, says the college will enter the Tasmania Tomorrow system next year despite a union ballot voting against the move last week. Mr Bartlett says more than 100 Elizabeth College students have already enrolled in the new system.

"I'm going to put students first in every decision that I make," he said.

Read entire article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/27/2724956.htm

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VIC: Liberals Cry Crocodile Tears While Opposing Billions Spent on New School Buildings

Bronwyn Pike, Minister for Education, 27 October 2009

The Minister for Education, Bronwyn Pike, today labelled the Liberal-National Opposition hypocrites for pretending to be concerned about school facilities while opposing the $4.4 billion the Brumby and Rudd Governments are investing to rebuild schools across Victoria.

Ms Pike said all Victorians should know that the Opposition vigorously opposed spending on new schools in communities across Victoria, while pretending to be concerned about relocatable classrooms.

“Media releases issued by the Opposition today on relocatable classrooms do not own up to the fact that they voted against the billions of dollars being spent by our Government and the Commonwealth to rebuild every school in the state,” Ms Pike said.

“Communities across Victoria should be aware that the Opposition opposed the new school building in their community.

“The single biggest threat to a quality education in Victoria is the Liberal-National Opposition – they are ideologically opposed to public education,” Ms Pike said.

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WA: Push to teach apprenticeships in school

Kim MacDonald, West Australian October 20, 2009

The State Government is considering a proposal for a new school-based apprenticeship system in which students pay to learn a trade in the classroom, rather than getting paid to learn on the job. The radical option, proposed by the Master Builders Association, could be offered as an alternative to traditional apprenticeships in a move aimed at boosting training during a downturn.

MBA director Michael McLean said the move would prevent high attrition rates and labour shortages, claiming too many apprentices were dumped by their employers when work dropped off.

In the year to August, 2775 apprentices had been sacked or had dropped their training. In the same month, the number of new apprentices entering the system was down 30 per cent compared with a year earlier.

Read entire article: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/6264504/push-to-teach-apprenticeships-in-school/

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WA: No change to year seven next year: Education Minister

ABC News, 27 October 2009

With less than two months before the end of the school year, the Education Minister has announced that year seven students in public schools will not be moved into the high school system in 2010.

The Education Department is looking again at placing year seven students into high schools, just two years after a report dismissed the idea as too expensive and having little benefit for students.

Robert Fry from the WA Council of State School Organisations says parents will be happy the decision has been delayed.

"Is it worth the expense and is it at the expense of the educational outcomes of our children?"

Stephen Breen from the WA Primary Principals Association echoes the sentiment and says there must be more consultation.

"We need to debate this with the rank and file of parents," he said.

The minister Liz Constable says a review of the report will be completed in the first half of next year.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/27/2725110.htm

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS

The Education Revolution – two years on

4th Annual Forum of Australian National Schools Network (ANSN)

Tuesday 17th November, 2009: Old Parliament House, Canberra, ACT

Since the election of the Rudd Labor Government, the education community has been excited by the opportunities for new and imaginative work to begin again.

New partnerships are designed to challenge us all to think differently about how we do our work in schools – and how families, schools and communities can work together more innovatively to support young people's learning and development.

This forum is designed to give the broad education community the opportunity to explore these new agendas in a collaborative and critical way. We invite the systems, the unions, other agencies and associations, and probably most importantly those folk in the schools who have the ultimate responsibility to make this work, to join us as we focus on these issues of national significance.

Further information: http://www.ansn.edu.au/4th_annual_national_forum_2009_the_education_revolution_two_years_on

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2020 Vision: Literacy in Education Conference

27 November 2009, Hilton on the Park, Melbourne, VIC

The Conference will

highlight a range of perspectives on literacy and visuacy in theoretical, formal and practical sessions for teachers and librarians
suggest resources and discuss how to access and use them across VELS domains and year levels.
include a panel discussion “Far-sighted literacy. The shape of children’s literature in 2020”.

Keynote speaker is children's author John Marsden.

Who should attend? Early Years teachers, Middle Years teachers, Later Years teachers, Teacher Librarians, Literacy Co-ordinators

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2009 Behaviour Schools Conference

17-18 December 2009, Novotel Brighton Beach Hotel, Brighton-le-Sands, NSW

This Conference is an opportunity for Behaviour Schools across New South Wales to come together with the aim to celebrate achievements in our unique environments as well as learn from the collective wisdom of the group.

This year we are inviting the Suspension Centres and Tutorial centres to the Conference as a way of expanding the depth of knowledge, provide collegial support and improve student outcomes across the many settings we represent.

The Conference theme is “Celebrating Success and Looking Forward” and will be addressing the Office of Schools Priority Areas in Student Engagement and Retention, Literacy and Numeracy, Aboriginal Education, Connected Learning/ICT and Quality Teaching.

We will focus on how Behaviour settings can improve outcomes for students in these priority areas. We will also be encouraging aspiring leaders to look at leadership capabilities and pathways.

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REMINDERS

20 October - Symposium: Building school partnerships with commerce & industry - Melbourne, VIC - http://www.spheresofinfluence.com.au/

23-24 October - Art Education Victoria Annual Conference - Melbourne, VIC - http://www.aev.vic.edu.au/pd/conference/2009/index.html

24-25 October - Asian Conference on Education - Osaka, Japan - http://ace.iafor.org/

9 November - Innovation in Education One-Day Conference - London, UK - http://www.guardian.co.uk/innovation-education

9-12 November - London International Conference on Education - London, UK - http://www.liceducation.org/

17 November - Forum of Australian National Schools Network - Canberra, ACT - http://www.ansn.edu.au/4th_annual_national_forum_2009_the_education_revolution_two_years_on

18-21 November - NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo - Washington DC, USA http://www.naeyc.org/conference/

24-26 November - Family Relationship Services Australia National Conference - Sydney, NSW - http://www.frsa.org.au/site/

25-27 November - International Conference on Primary Education 2009 - Hong Kong - http://www.ied.edu.hk/primaryed/

24-26 March - Going Global 4 - London, UK - http://www.britishcouncil.org/goingglobal.htm

9-10 April - National Coalition against Bullying Conference - Melbourne, VIC - http://www.amf.org.au/NCABConference/

4-7 July - National Conference for Teachers of English & Literacy - Perth, WA - http://www.englishliteracyconference.com.au/index.php?id=46&year=10

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ACSSO EMAIL NEWSLETTERS

Australian Education Digest : http://www.acsso.org.au/aed.htm (weekly)
International News Roundup : http://www.acsso.org.au/international-news-roundup (monthly)
Values Education : http://www.valuesineducation.org.au/news.htm (monthly)
Languages Education : http://www.languageseducation.com/news.htm (monthly)
Ensemble - Music Education : http://www.ensemble.org.au/news.htm (monthly)
Family School Partners : http://www.familyschool.org.au/news/ (monthly)
Public Education Voice : http://www.acsso.org.au/pev.htm (quarterly)

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