MEDIA RELEASES 2011

15-11-11: Northern Territory Government Gags Public School Communities

“Public education is the backbone of this country, and public school supporters have a right to advocate for better resourcing. In an area of the country that is rich in diversity but extremely high in needs we are appalled to think that the government would believe resources were plentiful.” This is the reaction from Australian Council of State School Organisations President Peter Garrigan to a Northern Territory Government memo stating school facilities can only be used for official school business and that the National Day of Action is not classified as such … MS Word format | PDF format

14-11-11: Unethical Behaviour over Ethics Classes

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) once again calls upon the O’Farrell government to uphold its election commitment to the parents in NSW Public Schools by honouring the legislation to allow ethics classes to be held for students opting out of special religious education … MS Word format | PDF format

14-11-11: Act Now for Public Education

Tomorrow, 15 November 2011, parents, teachers and principals will be participating in a National Day of Action in support of fairer funding to Public Education. Speaking on the eve of the Day of Action, Peter Garrigan, President of the Australian Council of State School Organisations, stated, “We are calling on all public school communities to send a clear message … MS Word format | PDF format

13-11-11: National Conversation with Parents

The Australian Council of State School Organisations would like to congratulate Federal Minister for School Education Peter Garrett on his innovative strategy to engage with school communities in the National Conversation with Parents. “On Monday, November 14, parents from across the country will have the opportunity to participate in this event either in person, online or through twitter … MS Word format | PDF format

10-11-11: Victorian Government Gags Public School Parents

“The decision by the Victorian Government to “ban” schools from taking part in the Federal Schools Funding Review ‘National Day of Action’ is a disgrace,” claims Peter Garrigan, President of the Australian Council of State School Organisations. “Public education is the backbone of this country, and parents together with public school
supporters have a right to advocate for better resourcing” … MS Word format | PDF format

28-10-11: Parents acknowledge and thank teachers

International Teacher’s Day on the 28th of October is an opportunity to celebrate the work of teachers and school principals in Public Schools around Australia. The Australian Council of State School Organisations would like to thank teachers for the wonderful work that they do for our students within the Public Education system in order to build Australia’s future … MS Word format | PDF format

21-10-11: Parents unite to build demand for Asian languages and studies

The Australian Parents Council (APC) and the Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) are inviting parents from around Australia to be part of an exciting and innovative project, Parents Understanding Asia Literacy: Building demand for Asian languages and studies … MS Word format | PDF format

13-10-11: National Day of Action – Parents, Teachers and Principals unite

At the National Conference of the Australian Council of State School Organisations, President Peter Garrigan announced a National Day of Action for Tuesday November 15, called by organisations representing parents, teachers and principals … MS Word format | PDF format

09-10-11: ACSSO NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2011 – Parents : Partners in Education

In the lead up to the release of the Gonski report recommendations the importance we place on a vibrant, viable public education sector will be examined at this year’s national parent conference. “The future of Public Education in Australia relies on the unwavering support of government and the successful partnerships between government, parents and communities.” stated Peter Garrigan, President of the Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) … MS Word format | PDF format

07-09-11: Students need additional support

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) is pleased to see some directional change and broadening of the National School Chaplaincy Program. Speaking on behalf of ACSSO, President Peter Garrigan said, “Today’s announcement of alterations to the National School Chaplaincy Program were a clear acknowledgement that this program needs to better recognize and value the secular nature of our public schools. We support the notion of the school community having a greater voice in this” … MS Word format | PDF format

02-09-11: Research is clear – funding model needs a serious overhaul

Commenting on the release of the four research papers commissioned by the Gonski Review, ACSSO President Peter Garrigan stated, “The Australian Government should ‘set the quality’ of education that every child should receive through the public education system. It was evident from the research that the system of funding in Australia was flawed, inequitable and ultimately failed in its ability to guarantee that every child has access to high quality education … MS Word format | PDF format

31-07-11: Unethical for NSW Government to be Bullied Over Ethics Classes

The Australian Council of School Organisations was appalled to read this weekend that the Premier of New South Wales was bowing to the pressure of the Reverend Fred Nile in regard to the legislation surrounding ethics classes. ACSSO President Peter Garrigan stated today, “As a national organisation we saw the NSW government as providing an exemplar in listening to the parent voice. What we read in the media yesterday is bullying and unethical behaviour in its purest form” … MS Word format | PDF format

18-07-11: Professional support should accompany body image packs

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) commends the Federal Government on the provision of ‘Respect Every Body’ posters and learning resources to schools. Responding to the announcement today, ACSSO President Peter Garrigan saidd, “There is considerable evidence to support that body image rates as a major concern amongst our young people. Current research also supports that this is one of the top themes underlying mental health issues experienced by adolescents and young adults” … MS Word format | PDF format

18-07-11: Support our public schools towards a sustainable future

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) acknowledges the need for governments to put in place strategies to reduce our carbon footprint. Speaking on the issue today, ACSSO President Peter Garrigan said, “We need to act to ensure the future for our young people. In doing this, we call on the government to make certain that public services like health and education are not left financially disadvantaged” … MS Word format | PDF format

15-07-11: Give and Take – the South Australian Government Way

The Australian Council of State School Organisations is appalled at the recent announcement of the South Australian Government that it will charge teenagers as young as 16 a proportion of their income towards rent of public housing. “Once again, governments are targeting our most marginalised communities by charging young people up to 20% of their Austudy, Youth Allowance or other income in order to continue living with their parents,” ACSSO President Peter Garrigan said in response to the announcement … MS Word format | PDF format

29-06-11: Successful Beginnings Are So Important

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) has a long held belief that a strong early childhood focus and investment by a nation lays an effective foundation for every young person’s growth and their educational outcomes. Speaking after hearing the findings of the National Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Workforce Census 2010, ACSSO President Peter Garrigan stated “We are extremely pleased to see data collected regarding the number of trained professionals in our early childhood settings” … MS Word format | PDF format

28-06-11: Qualified Secular Support is the Answer

Following the ABC TV 7:30 Report (Monday, June 27) the Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) has expressed alarm that the Minister for Education, Peter Garrett, favours further expansion of the National School Chaplaincy Program. “An increasing number of case studies, as described in the 7:30 Report, have clearly identified serious breaches of the guidelines, citing examples of chaplains using their positions to proselytize in public schools,” stated ACSSO President Peter Garrigan … MS Word format | PDF format

21-06-11: Larger Investment Needed to Close the Gap

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) welcomes the announcement yesterday of the $5 million investment by the Commonwealth Government into the ‘Teach Remote’ program. This program will be managed by the National Alliance for Remote Indigenous Schools (NARIS) and will focus on recruiting, training, supporting and rewarding teachers working in these communities. “ACSSO acknowledges the importance of retaining and supporting quality teachers in remote communities,” stated ACSSO President Peter Garrigan regarding the announcement … MS Word format | PDF format

03-06-11: Congratulations to outstanding maths and science students

“The Australian Council of State School Organisations would like to send their heartiest congratulations to the 12 public school students who have been selected to represent Australia in the International Olympiad competition to be held in July,” announced Peter Garrigan, ACSSO President today. “Over half of the Australian team are students from our great Public Schools. This only continues to highlight the excellent achievements being made in public education” … MS Word format | PDF format

25-05-11: Parents Celebrate Public Education Day

Tomorrow, May 26th, Public Education Day will be celebrated in public school communities across Australia.
“This event provides an opportunity to highlight the wonderful achievements of public education as a cornerstone of Australian society,” announced Mr Peter Garrigan, President of the Australian Council of State School Organisations. “Many schools take this opportunity to plan and celebrate with a variety of activities including morning tea with their school community, tree planting ceremonies, school assemblies, grandparent days, performing arts displays and lunchtime concerts and barbeques” … MS Word format | PDF format

19-05-11: Parents Express Grave Concerns

“Parents are gravely concerned with the reporting today of schools using NAPLAN data to determine a young person’s suitability for enrolment,” Peter Garrigan, President of the Australian Council of State School Organisations, stated today. “NAPLAN is only one piece of evidence for parents and teachers to see how well a student is doing at school. It can be most helpful in being able to identify their progress in literacy and numeracy. While we understand that many secondary schools have criteria to prioritise applicants when considering out of area placements it is totally inappropriate for the NAPLAN results to be used in such a way,” Mr Garrigan continued … MS Word format | PDF format

19-05-11: Parents Support Walk Safely to School Day

Now in its 12th year, Walk Safely to School Day will be celebrated by primary children all around our nation. “By highlighting this day to our young people, parents are supporting an important step towards a healthier lifestyle”, said Peter Garrigan, President of the Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO). “This day actively promotes the vitally important message to our communities and to our young people: Active Kids are Healthy Kids. By parents, carers and their children building regular walking to and from school into their daily routine, we are ensuring that we are all working towards a healthier, more active lifestyle” … MS Word format | PDF format

11-05-11: Budget Hit and Miss

“ACSSO receives this year’s budget with mixed feelings”, announced Peter Garrigan, President of the Australian Council of State School Organisations. “We are pleased to see new monies for education and we are extremely pleased to see the $200 million dedicated to students with disabilities — long needed and lobbied for … Much to our disappointment is the allocation of an additional $220 million investment to the National School Chaplaincy Program, while the program review remains incomplete. To allocate additional resources prior to the release of the review findings is ludicrous … MS Word format | PDF format

04-05-11: A budget announcement most anticipated and applauded

High on the wish list for public school parent organisations across the country has been additional funding for students with disabilities. “The Australian Council of State School Organisations applauds the Federal Government’s announcement of a further $200 million for students with disabilities”, President Peter Garrigan announced today. “Parent organisations have advocated relentlessly for this under-resourced area of education” … MS Word format | PDF format

03-05-11: Rewards – no answer for quality teaching

Every parent knows that a quality teacher in front of their child’s classroom makes a huge difference to the outcomes of students; however the announcement of one off cash rewards for “top” teachers is not the answer. Speaking on behalf of the Australian Council of State School Organisations, Peter Garrigan, claims “Our children need their teachers working collegially, not only with each other, but with the other key players in a child’s development.” … MS Word format | PDF format

18-03-11: National Parents’ Voice Supports National Day of Action

The Australian Council of State School Organisations, representing the voice of parents in government schools, would like to add its support for the first National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. Speaking from the National Symposium: Strategic Action Against Bullying in Brisbane today President Peter Garrigan stated, “Latest research reveals that one in four students in schools in our nation is bullied” … MS Word format | PDF format

01-03-11: Investing in Public Education – the Way to the Future

“A strong, well resourced Public Education system is the key for building our nation’s future,” stated Peter Garrigan, President of the Australian Council of State Schools Organisations (ACSSO), in response to Minister Peter Garrett’s introduction of the Schools Assistance Amendment (Financial Assistance) Bill 2011 into the Parliament late last week … MS Word format | PDF format

28-02-11: Parents Await MySchool Launch

Parents across Australia await with anticipation the launch of the next phase of My School 2.0 when it goes live on Friday March 4. Peter Garrigan, President of the Australian Council of State School Organizations (ACSSO), said today, “We are pleased to see efforts made to date to ensure greater school transparency and richer data provided on the MySchool website” … MS Word format | PDF format

11-02-11: Students and Families require expert support

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) congratulates the Minister for Education, Early Childhood and Youth for partnering with the Queensland government in funding teacher resource replacement grants for flood or storm damaged school equipment. ” … MS Word format | PDF format

09-02-11: Parents want assurance of ongoing professional support for teaching standards

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) supports the introduction of National Professional Standards for teachers. This was the view today of the President of the Australian Council of State School Organisation, Peter Garrigan; “Parents across Australia believe the key to a quality public education system is highly educated and highly motivated teachers” … MS Word format | PDF format