On behalf of the Australian Council of State School Organisations, I would like to wish you and your families a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Talent and potential come in many forms and can come from anywhere. Many of Australia's brightest and top performing students come from public schools, as demonstrated by NAPLAN and 2023's Year 12 results across states. For example, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) reported NAPLAN results that indicated that 106 of the top performing schools are public (ABC, 2023), and in NSW, public school students made up 41 per cent of top academic achievers (ABC, 2023). Public education supports all students to reach their potential, including those that private schools may not serve as comprehensively. Public education is a long-term investment in Australia’s future prosperity and will always be important. Public education is a public right – and a high-quality education should be available to every student regardless of a student’s family resources.

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November

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The Australian Government is providing financial support for initial teacher education (ITE) students commencing full-time teaching degrees in 2025 through the Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships Program. The Program commenced in 2024 and offers scholarships of up to $40,000 per student for full-time undergraduate ITE students ($10,000 per year for a four-year qualification) and up to $20,000 per student for full-time postgraduate ITE students ($10,000 per year for a two-year qualification). In exchange for financial support, successful applicants will be required to teach in government schools or government-run early learning settings after completing their degree. Up to 1,000scholarships are available every year for five years and priority will be given to applicants who identify as belonging to one or more of the following target cohorts: High-achieving students (with an ATAR of 80 or more or equivalent academic result –undergraduate only) Mid-career professionals. First Nations peoples People for whom English is an additional language/dialect People with disability People from regional, rural or remote locations People from low socio-economic backgrounds Applications for Round 2 open on 25 November 2024 . People can register for updates at www.education.gov.au/teaching-scholarships .

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Not all Christmas movies are for kids! With Christmas just over a month away, Christmas-themed movies are starting to make their way to cinemas and on streaming services. One of the first to show up is Red One, with none other than Dwayne Johnson, but this movie is not all it seems to be at first glance! So, let's talk about Red One.

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A new report explores school leaders' perspectives on edtech and how they are leveraging it to support students and teachers. As AI rapidly transforms digital technologies education, school leaders play a crucial role in making sure these investments have a strong ROI – both financially and in the classroom. Indeed, the ballooning edtech market, and the subsequent proliferation of devices into schools worldwide, presents some unique challenges and opportunities for principals. A landmark report released by the World Economic Forum in April 2024 detailed four key promises that have emerged for AI to enable ‘Education 4.0’ – a framework for schools to modernise education so it aligns with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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It’s no secret that Aussie kids are spending way too much time on screens, but what is less understood is the very real impact that excessive screentime is having on the cognitive health of young people. Recently, psychology researchers at Macquarie University published a review and meta-analysis of 34 studies into the neuropsychological deficits in children and teenagers who had screen-use disorders – basically what can be classified as ‘screen addictions’.

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Here is an excellent resource that Eileen Bailey wrote several years ago called “12 Things Kids with ADHD Would Like Their Teachers to Know”.

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