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Breaking
News: Week of 23 October 2006
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Saturday – Sunday, 28 – 29 October
- The West Australian
- Rising star a tip for education’s hot seat (page 11)
by Bethany Hiatt
"One of the leading contenders for the role of education director-general is a single mother in her early forties who has had a meteoric rise up the promotional ladder since starting her career as a primary school teacher 20 years ago."The State Government has up to two years to appoint a new education and training chief, one of the public service’s most senior jobs.
"Former director-general Paul Albert was ousted from the job last week after he was made a scapegoat for a damning Corruption and Crime Commission report into the Education Department’s handling of sexual misconduct cases.
Under public sector management rules, recently appointed deputy and now acting directorgeneral Sharyn O’Neill could stay in the job for up to two years.
"Her appointment to the deputy’s job over the heads of other applicants with more management experience raised some eyebrows in departmental ranks.
"Ms O’Neill, sister of renowned WA writer Tim Winton, started teaching in primary schools in 1985. She worked in the Mid-West District Education Office for about four years from 1990 before being appointed deputy principal at Carnarvon Primary School.
"In 1998, after taking time off for the birth of her son, she moved to the department’s central office, cycling quickly through several jobs as manager, director and acting executive director before being made deputy director-general of schools late last year.
"Ms O’Neill was quoted in the department’s newspaper School Matters earlier this year saying her teachers tried to persuade her to study medicine or law.
“But I told them I wasn’t interested. I just wanted to become a teacher,” she said.
"She said she always tended to take on leadership roles and did not let the fact she was female, or young, get in the way.
"Sources within the department are critical, saying she does not have the experience or depth of knowledge necessary to manage more than 800 schools.
"But University of WA education dean Bill Louden, another possible contender for the job, said he was impressed by the work Ms O’Neill had done with him. “I think she is a very able person who could do a good job,” he said.
"Other possible contenders include Northern Territory education director-general Margaret Banks, formerly Mr Albert’s deputy; Jim Watterston, also from WA and now a regional director in Victoria; Swan education district director Rose Moroz and former district superintendent and current Ballajura Community College principal Steffan Silcox."
From The West Australian at link
- Letters to the Editor (page 21)
- Back to school
"It's time education got back to its core business – educating kids. It's not about the power plays in the corridors of Parliament nor the debates, or lack of, between director-generals, Ministers and the Premier. It's about building and sustaining strong educational communities with curricula that prepare all children for their place in a global setting.
"It's about policy that deals with real issues such as bullying, low literacy, increased special education, improved school buildings, integrated health programs, real assessment and professional development for teachers.
"For heavens sake, Mr Carpenter, stop playing the advocate and find a competent and committed minister with expertise in today's educational milieu. Find one who can critically debate these core issues; accept responsibility for them and do something tangible to improve the situation in WA schools."
Lee Campbell, Como
- "First, we had the continuing OBE fiasco, when the Premier had to take over from the Minister. Then we had the Halls Creek "coup" where the Minister dumped a popular and successful principal. Now we have the "sexgate" scandal, with the same Minister claiming ignorance. Ljiljanna Ravlich has now earned her spot in the politicians' hall of shame. She must go."
Patrick F Whalen, Newman
- Pair score 'F'
"The priorities of the Education Minister are difficult to fathom. She shows interest in getting rid of teachers who blow the whistle on lamentable practices.
"According to your report (16/8), her ministerial staffers demanded a list of all the schools visited by shadow education minister Peter Collier, clearly a concern for Ljiljanna Ravlich. And yet she pleads ignorance of an issue which clearly indicates serious problems in her department. Apparently what her political opponents are doing is far more important to the Minister.
"And Alan Carpenter defends her. I think if we went back to the good old sensible, intelligible school reports, they would both be given an 'F' "
Helen Dyer, Ferndale
- Not responsible
"In line with Ms Ravlich's suggestion, I googled "ministerial responsibility". Wikipedia defines it as "a constitutional convention in governments using the Westminster system that a Cabinet member bears the ultimate responsibility for the actions of their ministry".
"I am certain Mr Ravlich and Premier Carpenter know full well the meaning of ministerial responsibility even without googling it. By their contempt of the convention they are destroying an essential element of our democratic system."
Ray Gibbs, Willetton
- "The Carpenter Government must truly be in crisis if the Premier needs to resurrect daylight saving as a live issue to divert public attention from all his Ministers' current failings."
Peter Somers, Mt Hawthorn
- Teacher talent linked to pay rates (page 17)
by Peta Rasdien
"Better pay buys better teachers, an economic analysis has found.
"Every one per cent increase in starting pay for teachers increased the academic aptitude of student teachers by 0.6 per cent, according to study results released by the Australian National University..."
"The State School Teachers Union president, Mike Keely, agreed pay mattered but said measuring aptitude was difficult because being a good teacher was more than just about academic ability."
Full story in The West Australian
- Parents ‘must act on sex parties’ (page 5)
by Sam Riley
"The head of the union representing independent school teachers yesterday called on parents to take more control over what their children did at weekends, saying students as young as 12 were going to teenage parties where alcohol, sex, violence and drugs use were rampant."Independent Education Union president Ken Maguire said teachers had become increasingly alarmed at the young age at which students were engaging in risky sexual activity and drug use.
“It’s not just the drugs and the alcohol, it’s the sexual activity by these very young kids,” he said.
"Concern about the activities at teenage parties came to light when Scotch College principal, the Rev. Andrew Syme, took the radical step of writing to Year 11 parents to call them to a meeting to discuss the problem of promiscuous and unruly behaviour. His stance has prompted other principals of Perth’s top schools to also voice their concerns.
"A teacher at John XXIII college for the past 16 years, Mr Maguire praised the stand by Mr Syme, saying he had acted courageously in warning parents of the extent of the problem..."
Full story in The West Australian at link
- The Washington Post
- Political Backlash Builds Over High-Stakes Testing
by Peter Whoriskey
Public Support Wanes for Tests Seen as Punitive
"LAUDERHILL, Florida. -- School exams may be detested by students everywhere, but in this state at the forefront of the testing and accountability movement in the United States, the backlash against them has become far broader, and politically potent."The role of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, has become central to the race to succeed Gov. Jeb Bush (R), with polls showing a growing discontent over the exams, which he has championed and which are used to determine many aspects of the school system, including teacher pay, budgets and who flunks third grade.
"Many opponents say they do not object to the testing but to the high stakes attached to the results, which they say force schools to develop a myopic curriculum focused on the test.
"Republican Charlie Crist is offering to push forward with the testing regime, but Democrat Jim Davis has condemned what he calls its "punitive" nature, arguing that exam pressures have transformed schools into "dreary test-taking factories."...
"High-stakes testing -- using standardized test scores to impose consequences affecting teachers and students -- has been embraced widely in recent years as a way to hold educators and students accountable for their performance. Experts say the movement is one of the most significant shifts in U.S. education in decades...""In Florida, as many as 14 percent of 200,000 public school third-graders in some years have been held back, most for failing to make an adequate score on the reading test..." [emphasis added]
Full story in The Washington Post at link
- Clauses and Commas Make a Comeback
by Daniel de Vise
SAT [US TEE] Helps Return Grammar to Class
"Mike Greiner teaches grammar to high school sophomores [Year 10] in half-hour lessons, inserted between Shakespeare and Italian sonnets. He is an old-school grammarian, one of a defiant few in the Washington region who believe in spending large blocks of class time teaching how sentences are built..."
"Ten or 20 years ago, Greiner might have been ostracized for his views or at least counseled to keep them to himself. Grammar lessons vanished from public schools in the 1970s, supplanted by a more holistic view of English instruction. A generation of teachers and students learned grammar through the act of writing, not in isolated drills and diagrams."Today, Greiner is encouraged, even sought out. Direct grammar instruction, long thought to do more harm than good, is welcome once more.
"Several factors -- most notably, the addition of a writing section to the SAT college entrance exam in 2005 -- have reawakened interest in Greiner's methods..."
"The National Council of Teachers of English, whose directives shape curriculum decisions nationwide, has quietly reversed its long opposition to grammar drills, which the group had condemned in 1985 as "a deterrent to the improvement of students' speaking and writing.""Now, even the sentence diagram, long the symbol of abandoned methodology, is allowed, if not quite endorsed, in the classrooms of Fairfax and Howard and other high-performing school systems throughout the region. To diagram a sentence is to deconstruct it as if it were a math problem, with the main noun, verb and object written on a horizontal line and their various modifiers attached with diagonals..."
Full story in The Washington Post at link
- USA Today
- Teachers who raise scores may get bonuses
"WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration is handing out money for teachers who raise student test scores, the first federal effort to reward classroom performance with bonuses."Education Secretary Margaret Spellings planned to announce the first of 16 grants, worth $42 million, including $5.5 million for Ohio, on Monday. The government has not announced the other grant winners.
"Using the old-fashioned incentive of cash, President Bush's program encourages schools to set up pay scales that reward some teachers and principals more than others. Those rewards are to be based mainly on test scores, but also on classroom evaluations during the year.
"The grants are also aimed at luring teachers into math, science and other core fields.
"Teachers normally are paid based on their years in class and their education. Yet more school districts are experimenting with merit pay, and now the federal government is, too.
"It is not always popular. Teachers' unions generally oppose pay-for-performance plans, saying they do not fairly measure quality and do nothing to raise base teacher pay..."
Full story in USA Today at link
- The Times
- Deprived 'should get university places with low grades'
by Alexandra Blair, Education Correspondent
"Universities should drop entry requirements by up to two A level grades for students from “disadvantaged” backgrounds in order to widen participation, according to a government-commissioned study."Admissions tutors should lower the bar for pupils in care, those attending poorly-performing schools, those who suffer from long-term disability or sickness and those who have to look after sick relatives, it said. The tutors should also collaborate with each other to ensure that more deprived children enter the top universities..."
Full story in The Times at link
- The Guardian
- The Australian
- New teachers outstrip old in salaries
by Justine Ferrari, Education writer
"Experienced teachers received pay rises worth only 5 per cent over eight years, while their newest colleagues enjoyed a 30 per cent increase, giving Australian teachers one of the flattest pay scales in the OECD."An OECD education report shows the top level of the teachers' pay scale in Australia is only 50 per cent higher than the starting pay, and that teachers hit the top rate after nine years in the classroom - well below the OECD average.
"Among OECD countries, teachers reach the top of their pay scale after an average of 24 years, when they are paid 70 per cent more than their first pay packet..."
Full story in The Australian at link
- Warning on unis' $5.6bn fee take
by Dorothy Illing
"A dramatic shift to user-pays for university education has led to a doubling in revenue from student fees and charges in the past five years."As the cost of getting a degree shifts from the federal Government to students, new figures reveal that total revenue from fees and charges reached a record $3.3 billion last year.
"But if the fees students pay through HECS loans are included -- fees they do not start repaying until they get a job -- the figure peaked at $5.6 billion..."
Full story in The Australian at link
- 'Use childcare as education'
by Patricia Karvelas
"Governments should treat childcare as an educational right that gives children pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills, and not as welfare for parents."Labor's childcare spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek will tell a childcare conference in Sydney today that Labor would take a radically different approach to the provision of childcare..."
Full story in The Australian at link
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Letter to the Editor
- Essential reading
"My son has just sat his HSC English exam. He has gone through all his schooling in English without being required to read a 19th-century novel. There has been no Austen or Dickens, no work by a Bronte or by George Eliot, no Trollope, Henry James, Conan Doyle, Hardy or Thackeray. In other words, no "classic" from the great age of the novel, no standard against which he can judge modern fiction.
"Geoff Masters, the head of the Australian Council for Educational Research, says that "all essential elements are completely covered in the NSW HSC" ("No left-wing bias in English studies: report", October 19). I think one very essential "essential element" has been left out."
Susannah Fullerton, Paddington
Complete Letters to the Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald at link
- The Melbourne Age
- Letter to the Editor
- Maoists in our midst? You'd better believe it!
"Federal Minister for Education Julie Bishop has apparently stepped back from her comment about Maoists in our midst, but, as a person who has studied and written on Chinese education for 30 years, I feel she should stick to her guns. There are indeed some defensible parallels between our present ideological environment and that of the Mao era."In the first place, all public discourse was conducted by means of slogans and campaigns, not debate and reason. Mao often made some striking, media-friendly phrase or gesture and then entrusted his loyal supporters to conduct a denunciation and persecution of those who disagreed, rather than entering into argument himself. He often let his supporters know what they were supposed to think and do by means of informal, folksy declarations that could mean almost anything, leading to chaotic battles between factions, the weakening of his opposition and the reinforcement of his own unassailable authority over the surviving clique.
"As far as education is concerned, perhaps the most pervasive and dynamic idea of the Cultural Revolution was his statement of May 7, 1966, in which he declared that the "domination of schools by bourgeois intellectuals should by no means be allowed to continue". That is, the old elites, who thought they had a superior education to that of his supporters, should be overthrown by the "masses" of right-thinking people, who could demonstrate that they were right-thinking, not by fancy clever-dick argument and reason and evidence, but by their hatred and intolerance of the elite.
"Then there was the concentration of the media and entertainment in the hands of Mao's wife and the chief of the army, leading to the exclusive presentation of a handful of entertainments that clearly showed who were the goodies, who the baddies, and how decent folks should simply love their leaders and trust the People's Army and its commander-in-chief.
"And of course the constitution was discarded, there were arbitrary arrests, torture enjoyed a resurgence, dissenters were branded with labels that were impossible to shake off in the face of strident public condemnation by a handful of demagogues, and certain books were destroyed because it was too dangerous even to have them in a university library.
"The great leader Mao himself had an uncanny instinct for photo opportunities, and once demonstrated his ageless energy and vigour by taking a dip in the Yangtze and having pictures of his exploit splashed all over the state-owned media.
"But then, I suppose Ms Bishop was right to water down her comment: it might have been that way in China once, but that is hardly Australia in the 21st century."
Dr Trevor Hay, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne
Complete Letters to the Editor of The Melbourne Age at link
- Curriculum Council Media Release [undated]
[I assume it was sent to The Australian but it hasn't [yet] been published. Web]
Response to Kevin Donnelly’s geography editorial in The AustralianOnce again, Kevin Donnelly has misled readers of The Australian newspaper with his biased column (28/9/06). In particular, his reference to Western Australia’s consultation draft exam is inaccurate.
The source for the stimulus material in the draft exam is a report by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), 1987. The report is a reputable, internationally recognised body presenting expert opinions. Contrary to Donnelly’s position, a doomsday scenario is not presented. The WCED lists broad barriers to economic development, including the reliance on fossil fuels, the growth in the human population beyond the capacity of natural systems, and the lack of a strong framework for economic decision-making that considers environmental issues. The WCED does not attribute environmental problems to large companies, however it does indicate that one consequence of our heavy reliance on fossil fuels is problems of economic development resulting from the powerful position of these multinational corporations.
Donnelly’s linking of the new Geography course with an “Age of Aquarius” attempts to dismiss part of the core shared values that underlie the Western Australian Curriculum Framework. He fails to acknowledge that this is a small extract from the course rationale. He ignores the references to geographical skills, knowledge and understanding that are also central to the course.
Donnelly states that the WA course ignores the work of environmental sceptics such as Bjorn Lomborg. The course does not promote any particular viewpoints, but requires students to critically examine different points of view. Lomborg’s most well-known book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, was in fact found by the Danish Committees on Scientific Dishonesty in 2003 to “Objectively . . . fall within the concept of scientific dishonesty . . . in view of the subjective requirements made in terms of intent or gross negligence, [it] cannot fall within the bounds of this characterization. Conversely, the publication is deemed clearly contrary to the standards of good scientific practice”. This is exactly why Geography students are encouraged to rigorously examine arguments around an issue.
In WA’s new Geography course, students learn about ‘social, political and economic factors that impact on decisions about sustainability’ as part of the essential course content. This includes ‘economic factors such as the need for employment, increasing world demand for natural resources and the desire to increase standards of living.’ It is unlikely that any student will remain unaware of the importance of Australia’s primary industries after completing this course.
- The Australian
- Link teachers' pay to performance: report
by Justine Ferrari, Education writer
"Linking teachers' pay to their performance would improve the intellectual calibre of the profession and address the worldwide shortage of specialist teachers."A report by the Centre for American Progress on teacher pay says school systems designed in the last century are inadequate to meet the needs of advanced industrialised societies.
"The uniform salary structures of the past are also outdated in today's economy, when schools have to attract graduates away from other highly paid, highly educated professions.
"Capable young people entering the profession would prefer a compensation system based on the quality of their work to one that compensates everyone without respect to the quality of their teaching," the report concludes.
"When teachers' pay is high relative to compensation in other professions it is easier to attract and retain quality teachers."...
Full story in The Australian at link
- States get blame for sedentary children
by Matthew Franklin
"Schools, police and town planners face federal government attack as the real villains of the nation's obesity crisis."Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Christopher Pyne will target the three areas in a speech today in which he will demand state governments do more to boost levels of exercise by children.
"Mr Pyne will tell the Committee for Economic Development of Australia that states should make school sport compulsory; release more land so developers can include open space in housing estates; and better resource police to keep the streets safe for children to play..."
Full story in The Australian at link
- The West Australian
- Schools can ask for denim ban to be lifted (page 5)
by Bethany Hiatt
"The State Government’s ban on wearing jeans to school has begun to unravel, with Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich allowing exemptions for schools that want to allow students to wear denim."Ms Ravlich announced at the start of this year that uniforms were compulsory and students would not be allowed to wear jeans to school next year — an initiative that Alan Carpenter put in place in 2004 when he was education minister.
"Acting education director-general Sharon O’Neill sent an email to all principals yesterday reminding them that primary and secondary schools could no longer include denim in dress codes, but they still had two more years to make the transition.
"However, senior colleges, which cater for Years 11 and 12 only, could include denim.
“Other schools may apply for an exemption for senior students from the requirement for no denim,” she said.
"Ms Ravlich backpedalled yesterday, saying there had to be flexibility for students in vocational courses and work experience to meet appropriate industry dress standards.
“For example, some students in Port Hedland wear denim overalls and safety boots on work experience with BHP,” she said.
"Shadow education minister Peter Collier claimed it was policy change by stealth.
"State School Teachers Union president Mike Keely said it was a classic example of the Government’s unnecessary micro-management of schools.
"WA Council of State School Organisations president Rob Fry said decisions about school dress code should be made at school level."
From The West Australian at link
- School drug campaign will target 8-year-olds (page 9)
by Sam Riley
"Research showing a quarter of boys and 13 per cent of girls aged 12 have drunk alcohol regularly has helped spark educators to roll out a drug education program targeting children as young as eight in all WA schools..."
Full story in The West Australian
- Leavers urged to drop boozy celebration (page 9)
by Bethany Hiatt
"The culture of teenagers blowing off steam after their final exams by getting drunk for a week was wrong and needed to be discouraged, school principals warned yesterday..."
Full story in The West Australian
- The Brisbane Courier Mail
- Call for book ban
by Melanie Christiansen
"A Federal Government senator is demanding the withdrawal of a school library book which paints his political hero and Australia's longest-serving prime minister as a tyrant.
"Sir Robert Menzies is listed alongside the likes of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, Cambodian ruler Pol Pot and the deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in the children's reference book 100 Greatest Tyrants, which is used by students at a Mount Isa high school..."
Full story in The Brisbane Courier Mail at link
- The Guardian
- Getting back on their feet
by Peter Kingston, Mian Ridge, Chris Arnot and Joanna Moorhead
A million children are in failing schools, according to a report by MPs last week. But what does that really mean? We visited four schools on the hit list to find out
"One million children are in poorly performing schools, according to a report from a committee of MPs, which warned last week that more than 1,500 schools were failing to provide a proper education for their students. That equates to some 23% of secondary schools and 4% of primaries, educating 13% of all young people..."
Full story in The Guardian at link
Full text of the committee's report
- Op Ed
Headteachers criticise MPs' failing schools claims
by Walter Hemmens
"The claim by a Commons committee that 1 million pupils are being let down by the education system is "misleading and damaging", a headteachers' association said today..."
Full story in The Guardian at link
- Faith schools law 'is recipe for intolerance'
by Will Woodward, chief political correspondent
"Faith schools will be handed new powers to discriminate on religious grounds in hiring thousands of support staff, campaigners warned last night..."
Full story in The Guardian at link
- The Adelaide Advertiser
- Timeframes set for Super schools
by Xanthe Kleinig, education reporter
"Northern suburbs parents have until April to decide whether to close their schools to make way for the State Government's proposed new super schools.
"About 100 people at a community consultation for the schools proposed for the Playford North and Smithfield Plains were told last night by Education Works director Terry Sizer that a timeframe had been set."We have to go to the public private partnerships by June next year," she said..."
"But new Education Department chief executive officer Christopher Robinson was unable to guarantee teachers' jobs would be transferred to the new schools."Not every existing teacher will have a role in the school," he said..."
Full story in The Adelaide Advertiser at link
- The West Australian
- OBE stress tied to lack of English teachers (page 6)
by Bethany Hiatt
"Problems with this year's controversial introduction of the outcomes-based education English course are partly to blame for a looming shortage of English teachers, a former head of the group charged with OBE implementation admitted yesterday.
"Edith Cowan University education head Greg Robson, who was acting chief executive of the Curriculum Council for seven months last year, said Education Department sources had told him that English was "emerging as a particular pressure point" for teacher recruitment.
"The latest meeting I attended at the department, where they were talking about areas where they are under pressure, they referred to design and technology, home economics – which we've known about for a while – but the emerging area was in English," he said.
"Professor Robson said he was surprised because there had been no shortage of English teachers in the past. "One of the reasons that was suggested was all the contention around the new courses of study," he said. "It may well be a factor I think."...
"The West Australian had advertisements from private schools for 15 English teachers last Saturday."
Full story in The West Australian
- D-day for Ravlich as shake-up begins (page 6)
by Megan Sadler and Jessica Strutt
"The Education Department has begun a major shake-up of its embattled complaints management unit amid the controversy over its poor handling of sexual misconduct allegations against teachers.
"It is understood the seven full-time and one part-time staff who run the unit, headed by Peter Denton, were given notice yesterday that they may lose their jobs.
"The department has advised staff it will double the size of the unit but it was unclear last night whether some would be redeployed in the department or moved into roles in other government agencies.
"In a statement to The West Australian, acting director-general Sharyn O'Neill said she spoke to staff yesterday to tell them of changes to the unit's structure as a result of a damning report last week by the Corruption and Crime Commission.
"The commission found the Education Department had mishandled its response to allegations of sexual contact between staff and students.
"Another report by former department boss Peter Browne, which was released to The West Australian under Freedom of Information laws in March, also raised serious concerns about the complaints unit.
"Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich will come under intense fire today when the Upper House debates a motion of no confidence in her ability to run the key portfolio.
"Shadow education minister Peter Collier said there were still plenty of questions Ms Ravlich had to answer about her knowledge of the CCC and Browne reports.
"Mr Collier moved the no-confidence motion last week at the height of the CCC report scandal but the matter will only come on for debate in the Legislative Council this afternoon."
From The West Australian
Similar story on ABC News: Dept's complaints staff warned of redeployment
- Op Ed
It's power to the people – we can all vote for that (page 21)
by Tony Rutherford
With ministerial codes of conduct now a dead doctrine, the WA Inc ear throws up a popular proposal
"No one seems to doubt at all the sum of the State Government's behaviour over the past week has been shoddy in the extreme. Calls for Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich to resign have been loud and clear; failing that, there are equally strong demands that the Premier sack her.
"So far, the Minister's charmed life seems to continue indefinably. She won't go, and the Premier won't make her.
"The reasons for Ms Ravlich's continued tenure have not been made clear. One theory is that the Premier himself might be thought to share some of the responsibility for the years of inaction on the part of the Education Department. Another is that talent among his senior colleagues is so thin that he would be very hard pressed indeed to find a replacement for what is, after all, one of the three or four most weight ministries in any State government.
"The public record of what has happened – reinforced by Ms Ravlich's already poor record – amply justifies decisive action. But given the way that governments operate these days, it seems fairly unlikely that we will ever have a clear factual account f all that actually happened in the period leading up to the Corruption and Crime Commission report. Perhaps an Upper House inquiry, if it proves a possibility, might yield a few answers.
"It would be interesting to know, for instance, how an average State minister's office works.
"Poor organisation and incompetence on the part of staff might be thought to account for Ms Ravlich's apparent ignorance of the preparation of a fairly serious report (something which in turn raises the question of why the Minister should require a higher degree of knowledge on the part of her director-general than on her own).
"It might, on the other hand, be the case that the Minister's staff quarantined her, as a matter of policy, from anything which might in future generate embarrassment or blame – a policy not unknown in quite a few Canberra ministerial offices.
"And the CCC report did not begin to touch the other side of the coin as far as allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of teachers are concerned: the problem of those teachers who find themselves and their lives in a kind of limbo, while the department moves at its usual glacial lace in investigation.
"Most of the furore so far, however, has concentrated one way or another on the doctrine of ministerial responsibility, a doctrine now truly dead..."
[then discusses WA Inc and citizen-initiated referendums...]
From The West Australian
- Letter to the Editor (page 22)
- "I think children's education is more important than an extra hour in the day. Stop sidetracking, Mr Carpenter, and deal with Ms Ravlich."
Peter Williams, Koondoola
- Australia 'behind' in education funding
[online only: story broke after the paper went to press]
AAP
"Australia ranks second from last among 20 developed countries in funding vital early childhood education and care, a report has found."Skimping on spending now could impact on the social and educational development of Australians later in life, said the report's co-author, Professor Collette Tayler..."
Full story in The West Australian at link
- The Guardian
- Ministers agree to GCSEs review
by Alexandra Smith
"Schools could return to teaching traditional O-level-style courses after ministers backed down and agreed to a rethink of GCSEs, which have been criticised for not stretching bright pupils."The government today confirmed that it would ask curriculum advisers to publish a previously unreleased working paper, which is believed to have found that the exam known as the International GCSE (IGCSE) was better than the traditional GCSE at challenging candidates and preparing them for A-levels.
"The IGCSE is often seen as a more challenging qualification than the traditional GCSEs. The University of Cambridge International Examinations developed it initially for pupils studying abroad, but it is now being adopted by an increasing number of independent schools in Britain..."
Full story in The Guardian at link
- The New York TImes
- The Australian
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Colleges' monopoly on entry tests ends
by Anna Patty, Education Editor
"Coaching colleges will no longer be able to give students exclusive access to past exam papers for entry tests to selective high schools and primary school classes for gifted children."For the first time, past papers will be made available on the internet to ensure a fairer playing field for all students, the Education Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, said yesterday..."
Full story in The Sydney Morning Herald at link
- The Melbourne Age
- Schoolyard bullies make ground on net
- Related story: Ban this technology, says expert
- Related story: Web stranger-danger push
- The West Australian
- OBE blow for Ravlich as teachers stall maths (front page)
by Bethany Hiatt
"Besieged Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich has suffered another blow to the planned introduction of outcomes-based education, with almost 200 maths teachers voting to defer the new courses for another year."The vote came as a group of influential English teachers broke away from their professional association, saying it failed to represent their views on the new OBE English course.
"Murdoch University maths lecturer Ken Harrison confirmed that most of the 200 maths teachers at an information session on Tuesday night voted to delay implementing two new courses from 2008 to 2009.
"Maths teacher Greg Williams, who is also president of teachers’ group People Lobbying Against Teaching Outcomes, said teachers were concerned the courses were being rushed, with no time for teacher feedback and resource development.
"All they had seen of the courses so far were three pages of dot points.
"Curriculum Council chief executive David Wood said schools would receive the new courses very soon.
“The straw poll showed that many maths teachers are still anxious and I will continue to address their concerns,” he said.
"The new English Teachers Forum, comprising teachers and heads of departments from State and private schools, is writing to the English Teachers Association of WA demanding a poll on whether members think the OBE English course has serious problems.
“A large number of English teachers are dismayed by the claims made by the association that all is well with the implementation of the English course of study,” the letter says.
"OBE English was introduced to Year 11 this year. Many English teachers are furious that implementation of most other OBE subjects was delayed to 2008, leaving them to bear the brunt of the curriculum changes.
"Mt Lawley Senior High School English head of department Warren Daniel, a founding member of the ETF, said the course lacked content, OBE assessment was unworkable and teachers were falling ill or resigning.
"ETAWA president Wendy Cody said surveys and other methods had gauged members’ feelings on curriculum reform. “We have presented our findings strongly to the Curriculum Council and our members,” she said."
From The West Australian at link
- Schools asbestos checks take 10 months to begin (page 15)
by Amanda Banks
"About 600 public schools are still waiting for asbestos risk assessments, nearly 10 months after a safety notice demanding the inspections was served on the Education Department."However, air tests over 15 years were well under the national exposure standard, a Legislative Council committee was told yesterday.
"Former Carine Senior High School P&C president Piers Dudman — who led a campaign to highlight asbestos concerns which led to the WorkSafe orders — said yesterday the delay was inexcusable. “This stuff is deadly — they have no grasp of the risks that kids are exposed to,” Mr Dudman said.
"Education Department facilities operations manager Russ Looker said inspectors had to be trained and risk assessments would begin this month.
"The department has until mid-next year to finish the surveys. Eight inspectors have been trained..."
Full story in The West Australian at link
- Ravlich attacks CCC over sex report (page 5)
by Jessica Strutt
"Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich launched an unprecedented attack on the Corruption and Crime Commission yesterday, saying she had concerns about its handling of an investigation into the Education Department's treatment of sexual misconduct allegations against teachers..."
"During question time, Alan Carpenter told Liberal MP John Day that Ms Ravlich would not be in the position if he did not think she should be, but he refused to say whether she would still be there next year.
"If I ... if we decide to make some changes, I'll guarantee you (the Opposition) won't be the first to know," he said." [emphasis added]
Full story in The West Australian
- Follow-up: Alan Carpenter stated on radio today that Ravlich is wrong and indeed, it was NOT up to the CCC to keep the minister informed about investigations they were conducting into her affairs, but that at least "now they have some clarity" on that point.
- Letter to the Editor (page 22)
- "If Ljiljanna Ravlich survives the smokescreen of daylight saving she should be awarded an OBE."
Spether Wall, Riverton
- ABC News
- Greens mull 'less extreme' motion against Ravlich
"The WA Greens have revealed they considered moving their own motion against the Education Minister in Parliament last night, despite opposing a Liberal motion of no confidence in her."In the Upper House last night, Ljilijana Ravlich only just survived a no confidence motion due to the support of the Greens, but Greens MP Paul Llewellyn says they still have real concerns and considered moving a less extreme motion.
"We think that there were grounds for a censure motion about the way in which she's conducted some of her business," Mr Llewellyn said.
"But I certainly don't think that there's grounds for her being replaced."
"Mr Llewellyn says the Minister has at times been dismissive of community concern.
"He also says the Opposition needs to consider that it is harder for the Minister to do her job when she is constantly being attacked.
"During debate on the no confidence motion, Ms Ravlich launched an attack on the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC), questioning why it did not tell her about its investigation into her department's mishandling of allegations of sexual misconduct by teachers.
"I would have thought that it would have been appropriate for the CCC to advise the Minister of such," Ms Ravlich said.
"Now clearly my own department didn't advise me of such, but I would have thought that perhaps the CCC could have advised me of such."
From ABC News Online at link
- NT Education Dept asks parents for personal info
"Parents of Northern Territory primary school students have been sent a letter asking them to reveal personal information to help determine funding allocations."The letter asks parents to detail their educational qualifications, occupation and language background.
"The Council of Government School Organisations has reacted angrily to the move, saying the status of parents should have no bearing on the education offered to their children.
"But the NT Education Department has defended the letter and says the information is required by the Commonwealth to allocate appropriate funding and target resources for students most in need.
"The Education Department says it is not compulsory for parents to supply the information."
From ABC News Online at link
- The Washington Post
- State Board Reprimands System Over Test Scores
by Nelson Hernandez and Daniel De Vise
Officials Are Ordered To Improve Academics
"BALTIMORE, Oct. 25 -- After three consecutive years of inadequate test scores, the Prince George's County school system was placed under "corrective action" by the Maryland State Board of Education yesterday."That label has been given to only one other system in Maryland -- Baltimore schools -- and under the federal No Child Left Behind law, it carries a range of potential sanctions, including a possible state takeover of low-performing schools.
"John E. Deasy, a California educator hired in May to lead the 134,000-student system... has vowed to raise the county's test scores, which have increased in recent years, by reallocating staff to the system's worst-performing schools, bolstering teacher recruitment and retention, improving parental participation, and giving children more opportunities and better training to participate in Advanced Placement courses..."
Full story in The Washington Post at link
- Related story: Failing Schools Fighting Back
- The Times
- MPs criticise Brown plan to increase funding for state schools
by Alexandra Blair, Education Correspondent
"[Education Minister] Gordon Brown's pledge to raise state school funding to the same level as that enjoyed by private schools has been criticised by a committee of MPs."The Education Select Committee’s investigation of public expenditure in education also condemned a lack of transparency and cautioned that taxpayers might not wish to pay for state schools in future unless ministers can demonstrate that the resources are being used wisely.
"This lack of information, the Labour-dominated committee said, would not only be bad for taxpayers but could also “undermine the electorate’s willingness to fund public services”.
"But the MPs reserved their harshest criticism for the Chancellor’s commitment in this year’s Budget to raise the level of funding per pupil in state schools from £5,000 to £8,000, the average spending per head in independent schools..."
Similar story in The Guardian
Full story in The Times at link
- The New York Times
- Scientists Endorse Candidate Over Teaching of Evolution
by Cornelia Dean
"In an unusual foray into electoral politics, 75 science professors at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have signed a letter endorsing a candidate for the Ohio Board of Education..."
Full story in The New York Times at link
- USA Today
- Students, officials locking horns over blogs
by Alan Gomez
"Kids increasingly are spending their free time blogging and chatting on social networking websites, and school administrators aren't enthusiastic."School boards across the country already have blocked sites such as MySpace and Facebook on school computers. But school districts now are reaching into students' home computers, severely punishing and even expelling students for what they write on those sites from home.
"Some examples:
•A student at an Indianapolis-area school was expelled for making sexually explicit comments about a teacher on MySpace.
•Officials at a Pittsburgh school kicked a student off the volleyball team for an Internet message that criticized an art teacher.
•A cheerleader at a Fort Worth-area school was kicked off the squad for derogatory comments someone posted on her blog about other cheerleaders.
"The issue has created a free-speech debate between school administrators who are worried about the disruption of the learning process on one hand; and students, parents and First Amendment advocates who are worried about whether overzealous school boards are overstepping their bounds on the other. The debate is beginning to be explored in courts..."
Full story in USA Today at link
- [Absolutely nothing of interest from the eastern states. Web]
- The West Australian
- Editorial (page 18)
Greens save a hopeless hide
"The Greens' decision to vote against a motion of no confidence in Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich suggests yet again that they are more interested in politicking than the public interest.
"Just what level of ministerial hopelessness would it take for them to damn a minister in a Labor government?
"But, then again, perhaps no one should be surprised that the Greens ended up endorsing incompetence."
From The West Australian
- About-face for Ravlich in question time test (page 9)
by Jessica Strutt and Ben Spencer
"Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich was forced into an embarrassing about-face in the Upper House yesterday when she answered the same question from two MPs differently."Shadow education minister Peter Collier submitted a question on notice to Ms Ravlich around 9am, 7 1 /2 hours before question time.
"Ms Ravlich signed off on the response during the day but — it would appear — failed to read it.
"National MP Murray Criddle got in before Mr Collier when question time started and asked basically the same question without notice — whether Ms Ravlich had received a review document on a proposal to move Year 7 students to high school.
"Ms Ravlich said she had not.
"Mr Collier asked his question, prompting Ms Ravlich to refer to the written response, which provided a different answer.
“This is what I was trying to clarify earlier,” she said. “I have received a technical study prepared by the department, which is an internal research and planning document. As the study is an internal working document, I have asked the department to further investigate the costs and impacts.”
"The Opposition continued its attack on the Education Minister yesterday, claiming a comment by former Education Department director-general Paul Albert during his last press conference conflicts with the Minister’s continued assertion that she knew nothing of a Corruption and Crime Commission investigation before October 12.
"Opposition Leader Paul Omodei asked Alan Carpenter in State Parliament yesterday whether Ms Ravlich or Mr Albert was telling the truth.
"Ms Ravlich has said that at no point was she briefed by the former education boss about the specific work of the CCC in the department.
"She also said that at no point was she briefed by Mr Albert about any case of a sexual nature.
"But the Opposition yesterday dug out a quote from Mr Albert made on October 16, after the damning CCC report into the Education Department’s mismanagement of allegations of sexual misconduct by teachers was tabled, when he said he told Ms Ravlich the CCC was investigating.
“I personally told her (the Minister) that the commission was investigating a number of cases concerning inappropriate sexual behaviour between teachers and students,” he said.
"Mr Albert was forced out of his job in the wake of the CCC report scandal under a management initiated retirement which gags him from publicly criticising the department until after the next State election.
"Mr Omodei asked the Premier whether he would allow Mr Albert to answer questions on what he told the Minister about the CCC investigation.
"Mr Carpenter said Mr Albert had already held an exhaustive press conference after the report was tabled.
"Mr Carpenter said there were no inconsistencies between what Ms Ravlich and Mr Albert had said.
"In the Legislative Council yesterday, Liberal MP Simon O’Brien pointed out the apparent inconsistency in comments during question time and again asked Ms Ravlich whether she was briefed on the CCC investigation by Mr Albert.
"Ms Ravlich replied: “To the best of my recollection Mr President, no,” she said."
From The West Australian at link
- Inside Cover ("mini-Alston") (page 2)
© The West Australian
- The Canberra Times
- Schools facing teacher strikes
by Kanchan Dutt
"Canberra public schools are facing more industrial upheaval after the collapse yesterday of negotiations between teachers and the ACT Government."Education Minister Andrew Barr's final pay offer was rejected by the Australian Education Union which claimed it would mean the loss of at least 85 jobs from next year.
"The union's ACT branch secretary, Clive Haggar, said the Government told school principals on Wednesday that they would have to cut staff and increase the number of hours teachers faced in the classroom.
"Mr Haggar said he had told Mr Barr it was "the most deceitful and incompetent exercise I've ever witnessed in industrial relations and we are now going to face further industrial action"...
Full story in The Canberra Times at link
- The Melbourne Age
- Loss of top teachers could cause 'meltdown'
by David Rood
"Australia is losing the race to retain its most talented teachers because of piecemeal policy approaches towards the profession and requires a "miracle" to reverse the situation, according to a leading education expert."Former Melbourne University dean of education Brian Caldwell will tell an education conference today that schools have reached a "meltdown scenario" — the worst of six scenarios outlined in a 2001 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
"Professor Caldwell told The Age that teachers leaving the classroom for other jobs would strengthen the drift of students to private schools and exacerbate a looming teacher shortage when baby-boomer teachers retired.
"Current federal and Victorian policies — such as smaller class sizes, across-the-board salary increases and more professional development — were simply doing "more of the same", he said. "Additional resources now need to be invested in getting a career path where people will be keen to stay in the profession."
"Up to one in four new teachers quits the classroom within the first five years, according to Federal Government research.
"Professor Caldwell's recent book, Re-imagining Educational Leadership, created headlines with its assertion that Victoria's ageing state schools are the worst in the country and should be bulldozed.
"The problem of teacher quality and retention is on par with the skills shortage crisis, Professor Caldwell said, and there should be greater financial incentives to teach and greater reward for performance. There must be "steep" pay increases to top-end teaching salaries and the rebuilding of schools to provide a better work environment.
"He warned that part of the damage of current approaches would be further movement to private schools and more home schooling."
From The Melbourne Age at link
- The Australian
- Beazley pledges performance-based pay for teachers
by Samantha Maiden, Political correspondent
"Kim Beazley will embrace performance-based pay for teachers in an education policy to be unveiled today that offers top teachers up to $100,000 to work in Australia's worst schools."In a new push to tackle the "brain drain" of teachers to private schools and high-paying overseas jobs, Mr Beazley will also offer teachers across the nation a pay rise of up to $10,000 a year if they meet rigorous standards. The salary structure would put the top teachers on more pay than principals in some states.
"The policy gazumps the Howard Government's consideration of merit-based pay, which could include incentives or bonuses paid to teachers through individual contracts and Australian Workplace Agreements.
"It risks alienating opponents of performance-based teaching, including Pat Byrne, the national president of the Australian Education Union. In July, Ms Byrne said it was difficult to define the term "better teacher" and it was "extremely insulting" to say they had to be encouraged into state government schools because it implied that good teachers worked only in private schools.
"You can only hold teachers responsible for what they can control, and teachers have no control over the nature of the students they have," she said.
"The ALP policy rejects a merit-based approach that offers teachers AWAs or higher pay simply on the basis of student performance in standardised tests.
"But in a speech to parents and teachers at the Australian Council of State School Organisations today, Mr Beazley will challenge the Government to stop talking about performance-based pay and take action.
"The ALP is also considering HECS relief for graduates who become teachers in areas of skills shortages, including mathematics, science and technology and schools classified as disadvantaged, remote or regional.
"We can't allow a brain drain for the teaching profession," Mr Beazley says.
"To encourage teachers in public schools to achieve the highest professional standards, we'll fund higher salaries. As well, Labor will fund the appointment of outstanding professionals in targeted schools. These positions could attract a total salary and professional development package of around $100,000."...
Full story in The Australian at link
- The Washington Post
- Closing the Gap, Child by Child
by Maria Glod
Fairfax Sees Gains From 2-Year-Old Effort That Uses Mini-Tests to Steer Extra Help
"... The Fairfax County school had been jolted by news that 60 percent of black students in selected grades didn't pass the state reading test and that the school had failed to make academic progress required under federal law. Similar alarm bells were ringing at schools elsewhere in the county.
"Now, efforts begun in the past two years to address the challenge at that school and others in Fairfax are showing results."New state data show that many black students are making significant progress countywide. The percentage of black elementary school students who received the highest rating on the state tests, "advanced," rose this year. Last year, Fairfax's black third-graders ranked 91st in reading among their peers statewide. This year, they were 61st.
"But the advances have been uneven..."
Full story in The Washington Post at link
- The Times
- Can't write, count or speak - England's failing five-year-olds
by Alexandra Blair, Education Correspondent
"Nearly a fifth of five-year-olds cannot write their own name and fewer than half have reached their expected level of learning, official figures show."An assessment of 535,000 five-year-olds in England found that, after a year of schooling, 91,000 could not write simple words such as “mum” or “cat” or hold a pencil correctly.
"The number of children who had mastered basic literacy and numeracy was much lower than last year, as was the number of children who reached expected levels of physical development..."
Full story in The Times at link
- Johnson retreats on entry quotas for faith schools
by Alexandra Blair, Education Correspondent
"Alan Johnson bowed to the pressure of the Roman Catholics, Jews and Muslims yesterday when he dropped plans to force all new faith schools to take a quarter of non-faith pupils."The Education Secretary said that, after gaining the support of both the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, that schools would accept non-faith pupils voluntarily, he no longer felt it “necessary or appropriate” to change the law..."
Full story in The Times at link
Similar story in The Guardian
Similar story in The Independent
- The Independent
- Record test results by black teenagers close education gap
by Sarah Cassidy, Education Correspondent
"Black schoolchildren have started to close the gap in educational performance on their white classmates by doing better than ever in tests for 14-year-olds."But they failed to narrow the gap at GCSE despite a £1.7m government drive to improve the performance of black students..."
Full story in The Independent at link
- The Hobart Mercury
- Pay case heads for court
by Kathy Grube
"A pay dispute over teacher aides could be heading to the Supreme Court.
"The Australian Education Union has run out of patience after a seven-year campaign failed to resolve the dispute over the state's 1800-plus school support staff, including teacher aides and library technicians, being only paid 40 or 42 weeks a year..."
Full story in The Hobart Mercury at link
- Northern Territory News
- School gives out suicide quiz
by Mark Wilton
"A Northern Territory school's weekly newsletter has caused outrage among parents for including a "how did a man commit suicide" puzzle.
"The puzzle was sent home with year 1 to 7 Wanguri Primary School students on Wednesday. It reads: "Puzzle No.2..."
Full story in The Northern Territory News at link
Saturday – Sunday, 28 – 29 October
- The West Australian
- Whistleblower teacher's case 'a disgrace' (page 17)
by Jessica Strutt
"The Education Department's investigation of a teacher who blew the whistle on sexual abuse of children was a "disgrace", lawyer John Hammond said yesterday.
"He called on Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich to intervene and tell the department to drop the action against Peter Gadeke.
"Mr Hammond said it was unbelievable that the department continued to pursue disciplinary action against Mr Gadeke, when just two weeks ago a damning Corruption and Crime Commission report raised serious concerns about the department's mismanagement of sexual misconduct allegations against teachers..."
"The Minister should tell her department to stop this inquisition... she's got to instruct them right now."...
"Shadow education minister Peter Collier said the case exemplified the skewed priorities of the department."
Full story in The West Australian
- The Weekend Australian
- Editorial
Labor's class stunt
Beazley's better deal for teachers will not help students
"The Labor plan to increase pay for Australia's best teachers is good, as far as it goes – which is not as far as first appears. Certainly, Mr Beazley is on the money in committing Labor to pay rises of $10,000 for classroom teachers who achieve and maintain what he calls "rigorous standards for professional excellence". This statement sounds like smart politics and sensible policy. Talking about rewarding individual teachers for high performance demonstrates that Labor is no longer subservient to the preposterous proposition of the education unions that as all teachers are equally excellent, everybody in the same job should be paid the same. And it goes some way to addressing the staffing problems caused by the way teachers are now paid. At present, beginning teachers are relatively well rewarded, with starting salaries of about $40,000. But the top pay rate is only 50 per cent higher, which teachers can rise to earn after nine years of service. And that's it. Unless a teacher moves out of the classroom, this is as much as they will ever make. In contrast, Japanese teachers reach peak pay only after three decades – but, at 2.5 times starting salaries, it is worth the wait. While a flat pay scale may attract new graduates into teaching, it is hard to imagine an arrangement in Australia better designed to ensure experienced teachers, in their middle 30s, abandon the profession."Given this, the Labor plan to create an annual bonus based on professional excellence looks like a good way to encourage older teachers to both stay in the classroom and to continually improve their standing. So do other proposals, to pay top quality teachers a package of $100,000 a year to work in disadvantaged schools and for all teachers to be required to demonstrate their competence every few years. But while Labor's intentions look good, there is significant smoke and a great many mirrors in the strategy. For a start, Mr Beazley's bonuses would not be paid according to the individual achievements of each teacher. Nor would the money be allocated by school principals and parents groups – the people who know how teachers in their schools are performing. According to a policy paper by Labor's Jenny Macklin, the payments would be allocated according to "accreditation at the highest levels of professional excellence . . . against criteria that are consistent with the agreed national framework of professional teaching standards". Among all this blather there is no mention of paying teachers bonuses when their students do well in external exams and tests that benchmark literacy and numeracy in earlier school years. [emphasis added]
"Mr Beazley is having a bob each way. He knows he must convince ordinary Australians – who have taken their kids out of state schools because of suspect standards – that he is committed to improving public education, lest the Government make all the running on the issue at next year's election. But he cannot afford to alienate the education unions, which are enormously influential in his party – look at the way Labor education ministers in the states do not dare reform working practices. And the unions hate the idea of some of their members earning more money independent of award negotiations. The result is this policy, which talks of rewarding excellence but does not propose leaving individual schools to manage their own affairs or rewarding teacher on what they achieve for their students. That the peak teachers union welcomes the plan, saying Labor will work through the award system, the source of their power, makes the point. Mr Beazley obviously knows what needs to be done to reward good teachers and improve student outcomes – but he dare not do it."
From The Weekend Australian at link [scroll down to second editorial]
- MPs see daylight and let Ravlich off hook
by Amanda O'Brien
"It's not often you witness a miracle in politics but events in the West Australian parliament came close. Reporters watched in amazement as a scandal disappeared like a puff of wind, a near-terminal minister kept her job, a dumped Liberal leader had life breathed into him and a dumped Labor MP rewrote the Government's political agenda."The scandal that disappeared was the Corruption and Crime Commission report on the Government's mishandling of alleged sexual misconduct by teachers. The news last week that the state education department failed to investigate complaints, ignored risks posed by some teachers and allowed a convicted child sex offender to keep teaching exploded like a grenade.
"Two senior bureaucrats were toppled, the Government was bruised and Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich was wheeled away on life support. Premier Alan Carpenter struggled to answer questions on ministerial accountability and his performance as a former education minister.
"For five days the Liberals fired bullets into the Government's open wounds. Then along came colourful independent MP John D'Orazio with his bright, shiny daylight saving bill..."
Full story in The Weekend Australian at link
- Test ignores spelling and grammar
by Justine Ferrari, Education writer
"The international OECD test cited as proof that Australian students have one of the highest literacy rates in the world does not test spelling and grammar."The Program for International Student Assessment of 15-year-old students in more than 40 countries assesses their ability to understand written texts and apply that knowledge but fails to examine correct use of language.
"The concept of literacy used in PISA is much broader than the historical notion of the ability to read and write," the report says.
"It is measured on a continuum, not as something that an individual either does or does not have. A literate person has a range of competencies and there is no precise dividing line between a person who is fully literate and one who is not."
"Professor Geoff Masters, head of the Australian Council for Educational Research, which leads the consortium that runs PISA, said the test was a measure of students' reading, not writing.
"But reader in English and head of humanities at the Australian National University Simon Haines said a solid foundation in reading implied "a foundation of knowledge of what words and sentences are".
"Spelling and grammar are part of this knowledge of what a word fundamentally is, what written construction fundamentally is," he said. "Relatively trivial one-off spelling and grammatical errors probably shouldn't be marked down, but repeated errors of the same type, or errors indicating more fundamental misunderstandings, probably should be..."
Full story in The Weekend Australian at link
- Op Ed
Good, but could do much better
by Judith Wheeldon
"The main importance of any test is to help identify where improvement can be made."As pleasing as it is to rank in the top group of countries on the OECD Program for International Student Assessment tests, we should take care to use them to tease out how we can improve our children's education.
"It should concern us that although we held our second place in reading literacy from 2000 to 2003, we slipped from third to fourth in scientific literacy and from third to fifth in mathematical literacy.
"In the new category of problem solving, we begin at fifth place..."
Judith Wheeldon is a former head of two private girls schools in Sydney: Abbotsleigh and Queenwood.
Full story in The Weekend Australian at link
- Tick for Kim from teachers union
by Lisa Macnamara
"A teachers union has backed Kim Beazley's proposal for performance-based pay, but those at the coalface have doubts."Under Labor's education policy, revealed yesterday in The Australian, some teachers would be offered up to $100,000 to work in the nation's worst schools while those who met standards ofexcellence would receive an extra $10,000 a year.
"The policy is designed to keep talented teachers from leaving the public system in favour of better-paid jobs in private schools.
"We support a standards-based approach: a system that actually recognises and rewards teachers for their knowledge and practice and skills," said Pat Byrne, national president of the Australian Education Union..."
Full story in The Weekend Australian at link
- Letters to the Editor
- Tackling teaching's woes
"Congratulations to Kim Beazley for his mould-smashing remarks about, among other things, merit pay for teachers ("Beazley to pledge performance-based pay for teachers”, 27/10). At last, an ALP leader is daring to acknowledge that all is not well in our public schools and in the teaching profession."Mr Beazley has always given the impression that he is not brain-deadened by the collectivist ideology of so many in his party which is shared, sadly, by so many in the teaching profession and their union officials.
"At base level, there’s the statistical fact that, in the matter of their children’s schooling, more than 40 per cent of parents are prepared to pay large sums of money over many years to the private system for what, theoretically, is free in the government system.
"Mr Beazley’s proposals may not be the whole solution, but, for about half our population, he has broken the logjam which prevented the free flow of ideas for tackling teaching’s woes."
Leonard Colquhoun, Invermay, Tas
"The trick for Kim Beazley will be to have the jurassic Jenny Macklin actually sell this while keeping a straight face, having been a staunch critic of such proposals in the past."
Max Heinrich, Prospect, SA
- The Sunday Canberra Times
- ACT teachers vote to strike [lead story]
by Robyn Powell
"Teachers voted to stop work next week in an ongoing pay dispute which the ACT Government plans to take to the Industrial Relations Commission."Teachers rejected the latest pay offer at a meeting yesterday and vowed to continue to fight for improved pay and conditions, at the direction of Australian Council of Trade Unions president Sharan Burrow.
"The Government's fifth offer met the union's demand for a 12 per cent pay rise, which teachers say could cost them up to 100 positions.
"Australian Education Union ACT members begin the next round of industrial action with a half-day strike on Monday, November 6, with a rally in Civic at 9.30am. [emphasis added]
"A spokeswoman for Education Minister Andrew Barr said the Government was disappointed with the outcome and would seek advice from the Australian Industrial Relations Commission tomorrow..."
Full story in The Sunday Canberra Times at link
- The Canberra Times [Saturday]
- Strikes urged to stop ACT teacher job cuts
by Kanchan Dutt
"Teachers could be on strike within days, union officials expected to give the green light to industrial action today."Australian Education Union ACT secretary Clive Haggar said walkouts would take place in early November if a resolution on industrial action was passed at today's branch meeting.
"While Education Minister Andrew Barr reissued calls for the latest pay offer - which meets union demands - to be accepted, his plea seemed to be falling on deaf ears, officials furious at the teacher cuts his department unveiled to principals.
"Shadow education minister Vicki Dunne labelled the pay offer "pathetic" and said it seemed everyone in Canberra but the Government was committed to high-quality teaching.
"And in a sign of their brewing anger, principals went public to The Canberra Times yesterday about their anger at the staffing cuts, one saying it could amount to 100 losses across the secondary system..."
Full story in The Canberra Times at link
- The Times
- Catholic lobby forces climbdown on faith schools
by Anthony Browne, Chief Political Correspondent
"The Government faces a renewed battle with peers, secular groups and unions next week over faith schools in a bitter backlash against its sudden climbdown on Thursday over quotas."Alan Johnson, the Education Secretary, dropped an amendment requiring new faith schools to accept 25 per cent of pupils from other faiths in the face of an unprecedented lobbying operation by the two-million strong Roman Catholic community..."
Full story in The Times at link
- Related stories in The Independent
- The Sunday Melbourne Age
- School chaplain plan gets go-ahead [lead story]
by Jason Koutsoukis, Canberra
"A national school chaplaincy program to encourage values guidance and mentoring for students will be introduced by the Federal Government, despite a volley of criticism."Prime Minister John Howard will today confirm that the $90 million chaplaincy program — first reported by The Sunday Age in June — will be in place in time for the next school year..."
Full story in The Sunday Melbourne Age at link
Similar story in The Sydney Sunday Telegraph and other news.com Sunday newspapers
- The South Australia Sunday Mail
- Stop tearing schools apart [lead story]
by Brad Crouch
"Angry parents are mobilising for a showdown with the State Government over severe budget cuts which threaten the future of 19 small schools – mostly in rural areas.
"They say the move will affect more than 1000 students and 70 teachers and tear at the fabric of the communities. Principals say they will have to cut programs to the bare basics and cancel activities such as art, drama, dance, music and physical education."The outcry – amid allegations the cuts of $30,000 a school were done by stealth – is set to embarrass the Government, with most schools in Liberal seats.
"Petitions are now circulating in the communities, with residents putting on a united front..."
Full story in The South Australia Sunday Mail at link
All Alston cartoons are © The West Australian Newspaper
All media quotations, photographs and cartoons © their respective publishers
This page last updated 14 August, 2008 1:42 AM
