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AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION DIGEST
Volume 4 Number 22, 29 June 2010
- NEW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: The Hon Simon Crean MP
- FEDERAL ELECTION 2010: (2 items)
- FUNDING: Funding key to school reform
- EDUCATION TAX REFUND: ATO Advice
- OPINION: Education innovation in the slums, Charles Leadbeater
- NAPLAN & MY SCHOOL: (3 items)
- BUILDING THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION: (3 items)
- TOWARDS AN AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM: Draft Shape Paper for geography released
- HEALTH & WELL-BEING: (2 items)
- AROUND THE STATES & TERRITORIES: (8 items)
- REMINDERS
- ACSSO EMAIL NEWSLETTERS
Interview, ABC2 News Breakfast
The Hon Simon Crean MP, Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Social Inclusion, 29 June, 2010
MICHAEL ROWLAND: What do you see as your main priorities?
SIMON CREAN: Well I think it's building on the very solid foundations that Julia laid down quite frankly. Education is the great enabler, Michael. It is what empowers individuals.
It's what makes for a more tolerant society. It's what makes for a more efficient and productive economy, so it's why government has to invest heavily in this area. When we came to office we had seen a lot of disinvestment in the education sector, a lot of skill shortages and what we've set about doing is laying the foundations to build it.
You can't do it overnight but we have invested massively in terms of the physical infrastructure, but importantly in terms of the software, the connectivity, the computers in schools, and all of those sorts of things, what we want to do is and we called it a revolution, an education revolution.
We want to continue it because it is so fundamental to our future and to that of the opportunity of individuals.
Read more: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Crean/Media/Transcripts/Pages/Article_100629_165025.aspx
Education Funding and the 2010 Election
Angelo Gavrielatos, Federal President, Australian Education Union, June 2010
Anybody with an interest in the education of our children and the future of our public schools should take careful note of what the parties are promising at the federal election.
Already it is clear that there are significant differences on the most important issue: the future funding of our schools.
Unfortunately, the Coalition’s first major announcement on education in May was that it would cut $3.1 billion worth of programs. Those cuts include $968 million for new trades training centres in secondary schools and $700 million for computers in schools.
The effect of that will be that 120,000 secondary students across Australia who have not yet received laptop computers through the Labor Government’s program will miss out on them.
In addition, 900 secondary schools will miss out on either getting their own centre for undertaking trades training or receiving funding to set up a centre in combination with other local schools.
Those cuts are disappointing considering the importance of education, not only for individuals and families, but for the future economic and social prosperity of our country. All students should have access to computers, not just those whose families can afford them.
Read more: http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/2010/Edfunding.pdf
Left-wing education policies could swing seats away from Julia GillardKevin Donnelly, Australian Conservative, 1 July 2010
The way the ALP’s education revolution was shaped and implemented under Julia Gillard’s control provides a clear illustration of her left-wing leanings and belief that governments can remedy all.
During her time as Minister for Education, the Australian education system was transformed from one of local control and flexibility to one characterised by a centralised, bureaucratic and statist approach.
Australian schools now face a national curriculum, national testing and assessment, a national teacher registration and certification system and a national data centre that, like Big Brother, will monitor and control what schools do and how they are judged.
Catholic and independent schools are especially at risk as, under Gillard-inspired policies, such schools will no longer have the freedom to employ staff committed to faith-based values, they will lose control over who they enrol as students and they will be forced to teach a secular curriculum.
Funding key to school reform
Jack Keating, The Australian, July 01, 2010
So, is this review just a means of delaying and then putting aside this seemingly intractable institutional and political problem? Or is there a genuine chance to come up with a better way of funding schools?
There is one school of thought that argues it is best to let the sleeping dog of school funding lie. After all, most schools have similar levels of resources and Australian schools are reasonably well resourced by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development standards.
Isn't it better to get on with fixing areas of weakness in Australian education such as early childhood education and early school leaving?
Realistically, the problem with school funding is an issue that won't sleep quietly. It overlays commonwealth-state relations in education and is the key factor in Australia's fractious relationship between public and private schooling.
Australia virtually runs parallel school systems: a public system funded mostly by state and territory governments and a private sector funded mostly by the commonwealth.
EDUCATION TAX REFUND
Do you have school-aged children? You may be able to claim a refund for some of their school costs
Australian Tax Office, 30 June 2010
The education tax refund can help you with your primary and secondary school costs. It allows you to claim a 50 per cent refund for eligible education expenses up to the maximum claimable amounts.
You need to claim the refund in the year you made the purchases but, if your expenses exceed the maximum claimable amount, you can carry it forward to the next year. However, any expenses not claimed within two financial years cannot be claimed in later years.
The maximum amount you can claim depends on the year you made the purchase.
If you purchased it in the 2008-2009 income year you can claim:
- $750 for each primary school child – that is a maximum refund of $375 for each primary school child you have, and
- $1,500 for each secondary school child – that is a maximum refund of $750 for each secondary school child.
If you purchased it in the 2009-2010 income year you can claim:
- $780 for each primary school child – that is a maximum refund of $390 for each primary school child you have, and
- $1,558 for each secondary school child – that is a maximum refund of $779 for each secondary school child.
Read more: http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.asp?doc=/content/00246920.htm
Education innovation in the slums
Charles Leadbeater, TEDSalon London 2010, Filmed Apr 2010, Posted Jun 2010
Charles Leadbeater went looking for radical new forms of education -- and found them in the slums of Rio and Kibera, where some of the world's poorest kids are finding transformative new ways to learn. And this informal, disruptive new kind of school, he says, is what all schools need to become.
A researcher at the London think tank Demos, Charles Leadbeater's theories on innovation have compelled some of the world's largest organizations to rethink their strategies. A financial journalist turned innovation consultant (for clients ranging from the British government to Microsoft), in this TED talk, Leadbeater turns his penetrating gaze on why different ways of thinking about education are needed and how they are already being implemented in unexpected places.
Informed, insightful and articulate: well worth spending 18:58 minutes at http://www.ted.com/talks/charles_leadbeater_on_education.html
Submission to the Senate Education Employment and Workplace Relations Committee into the Administration and Reporting of NAPLAN Testing
Australian Education Union, June 2010
Supporters of the publication of student test data on the My School website have presented it as a reform aimed at increasing parental choice of school, improving schools, improving the quality of teaching and learning and overcoming educational disadvantage.
Much of the argument is couched in the language of social equity, with talk of lifting the performance of disadvantaged schools to enhance educational opportunities for Indigenous students and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Whilst the stated aims are laudable, claims that the publication of school test data improves equity and student outcomes are not supported by the evidence.
On the contrary, the weight of international and academic evidence strongly suggests that such a regime does not deal with the real issues involved in providing excellence and equity in education, and at worst is destructive to both quality and equity, harming the very students it aims to help.
Read more: http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/2010/Naplantesting.pdf
My School DevelopmentsAustralian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 24 June 2010
A letter from ACARA to school principals providing an overview of the developments for the My School website was distributed on 21 June following the first meeting of the My School Working Party.
New genre in 2011 writing testAustralian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 24 June 2010
In the 2011 NAPLAN writing test, students will be asked to write in a persuasive style.
Under a persuasive style of writing, the writer must convince someone of his or her point of view or opinion.
The decision to change from narrative to persuasive was made by all Australian Education Ministers at a Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) meeting held on April 15, 2010.
Support and sample materials demonstrating this genre are available on the NAPLAN website: http://www.naplan.edu.au
Read more about ACARA: http://www.acara.edu.au/
BUILDING THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION
Simon Crean wants briefing on allegations of BER waste
Patricia Karvelas, The Australian, June 29, 2010
SIMON Crean has vowed to ensure that the embattled Building the Education Revolution program delivers value for money.
Mr Crean was yesterday handed Julia Gillard's portfolios of education, employment and workplace relations and social inclusion.
The new Education Minister said he had an open mind on how to ensure the BER program delivered value for money.
"I want to get briefed on it. I've heard the allegations. I've read them, in particular in your paper, in a general sense. From a personal perspective I've had none of the issues raised with me in my electorate," he said.
"I want to get across the detail. Governments should get value for money, of course they should, and they should do good things. Education is a public good. Governments have to invest.
"Let's see how it's been applied in practice. Of course we want to get value for money out of it."
P&C says it got Government inducement for BERTimothy Macdonald, The World Today, ABC News, June 30, 2010
A New South Wales parliamentary hearing heard allegations today that the State Government attempted to give a local school extra funds in an effort to silence a protest over a Building the Education Revolution project.
The inquiry also heard that many projects are expensive and poorly managed.
One school principal who managed a BER project himself, says he was able to deliver the same project for around a third of what the Government had expected to pay.
Timothy McDonald has been at the inquiry and he joins us now from the New South Wales Parliament.
Timothy, let's go first to that extraordinary claim that the State Government was attempting to buy a schools silence. What are the details there?
Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s2941019.htm
How widespread is the BER cover-up?Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training, 30 June 2010
The new Minister for Education, Simon Crean, must launch a full judicial inquiry into the school hall program, as evidence has emerged of an attempt to silence a school complaining about BER rip-offs, Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education said today.
“Testimony to the NSW School Hall Inquiry has revealed a $400,000 payment, described as an ‘inducement’, was mysteriously deposited in the bank account of the Abbotsford Primary School.
“The Abbotsford Primary School P&C President has also told the Inquiry that a Labor Member of Parliament said the school would lose all the money if they did not take what was on offer,” Mr Pyne said.
“This strongly suggests that both State and Federal Labor are prepared to do and say anything to suppress the truth about the billions being squandered,” he said.
Read more: http://www.liberal.org.au/Latest-News/2010/06/30/How-widespread-is-the-BER-cover-up.aspx
TOWARDS AN AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
Draft Shape Paper for geography released
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 24 June 2010
The draft Shape Paper for geography is now available for national public consultation until 27 August 2010.
Feedback will be used to further revise the draft Shape Paper, which will then be published as The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Geography.
This paper will guide the writing of the final K-12 geography curriculum.
Read more: http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Draft__Shape__AC_Geography21062010.pdf
A survey has been developed to help support the national public consultation process which will run till 27 August 2010: http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser.aspx?9BBFD3C99ADEC9CD91
Kindy kids to be tracked for mental health
Lanai Vasek, The Australian, June 27, 2010
EVERY kindergarten student currently enrolled in NSW will be tracked for the next 20 years in an attempt to find clues on mental illness.
Using the data, which includes birth and education records, researchers from the University of NSW hope to identify early markers that may be associated with the development of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and other mental and social disorders.
The data is being made available by the Department of Education and the Department of Health for more than 80,000 five-year-olds currently enrolled in NSW. It has been approved by the two major research ethics committees in NSW.
Individual children and schools will not be identified in the study, which if successful may lay the groundwork for an Australia-wide model.
Foster-care kids suffer at schoolLanai Vasek, The Australian, July 01, 2010
Children living in foster care suffer higher rates of poor mental and physical health, which limits their academic outcomes.
The finding is contained in one of the most detailed studies of its kind in Australia.
The study -- released yesterday as a joint project between the Victorian branches of Anglicare and Wesley Mission -- found nearly 40 per cent of children and young people suffered "functional limitations" due to their placement in out-of-home care with either a foster parent or in kinship care with a relative.
Almost 90 per cent of children in out-of-home care for longer than seven years had a long-term health problem, more than half had learning difficulties, a third had repeated a grade and a quarter had been suspended from school.
"Children may have accumulated considerable risks for education failure as a result of trauma and deprivation experienced prior to entering care," the report states.
AROUND THE STATES & TERRITORIES
ACT: School Movement Survey
Department of Education and Training, 22 June 2010
This publication provides information on the responses parents and carers gave regarding why they moved their child to or from an ACT public school between August 2008 and August 2009.
Of those students who entered an ACT public school over half (57 percent) were starting kindergarten, 13 percent moved from overseas and 12 percent moved from an ACT non-government school.
Of those students who left the ACT public school system over half (60 percent) went to the non-government education system in the ACT, 20 percent were no longer enrolled in a school and 10 percent went to a school in NSW.
The most common responses parents gave regarding why they moved their child from an ACT public school were quality of education (26 percent), personal reasons (26 percent), school culture (17 percent), location of the school (15 percent), and peer relationships (14 percent).
Read more: http://www.det.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/137545/School_Movement_Survey_2009.pdf
NSW: State invests $430m in education system technologyFran Foo, The Australian, June 29, 2010
NSW is investing $430 million in the state education system's information technology and communications projects.
The NSW Department of Education and Training revealed it had been allocated $433.9m for IT and communications projects in the 2010-11 state budget.
The department plans to inject more capital into its Learning Management and Business Reform project and set up a new electronic document and records management system.
The ambitious reform project will replace legacy finance and student administration systems in schools, TAFE colleges and at department level with new products from SAP.
NSW: NSW Premier Kristina Keneally's $50m BER cash stashBruce McDougall and Angela Kamper, The Daily Telegraph, July 01, 2010
About 900 schools will get electronic whiteboards, air-conditioning, solar panels, water tanks and covered walkways in a $50 million windfall from the controversial Building the Education Revolution program.
Education Minister Verity Firth said yesterday the BER cash was freed up because many school construction projects had come in under budget.
The funds were announced by the Keneally Government as a Sydney school claimed it had been threatened over its campaign for more classrooms.
Ms Firth said the $50 million had been "set aside in the early stages of the BER" until projects were completed.
"Now that we're nearing the completion of the majority of projects ... those contingency funds are available to be freed up so schools can receive these extra projects," she said.
Tanya Chilcott, The Courier-Mail, June 28, 2010
ALL schools should have "withdrawal rooms" for students who persistently misbehave, teachers say.
The idea was one suggestion from the Queensland Teachers Union on how to improve discipline in schools.
The QTU, in a response to the State Government's green paper A Flying Start, also suggested cutting class sizes, increasing the number of behaviour management teachers and expanding the number of alternative education centres.
"We note that improving school discipline is an objective identified in the green paper, but (we are) disappointed with the lack of any substantive proposals for achieving this aim," it said in its response.
"The QTU recommends the following: equipping all schools with withdrawal room facilities for students who persistently misbehave; and staffing schools to enable supervision of withdrawal rooms."
Education Queensland acting assistant director-general of student services David Manttan said some Queensland schools already had withdrawal rooms, but he was unable to say how many.
QLD: Prep year change from optional to compulsory sparks debateTanya Chilcott, The Courier-Mail, June 28, 2010
QUEENSLAND'S Prep year could soon be compulsory with Education Queensland conceding it is under consideration and principals backing the idea.
Prep is currently optional in Queensland, with early childhood teachers and parents warning some children may not be developmentally ready for school five days a week.
But higher expectations on Prep children under the draft national curriculum have educators talking about whether the year should be mandatory.
EQ director-general Julie Grantham said compulsory Prep was being considered after it was raised during consultation on the State Government's green paper, A Flying Start for Queensland Children, which deals with proposed education changes.
This is despite the issue not being mentioned in the paper and the department denying earlier this year that it was under consideration.
TAS: School Attendance Tops Nation But Improvement Still NeededLin Thorp, MLC, Minister for Education and Skills, 30 June 2010
Tasmanian Government schools lead the nation in school attendance across many year groups, Minister for Education and Skills, Lin Thorp said today.
Ms Thorp said that more work needed to be done to ensure parents and
children understood that every day at school counted.
“It is
crucial that children and students develop habits of regular attendance at
an early age, even from the time they are enrolled in a pre-school
setting,” Ms Thorp said.
“Findings of international research
demonstrate a strong correlation between students’ learning, longer-term
life outcomes, attendance at school and appropriate participation in
education programs.
“Poor patterns of attendance place
students at risk of not achieving their educational, social and
psychological potential. Students can then be disadvantaged in the quality
of choices they are able to make in later life
situations.”
Ms Thorp said that the National Report on
Schooling in Australia 2008, which is the most current data, showed that
in years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, Tasmanian Government schools top the nation,
with an attendance rate of 95 per cent.
Read more: http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=29870
Stephen McMahon, Herald Sun, July 01, 2010
Flying squads of security guards will monitor high-risk education buildings in a state-wide crackdown on school arsonists.
As part of a State Government initiative to reduce the number of school fires, Black Saturday survivors will address those students caught lighting fires.
In the past year more than $12 million damage has been caused to school buildings.
Previously lax security has been replaced with the Education Department's around-the-clock team of 30 operators to monitor schools 24 hours a day over the winter holidays.
A list of Victoria's most high-risk locations among the 1555 public schools has been drawn up and these will be watched particularly carefully over the next few weeks.
WA: Award nominationsMandurah Mail, 29 June 2010
NOMINATIONS are now open for the WA Education Awards.
Mandurah MLA David Templeman wants the community to recognise the great work done by the region’s public schools and teachers.
“This is a great opportunity to recognise and acknowledge the achievements made by the teaching staff and the whole school community,” Mr Templeman said.
“There are many categories for individuals and schools and thousands of dollars in prizes are up for grabs.
“Our public school teachers do a terrific job day in day out and it would be great for them to be recognised by the community.”
Nominations close on July 30. For more information call Mr Templeman’s office on 9581 3944.
Source: http://www.mandurahmail.com.au/news/local/news/general/award-nominations/1871458.aspx
2 July - Victorian Mathematics and Statistics Students' Conference - Melbourne, VIC - http://www.2010vmssc.ms.unimelb.edu.au/
2-3 July - State Conference of Modern Language Teachers Association of Queensland - Brisbane, QLD - http://mltaq.asn.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=27
4-7 July - National Conference for Teachers of English & Literacy - Perth, WA - http://www.englishliteracyconference.com.au/index.php?id=46&year=10
4-7 July - Australian Science Teachers Association Annual Conference - Sydney, NSW - http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=1a4004e5-1cf4-4df0-931f-94d23111a400
5-7 July - HTAA National History Conference - North Sydney, NSW - http://www.historyteacher.org.au/conference.htm
6-9 July - 17th International Conference on Learning - Hong Kong - http://thelearner.com/Conference-2010/
7-9 July - Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference - Melbourne, VIC - http://www.aifs.gov.au/conference
7-9 July - Conference of Association of Women Educators - Sydney, NSW - http://www.awe.asn.au/documents/AWE_WAVE_2010_conference_brochure_&_registration_updated-2010-05-26.pdf
7-10 July - Redefining TESOL for the 21st Century - Gold Coast, QLD - http://www.astmanagement.com.au/ACTA10/Default.htm
21-24 July - Second Paris International Conference on Education, Economy & Society - Paris, France - http://education-conferences.org/default.aspx
29-31 July - International Conference on Teacher Education - Quezon City, Philippines - http://www.ictedphilippines.org/
4-5 August - Isolated Children’s Parents Association Conference - Fremantle, WA - http://www.icpa.com.au/Conference.asp
12-14 August - National Interactive Teaching and Learning Conference - Gold Coast, QLD - http://www.iwb.net.au/conferences/australian10/
14-22 August - National Science Week - http://www.scienceweek.gov.au/Pages/index.aspx
15-17 August - ACER Research Conference - Melbourne, VIC - http://www.acer.edu.au/research_conferences/
19-27 August - International Conference of Mathematicians - Hyderabad, India - http://www.icm2010.org.in/
25-27 August - European Conference on Educational Research - Helsinki, Finland - http://www.helsinki.fi/ecer2010/index.html
26-27 August - Annual School Leaders' Conference - Gold Coast, QLD - http://www.griffith.edu.au/pdn-leadership-conference-2010
3-4 September - Future Directions in Literacy Conference - Sydney, NSW - http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/professional_learning/teachers/2010/future_directions_literacy.shtml
6 September - International Middle Years of Schooling Conference - Adelaide, SA - http://sapmea.asn.au/conventions/middleschool2010/
6-8 September - London International Conference on Education - London, UK - http://www.liceducation.org/
15-17 September - SPERA Conference, University of Sunshine Coast, Queensland - http://www.spera.asn.au/articles.php?req=list&root_id=13&sub_id=65
22 September - Language and Culture and Social Connectedness in Our Diverse Landscape Symposium - Toowoomba, QLD - http://www.usq.edu.au/lcdl
27-30 September - National Australian Association for Environmental Education Conference - Canberra, ACT - https://www.conferenceco.com.au/aaee
27-30 September - Australian Mathematical Society 54th Meeting - Brisbane, QLD - http://www.smp.uq.edu.au/austms2010/
27 September-1 October - International Association of School Librarianship Conference - Brisbane QLD - http://www.iasl-online.org/events/conf/2010/
October - International School Library Month - http://www.iasl-online.org/events/islm/
12-15 October - EDGE 2010: e-Learning: The horizon and beyond - Toronto, Canada - http://www.mun.ca/edge2010/
13 November - Hands on Literacy Conference - Singapore - http://www.handsonlit.com/
2-5 December - Second Annual Asian Conference on Education - Osaka, Japan - http://ace.iafor.org/
11-12 March - Going Global 2011 - Hong Kong - http://www.britishcouncil.org/goingglobal-gg5-general-information.htm
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- International News Roundup : http://www.acsso.org.au/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/public-education-voice (quarterly)
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