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Breaking
News: Week of 4 December 2006
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Saturday – Sunday, 9 – 10 December
- ABC News
- Ravlich set to lose education portfolio
"The Western Australian Environment Minister, Mark McGowan, is set to takeover the education portfolio from Ljiljanna Ravlich."The ABC understands the WA Premier asked Mr McGowan to take on the new role last week and that he has been asked to relinquish the environment portfolio as well.
"Ms Ravlich has been under sustained pressure this year.
"On Thursday, an Upper House committee will table its report into Ms Ravlich's claim she was not made aware of a Corruption and Crime Commission inquiry into her department.
"Mr McGowan refused to say if the changeover has already been settled with the Premier.
"All of these issues will be decided by the Premier in due course," he said.
"He's said there'll be a reshuffle before Christmas and I think we all just need to wait and see what happens."
From ABC News Online at link
- Govt accused of breaking school funding promise
"The Catholic Education Office (CEO) says the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government has broken an election promise by not reviewing its formula for funding private schools."Most of Canberra's private schools will increase their fees next year, some by as much as 8 per cent..."
Full story at ABC News Online at link
Related [and more detailed] story in The Canberra Times
- Fairfax [in The West Australian online]
- Beazley loses leadership and brother
"Dumped Labor leader Kim Beazley learned after the party-room vote today that his younger brother David, 53, had died."Mr Beazley, who was replaced by Kevin Rudd as federal Labor Party leader by 49 votes to 39, will fly to Perth to be with his family this afternoon. No cause of David's death has yet been released..."
Full story at The West Australian online at link
- The Australian
- English a question of quality [The WA OBE English Lit courses]
by Justine Ferrari, Education writer
"Senior school students of literature in Western Australia are being taught to question the idea of literary texts being of better quality in a course that equates novels with video games and street art."Under the newly released draft literature course for Years 11 and 12, students question the value assigned to literary texts and are told language is "a slippery, unreliable medium".
"The course requires the study of a variety of texts, including those understood to be part of "the Western literary canon, texts from non-Western cultural traditions, popular cultural texts and texts created and used by sub-cultural groups".
"Such texts include video games, interactive information technologies, advertising and street art, as well as poetry and classic literature.
"The sample literature exam includes only one question on a text studied by students, with the remaining questions including comprehension of a poem or three passages from science fiction novels.
"In the third section of the exam, the student must produce a piece of creative writing in the style of a "canonical writer" they have studied, and analyse their own writing.
"The former deputy chairman of the Literature Board of the Australia Council and associate professor in English at Monash University, Phillip Ayres, said the course was more akin to cultural studies than a study of literature.
"It's a misnomer - it isn't literature," he said.
"They want to teach anything but the cultural literary heritage, which is something that has been increasingly neglected, and therefore this course is a step down the wrong road."
"But the chief executive officer of the state's Curriculum Council, Dave Wood, said students had to study a variety of texts to be able to discuss whether a particular text was literary or not.
"The change in name from English literature to literature reflects the fact there is great value in studying the literature of a range of cultures from many places," he said.
"The literature course has evolved over the past two decades or so beyond what has been typically associated with high school studies. This approach has been with us for a long time."
"The course rationale has students question the "nature of a literary text and how literature is defined by, and functions within, Western cultural history".
"Such questions include the reasons why cultural value is assigned to one kind of text and not another; the changing nature of what is valued as literature at different times ... and the ways particular social groups are given or denied the power to define what is 'literary' and what is 'not literary'," it says.
"Dr Ayres said students were being deprived of their cultural heritage by a course that failed to concentrate on great literature."
From The Australian at link
- Lecturer fears for tenure over terror stand
by Hedley Thomas
"Three months after accusing university lecturers of dishonestly skewing the study of terrorism to blame the West for carnage wreaked by suicidal fanatics, a senior Queensland academic believes he is the latest casualty of a campus purge."Merv Bendle, an expert on militant religion and a senior lecturer at James Cook University, has been at the centre of a debate over how terrorism, its origins and outcomes are taught on campuses since he attacked fellow academics for what he saw as their anti-West bias.
"In his writings, including several published in The Australian, Dr Bendle describes a crisis in history education and criticises academic elites for distorting teaching on fanaticism and avoiding "any facts that might disturb (their) comfort zone".
"He now suspects his outspoken views will lead to the loss of his position at the university he has worked for since the early 1990s..."
Full story in The Australian at link
- Letter to the Editor
- The kids are all right
"As a couple of antiquated, continuing teachers, we are becoming frustrated by your paper’s negative, pessimistic reporting of education in Australia."When we look at children today the huge difference is that they are able to now think for themselves, analyse, research, be imaginative, be confident in expressing their views and importantly they are not afraid to make mistakes and will experiment. We are often in awe when we witness five-year-olds researching projects using both books and new technology, and writing long stories for their free writing activities. Yes, we too cringe at mispronunciations and we circle published spelling errors, but we feel children today have a well-rounded education. So what if they don’t know the role of the Governor-General (many adults don’t either). They could probably give any adult a convincing background knowledge on Aboriginal Australia, and come up with a great design for an alternative Australian flag."
Phil and Lucy Richards, Mount Gambier, SA
- The Melbourne Age
- Victorian teachers push for 30% wage rise
by David Rood, Education Editor
"Victorian teachers have launched the first salvo for a new pay deal, pushing for a 30 per cent wage rise and accusing the State Government of exploiting them."The Australian Education Union said pay rates for the state's teachers were low by international standards, and the proposed rise would give them parity with NSW.
"With the current agreement expiring next August, negotiating a new deal on teacher pay and conditions looms as one of the major challenges for the new state Education Minister, John Lenders.
"The head of the union's Victorian branch, Mary Bluett, told The Age that the value politicians placed on the work of teachers was reflected in their low pay rates.
""People's commitment to their students is being exploited in many ways," she said. The Government relied on people continuing to do the job "because they want to make a difference to young people's lives, and because people are passionate about that, they think they can not pay them what they are worth"...
Full story in The Melbourne Age at link
- Would-be leader broadens policy horizons
by Katharine Murphy and Ben Doherty
"Kevin Rudd has spent the weekend trying to broaden his policy agenda before today's leadership ballot, flagging a commitment to improve access to tertiary education, deal with climate change and be more welcoming of new migrants..."
"He hinted at an overhaul of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme for university students, arguing university education had become an unachievable dream for many from disadvantaged backgrounds..."
Full story in The Melbourne Age at link
- Monday Education Section [not yet updated as of 10:00 pm]
- The Times
- Private schools are 'no better for A levels'
by Alexandra Frean, Education Editor
* Brightest thrive in the state sector
* Fees may be poor value for parents
"Private schools often do little better than state schools at A level, according to research suggesting that the brightest pupils perform just as well whatever type of school they attend."The findings, from David Jesson, of York University, raise serious questions about whether parents who make immense financial sacrifices to pay private school fees of up to £20,000 a year are getting good value for money.
"Professor Jesson said that he had been surprised by his own research, which showed very little difference between the state and independent sectors in the proportion of the most able students gaining three grade As at A level, now almost essential for gaining a place at Oxford or Cambridge. “This is the demolition of the myth that independent school education is of itself creating better results,” he said..."
Full story in The Times at link
- Open-plan classes add up to results
by Alexandra Frean, Education Editor
"An all-boys school has boosted its maths GCSE results by knocking down a wall between classrooms and teaching two classes as one..."
Full story in The Times at link
- The New York TImes
- CNN
- Google enrolls teachers in online software crusade
Associated Press
"Palo Alto, California-- Google Inc., a company synonymous with searching the Internet, hopes to define far more of the world's computing experience with a helping hand from schoolchildren."For several months, it has been giving away to all takers an online word processor, spreadsheet and other programs that can perform tasks usually handled by desktop software. Offering a convenience that worries some privacy experts, the programs automatically store everything in Google's vast data centers so the information can be retrieved on any Internet-connected computer.
"As it tries to usher in a new era in computing, Google is promoting its software applications in kindergarten through high school classrooms, where kids who have grown up with the Web are more likely to experiment with different technology..."
Full story at CNN at link
- The West Australian
- Editorial
Parents cannot expect schools to do their work (page 16)
"Hale School principal Stuart Meade is right to call for the help of parents in tackling some of the less healthy aspects of student life.
"As he told parents at the school's annual speech day, instilling a sense of honesty, respect and concern for others is not something a school can do by itself.
"Too many parents are inclined to expect others to do their work for them, failing to recognise that establishing solid values at home will help equip a child to steer clear of some of the more destructive options available to today's young people."
From The West Australian
- Pupils forced to exercise as pies and lollies banned (page 13)
by Peta Rasdien
"Children will be compelled to get active and school canteens will have to wean themselves off junk food profits under a new State Government campaign to tackle childhood obesity.
"Under the plan announced yesterday, all pupils at government schools from Year 1 to Year 10 will have to do two hours physical activity a week. Currently there is no mandatory requirement for schoolchildren to exercise at school, though most schools have physical activity programs..."
"The Government hopes to have the new system in place by the middle of next year.
"Alan Carpenter said there would be no specialist staff recruited to implement the two-hour exercise regime. Students would be expected to take part in organised sports, dance and physical activity.
"The Premier said school principals would have to report on the implementation of the new policies as part of their school review and reporting programs..."
Full story in The West Australian
- The Adelaide Advertiser
- Schools take cue from justice system
by Xanthe Kleinig, education reporter
"Schools in Adelaide's southwestern suburbs are adapting techniques from the criminal justice system to improve children's behaviour, with "powerful" results.
"About 50 schools are using "restorative justice" - fixing problems rather than punishment. One of the most successful, Warradale Primary, has had a 90 per cent reduction in misbehaviour, from fights to suspensions."Principal Suzanne Clark said the old system of punishment was not working. "Kids wouldn't take responsibility if they knew they were going to get blamed. They wouldn't own up to what they had done," she says.
"The new system, administered by teachers and students, asks children to consider "what happened" and how they could make things right..."
Full story in The Adelaide Advertiser at link
- Secret school society
by Michael Owen and Paul Starick
"Adelaide schoolchildren are being "victimised, teased and mocked" on an internet "spider web" of instant messaging and blogging kept secret from parents.
"An Advertiser investigation has uncovered instances of students exchanging insults, threats and explicit pictures via a network of home computers."Police say they have investigated and, in some cases, charged children for such cyber-bullying crimes as stalking, harassment and menacing other students, as well as child pornography.
"Schools and police say parents do not understand the potentially devastating extent of the dark side of online social networking..."
Full story in The Adelaide Advertiser at link [See following editorial]
- Editorial
The dark side of the internet
"Authorities, including police and the Education Department, must do more to inform parents about the dangers of children suffering internet bullying and harassment.
"Even the most conscientious parent, isolated by the generational ignorance of communications technology, cannot be expected to understand the potential perils of social networking on the internet."Young people are being humiliated by information - real or fabricated - broadcast online to communities of students who operate free of parental control or observation.
"Photographs can be - and are being - posted of young people caught by mobile telephone cameras in embarrassing, incriminating or even semi-pornographic circumstances.
"A light-hearted prank or a momentary error of judgment can be the source of a compromising image which can destroy a personal reputation.
"Of equal concern is how some sensitive, self-conscious young people react when confronted with this form of public humiliation and taunting..."
Full editorial in The Adelaide Advertiser at link
- The Hobart Mercury
- School suffers votes promise
by Kathy Grube
"Bagdad Primary School will sacrifice a successful literacy program next year so it can fund the State Government's election promise to reduce class sizes.
"School association chairwoman Sonya Knight said the lack of new funding to reduce class sizes meant the small 137-student school could not afford to retain its Reading Recovery Program teacher."As a school, we still need to subsidise the class sizing with our own money, which in turn reduces the amount of money the school can spend on other programs and teaching aides," she said..."
Full story in The Hobart Mercury at link
- The West Australian
- English teachers split on OBE (page 3)
by Bethany Hiatt
"Renegade English teachers unhappy at the way outcomes-based education has been forced on their classes launched their own website yesterday to give other disgruntled teachers a voice.
"The English Teachers Forum comprises disaffected teachers who have broken away from their professional association because they say it has failed to represent their views on the new OBE English course. It includes chief examiners and heads of departments from State and private schools. Forum members, who say the course lacks content, OBE assessment is unworkable and teachers are falling ill or resigning, will outline their grievances to Curriculum Council chief executive David Wood on Thursday.
"About 300 teachers signed a recent English Teachers Forum petition calling on the English Teachers Association of WA to poll members on OBE.
"Many more who would not put their names to the petition asked to be added to the forum's mailing list. But the association said it would not use members' money to fund a new survey on OBE.
"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 curriculum changes.
"Forum spokeswoman Susan Kenworthy, who is retiring a year earlier than she had intended because of OBE, said that English teachers were "The guinea pigs who have been thrown over the cliff".
"She said the new website, at http://www.englishteachersforumwa.org/ would do the job the ETA should have done."
From The West Australian
- Editorial
State's exercise regime will benefit children (page 18)
"The State Government has struck a significant blow for children's health and wellbeing by making exercise compulsory at government schools.
"Under a plan announced by the Government, pupils from Years 1 to 10 will have to do two hours of physical activity a week.
"Combined with a ban on junk foods in school canteens, this will help to fight obesity and the attendant health problems in children.
"It should also help to instil in children the important habit of regular exercise, which is necessary for good health in later life."
From The West Australian
- Inside Cover
["Trumour File", or Lil's at it again...] (page 2)
"Teachers at Carnarvon Senior High School were less than impressed by Education Minister Ljiljanna "Schulz" Ravlich's attempt to decorate her ministerial office.
"While visiting the school last May, Ms Ravlich coveted a big artwork, by an Aboriginal former student, that was prominently displayed. She offer to buy it but the principal, who has since left the school, immediately presented it to her.
"Worried staff contacted head office in an attempt to retrieve the painting. Education Department acting deputy director Keith Newton [Is there anyone in Silver City who is NOT an "Acting" something-or-another? Web] confirmed that Ms Ravlich fancied a painting and that the principal offered it as a gift to display in her office.
"Because of an oversight by the school, the artist's permission was not obtained and as a result, the painting was returned," Mr Newton told The West's Bethany Hiatt."
From The West Australian
- The Washington Post
- Local Schools to Study Whether Math -- Topics = Better Instruction
by Daniel de Vise
"Advocates of new math and old math, back-to-basics math and "fuzzy" math might be shelving their differences to collectively focus on what many consider a more pressing problem: too much math."Maryland math leaders meet today -- and D.C. math educators gather tomorrow -- to discuss Curriculum Focal Points, a new document from the influential National Council of Teachers of Mathematics that could profoundly influence math instruction in the region and nationwide.
"It says the typical state math curriculum runs a mile wide and an inch deep, resulting in students being introduced to too many concepts but mastering too few, and urges educators to slim down those lessons..."
"The report urges teachers to focus on three broad concepts in each grade and on a few key subjects -- including the base-10 number system, fractions, decimals, geometry and algebra -- that form the core of math education in higher-achieving nations. Some are calling Focal Points the most significant publication in the field since the 1980s..."
"Focal Points is saying, 'Teach a few things, and teach them well,' " [State of Virginia Maths Coordinator Deborah Bliss said."
Full story in The Washington Post at link
Link to the Focal Points Report: US National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
- Systems Struggling to Address Student Health
Lack of Focus on Mental and Physical Problems Threatens Achievement, Especially in Poorer Schools, Experts Say
- The Times
- Schools told to beat mobile phone exam cheats by blocking signals
by Alexandra Frean, Education Editor
* Identity checking is also necessary
* Problem growing, professor claims
"Schools should consider using signal blocking devices to prevent pupils using mobile phone text messaging and two-way pagers to cheat in examinations, a leading expert on exam fraud said yesterday."Jean Underwood, a Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, also called for the introduction of photoidentity checks to prevent pupils getting someone else to sit their exams for them..."
Full story in The Times at link
Similar story in The Guardian
- The Guardian
- Non-believers
A new survey of headteachers finds most of them completely opposed to the government's expansion of both faith schools and academies. John Crace reports
- The Melbourne Age
- Parent group urges closer connection with teachers
by Chee Chee Leung
"Universities must spend more time showing prospective teachers how to work with parents, or risk widening the gap between school and home, a national parent group has warned."The Australian Council of State School Organisations says new teachers receive insufficient university training in relation to parents, which can affect student results. "Good relationships between schools and parents actually improve kids' academic performance and their social development," said the council's executive officer, Terry Aulich.
"Where the care of young people is split between two groups, kids end up in a way almost having a split personality — it's like kids being able to play one parent off against another."
"The council, which represents public school parents, will include the training proposal in their blueprint for public education, to be presented to education ministers early next year.
"The document is also expected to recommend that a proportion of school budgets be set aside for the professional development of parents who volunteer for school councils and parent groups.
"The Australian Education Union welcomed the idea, saying professional development for parents was necessary to help build strong relationships between school and home.
"Otherwise you have got parents who are lost in the system, or feel it's too daunting to put their hand up," said the union's state president, Mary Bluett..."
Full story in The Melbourne Age at link
- Letter to the Editor
- What we want from our leaders
"The trouble with federal Labor is that the party would lie, cheat and sell its grandmothers to gain power. The trouble with the federal Liberals is they have lied, cheated and sold their children's futures up the creek to retain their hold on power. With a handful of notable exceptions in each camp, they are all spinning like tops. So great is the lust for votes that hardly a word that is uttered by a politician can be relied on to be straightforwardly honest, open and true. They believe they can't afford it. Of course they are wrong.
"Poor old Don Chipp did make a serious attempt to "keep the bastards honest", but to no avail. Small wonder, then, that we are witnessing an upsurge in the number of small parties campaigning on morals, values and integrity. Not all the voters are stupid, and many are despairing. When we hear John Howard going on about his "values" and then we look at what he has actually been doing in the world, who would be surprised that contempt and cynicism prevail across the electorate?
"What voters will really respond to is a party that can produce a coherent set of policies that tackle the hard issues of our times, demonstrate courage and integrity in the way they face up to the difficulties that will be inherent in implementing these policies, and explain their policies intelligently themselves, rather than relying on "marketing" firms to "sell" their message to the voters.
"We have not seen such courage or such policies for many years — not in the major parties, at any rate. Rather, we have witnessed ever-increasing pork-barrelling until the average punter could well believe that "promises" are what elections are all about. By and large it seems that our much-vaunted democracy simply isn't cutting the mustard."
Lyn Kennedy, Wesburn
Complete Letters to the Editor of The Melbourne Age at link
- The Australian
- Burke's sway is exposed
by Alana Buckley-Carr
"The influence of Brian Burke among the upper echelons of Western Australia's public service came to light yesterday as a corruption investigation was shown emails highlighting the former Labor premier's knowledge of a cabinet minute."Dozens of secretly recorded telephone conversations and numerous emails revealed the extent of Mr Burke's influence among government staffers and senior public servants..."
Full story in The Australian at link
- The West Australian
- OBE maths, literature stall amid criticism (page 5)
by Bethany Hiatt
"The State Government's planned rollout of outcomes-based education has hit more problems with two courses delayed at the final stage.
"Maths and literature courses were due for final accreditation today by the Curriculum Council.
"They were part of more than 40 revised and new OBE courses that a council sub-committee considered last week for implementation in Year 11 in 2008.
"But the council's senior secondary education committee refused to pass the revised literature course and two new maths courses because they were unfinished. [emphasis added]
"The Curriculum Council has been forced to call another special meeting in two weeks, on December 19, to give course writers more time to modify the courses in line with teachers' demands.
"This additional meeting will ensure all feedback is thoroughly considered," council chief executive David Wood said yesterday.
"Many English teachers have criticised the new literature course for pushing cultural studies at the expense of literary texts such as novels, plays and poems.
"They say a course that asks students to compare poems with video games or graffiti will kill their joy in great literature.
"Teachers also claimed that students could theoretically pass a new sample literature exam by studying just one type of text.
"They deplored the introduction of a creative writing section to the exam in which students were asked to adopt the writing style of a famous author and then provide a critique of their own work.
"Maths teachers recently demanded that two new OBE maths courses be delayed from their scheduled 2008 start to 2009.
"More than 100 heads of departments from State and private schools – who saw the new courses for the first time just weeks ago – said they were uneasy with the haste in which they had been written.
"New text books would not be ready in time and they needed at least a year to align Year 10 classes to dovetail with the new Year 11 course.
"The Mathematical Association of WA wrote to Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich calling for a year's delay of the maths courses.
"Ms Ravlich has not yet responded.
"In July, the Government was forced to abandon the planned implementation of 13 OBE courses in 2007 after teachers threatened to boycott them.
"Maths teacher Greg Williams, who is also president of teachers' group People Lobbying Against Teaching Outcomes, said yesterday that the State Government would have a worse fight on its hands next year if it again failed to listen to teachers." [emphasis added]
From The West Australian
- Balga Works boss admits $140,000 funding fraud (page 9)
by Jessica Strutt
"The man in charge of running the bungled $2 million Balga Works Program at the centre of a Corruption and Crime Commission investigation has admitted making false representations to the Commonwealth to obtain $140,000 in funding.
"Michael Peter Carton, the program co-ordinator, pleaded guilty in Melbourne County Court on October 24 to three counts of false representation..."
"Balga Works management committee chairman Jon Cook refused to comment and Mr Carton and Mr Hammond [the Balga SHS principal who issued the contract] did not return calls.
"Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich will come under scrutiny this week in Parliament over the program after it was revealed she wrote a letter in March to residents worried about the amount of taxpayers' money being spent on the Balga Works Program and strongly supported the project."
Full story in The West Australian
- Teacher's passion wins top award (page 43)
by Bethany Hiatt
"An unconventional teaching style and a commitment to environmental awareness have won Baldavis Primary School teacher Judith Hill the title Teacher of the Year..."
Full story in The West Australian
- ABC News
- Boarding school push for Aboriginal children
"The Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister wants to see more Aboriginal children attend boarding school, under a plan to lift Indigenous education levels..."
Full story at ABC News Online at link
- The Australian
- Rudd calls on states to corner PM
by Matthew Franklin
"Kevin Rudd will attempt to politically wedge John Howard by proposing a radical revamp of commonwealth and state responsibilities to boost the quality of schools and public hospitals."The new Opposition Leader will build his campaign to oust the Prime Minister in next year's federal election on a pact with Labor premiers to end what he calls "the blame game" on health and education.
"He will attack Mr Howard as a malevolent opportunist lacking the vision to rationalise inter-governmental relations because he prefers to revel in state-bashing while average Australians want for decent hospitals and schools.
"Mr Rudd's move represents a bid to corner Mr Howard on commonwealth-state relations, capitalising on calls by senior Coalition ministers for greater federal control over areas such as health and education.
"Health Minister Tony Abbott and successive education ministers Brendan Nelson and Julie Bishop have advocated greater federal control..."
"Mr Rudd told the premiers his proposal would allow them to find efficiencies to dramatically lift the quality of schools, hospitals and other state responsibilities, such as disability services, while also neutering Mr Howard's often-levelled criticism of their performance..."
"Also yesterday, Labor Party sources said Mr Rudd was likely to take an uncompromising position on political correctness in the education system and had spoken of placing the concerns of parents above those of pressure groups such as teachers' unions."Mr Rudd was Mr Goss's right-hand man in 1994, when the state government angered the Queensland Teachers Union by intervening to prevent the publication of a Year 5 social studies book that proposed referring to white settlers as "invaders" and told teachers to avoid terms such as explorers, pioneers and settlement..."
Full story in The Australian at link
Editorial
Opposition back in the reform race
"Two days into the job, and Kevin Rudd has set out the broad framework through which Labor, under his command, will take the fight to the Howard Government. Still to nominate a frontbench team, the Opposition Leader has used question time to reclaim the ALP's reform credentials, take the economic challenge to the Howard Government and unveil a strategic campaign to outflank John Howard on health, education and the federation. It's early days, but Labor appears to have woken up. Mr Rudd is seeking to bring the Government to account for talking tough on national reform in health and education, but failing to deliver. While successive education ministers Brendan Nelson and Julie Bishop have been strong advocates of giving more power over education, and particularly curriculum issues, to Canberra, they have failed to tackle the problem head-on..."
Full editorial in The Australian at link
There are similar articles and editorials in many daily newspapers [link to all capital city daily newspapers ]
- Public servants helped Burke plan
by Alana Buckley-Carr
"Senior public servants, flattered and complimented by Brian Burke, provided advice to the disgraced former premier and acted under his personal instructions, a corruption investigation was told yesterday..."
Full story in The Australian at link
Related AAP story in The Melbourne Age: Public servants had 'amnesia'
- Mind game creates a new culture of learning
by Michael Davis
"It is all part of the "new culture of intelligence", teacher David Cordover says. A generation ago, it wasn't cool to be on the chess team, but now "no longer is it considered nerdy"...
Full story in The Australian at link
- Higher Education Supplement, including:
- The Times
- Review of skills calls for training shake-up
by Alexandra Frean, Education Editor
"Compulsory education or training to the age of 18 and a new right for employees to take study leave are needed to ensure that a “lost generation” of British workers can compete in the global economy, the Government was told yesterday."In his two-year review of Britain’s skills crisis, Lord Leitch called for radical change in the way that young people and adults are trained..."
Similar story in The Guardian
Full story in The Times at link
- The Independent
- Cameron: focus on core school subjects
by Richard Garner, Education Editor
"A return to the days when history and foreign languages were compulsory for all children up until the age of 16 could be on the cards if the Conservatives win the next election.
"The Tory leader David Cameron said his policy review group on education was studying the idea in the light of new figures showing GCSE performance in core academic subjects, including English, maths, science and a language, had fallen in the past decade..."
Full story in The Independent at link
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- University watchdog demands more bite
by Harriet Alexander, Higher Education Reporter
"The national university quality watchdog has called for its powers to be extended so it can recommend that courses which are not meeting high academic standards be suspended or discontinued."The Minister for Education, Julie Bishop, has given the Australian University Quality Agency in principle support to sharpen its focus on poor quality courses, but it will need final approval from state education ministers..."
Full story in The Sydney Morning Herald at link
- ABC News
- Committee finds Ravlich may have misled Parliament
"A majority finding by a Parliamentary committee in Western Australian says the Education Minister, Ljiljanna Ravlich, may have unintentionally misled Parliament about a corruption probe into her department."The department's former director-general, Paul Albert, stepped down from his position after a Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) investigation found the department had mishandled sexual misconduct allegations.
"The inquiry was set-up to examine the circumstances surrounding his departure and determine what Ms Ravlich knew about the investigation.
"Committee chairwoman Giz Watson says the majority found it is likely the Minister had an understanding of the nature of the issue, but should have been briefed more thoroughly.
"The finding is that the majority of the committee considered that it was probable the Minister had been informed verbally three times," she said.
"And that when she answered a question in Parliament where she had no knowledge, it would seem that that was inaccurate."
"However, the report also found Mr Albert should have briefed the Minister more thoroughly on the investigation, as she may not have had enough information to appreciate the seriousness of it.
"Ms Ravlich says the report backs her claims she should have been formally briefed on the investigation.
"There were many opportunities to advise me in a formal way," she said.
"If the director-general was unclear in relation to whether or not he could advise me formally, then he would have done well to phone the CCC to find out."
"But earlier today Ms Ravlich criticised the inquiry, describing it as a political exercise.
"It is an Opposition controlled committe," she said.
"No doubt this has been a political exercise as much as anything else.
"Certainly I have maintained my position that I was never told about an inquiry by the CCC into sexual misconduct."
From ABC News Online at link
- Curriculum Council
Tognolini Report - Meeting the Challenge of Assessing in a Standards Based Education System
"Please note that this copy of the Tognolini Report is a pre-release copy which has been provided for the information of teachers before the end of the school year. The final release copy will be made available in this location on the Curriculum Council website on 15 December. This draft report is now undergoing a professional editing process. The content and recommendations will not be changed in this process."
Quoted from the Tognolini Report:
This draft report has been produced by Professor Jim Tognolini, formerly of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and currently Director of Research and Assessment at Pearson Research and Assessment. It was presented to the Curriculum Council at its 6 December meeting.
The Curriculum Council has endorsed recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 and has referred recommendation 6 to an expert assessment measurement advisory group to be convened in 2007 to provide advice to Council.
Please note that this draft report is now undergoing a professional editing process and will be released as an official version on 15 December 2006. The content and recommendations will not be changed in this process.
Key Recommendations of the Andrich Report
"The key recommendation that evolved from the Andrich Report is "that for both school based and external assessments, analytical marking of the traditional kind using marking keys that arise directly out of the assessment tasks, be used for student assessment for each unit of a course, and for each course as a whole at the end of Year 12.
A related recommendation is that, simultaneously, a rating of student performance into one of eight generic levels of achievement that arises out of the outcome statements be used as part of the assessment. The former provides marks for the assessment and measurement of students at a relatively micro level suitable for feedback to students and for use in tertiary selection according to the policies of the Curriculum Council.
The latter provides ratings for classification at a relatively micro level suitable for monitoring the general progress of students and the operation of a course and is commensurate with the generic nature of the level and outcome statements. The two assessment processes, distinguished by their level of precision and relevance, are compatible and can be combined and integrated. By taking advantage of this complementarity, the Curriculum Council can genuinely advance the communication of educational achievement in Western Australia” (Andrich, 2006, page 2)
I have no hesitation in supporting this recommendation and the other recommendations in the Report. They are focused upon improving assessment in the new system and provide direction as to the professional development needs of teachers engaged in assessing students within such a system
Recommendation 3 (Curriculum Council Prescription)
It is recommended that the Curriculum Council provides a minimal level of prescription in the new system, with reference to:
1. the types of marking keys that teachers will use; and,
2. the coarseness of the unit of measurement.
Recommendation 4 (Marking Methods)
It is recommended that teachers be encouraged to use whichever method of marking that suits them in their contexts; taking account of the nature of the subject, the requirements of the Curriculum Council, and good measurement advice regarding the consequences of their decisions.
Recommendation 6 (Conversion Tables)
It is recommended that
1. the decision as to whether teachers use or do not use the conversion tables is left to the teachers; and,
2. teachers should be advised as to the advantages and disadvantages associated with using conversion tables in arriving at the level and band and, for those units that contribute to tertiary entrance, a school-based assessment to help them make their decision.
- Recommendation 7 (Consistency of Marking Methods)
It is recommended that within a school and within moderation groups within a subject the same marking method should be used for constructing school-based assessments. However there is not a need for teachers within a subject across schools to consistently use the same marking method; nor, for teachers within
- Recommendation 8 (Expert Measurement and Assessment
Advisory Group)
It is recommended that
1. Curriculum Council establish an Expert Measurement and Assessment Advisory Group (EMAAG) to provide advice on the current assessment issues facing the Council; evaluate the outcomes that are emerging from the current assessment decisions; and, oversee a research agenda that will position the Curriculum Council to identify potential issues in advance;
2. the EMAAG meet on a regular basis (e.g. once every three or four weeks for say three hours) for the first year and maybe less regularly after that period of time; and,
3. the Chief Executive Officer and the Director of Assessment and Moderation from the Curriculum Council and Professor David Andrich be members of the Group that may comprise up to six or seven permanent members.
- The West Australian
- OBE dealt another vital blow (page 5)
by Bethany Hiatt
"WA's controversial outcomes-based education system is set to be watered-down further, with the Curriculum Council expected to adopt warnings from an education expert that the scheme's method of assessing students is useless for tertiary entrance purposes.
"The council will today release a report it commissioned from education consultant Jim Tognolini, which is understood to conclude that the contentious "levels" method of assessing students' achievement is inadequate. Under OBE, teachers are required to assess students' achievement using a level from one to eight.
"Professor Tognolini is believed to have found that the conventional assessment system using percentage-based marks is a more accurate way to rank students for tertiary entrance.
"The West Australian understands the council will adopt most of Professor Tognolini's recommendations, meaning yet another key plank of OBE will virtually go by the wayside.
"An outcry from teachers, parents and education experts has already forced the council to make other substantial changes to OBE, including the addition of compulsory content and syllabuses.
"It is understood that Professor Tognolini also has recommended that the council establish an expert group to provide advice on assessment.
"The report is expected to back recommendations from another education expert, David Andrich, that schools should not use the "specialised jargon" of OBE to report student's achievements because it was too difficult for them and their parents to understand.
"Although the Andrich report was presented to the council in September last year, the council chose to largely ignore his advice that teachers must use traditional numerical marking systems based on percentages when ranking students for university.
"State School Teachers Union president Mike Keely said the Tognolini findings could have wider ramifications for assessment of lower secondary and primary school students.
"He said the report would provide welcome news for many teachers because it gave them more flexibility to use the type of assessment that suited their subject. But it was unlikely to herald the total demise of levels.
"The Tognolini report doesn't go to that detail, it simply says the level of prescription which applied previously was not educationally sound, and from the point of view of teachers, not practically sound," he said.
"In some cases I think that levels will still be things that teachers use in Years 11 and 12 to look at student achievement," he said. "In other cases I think they will be hardly considered. That will vary a great deal according to the particular learning area."
"A recent survey of union members showed that most teachers who responded did not want to use levels to assess students."
From The West Australian
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Catch them early and save buckets
by Adele Horin
"The economic case for more investment in the preschool years has strengthened, with the first Australian data to indicate potential massive savings from early intervention programs."An enriched literacy program for four-year-olds in preschool is $20,500 cheaper per child to run than school-based reading recovery programs, research shows.
"As well, it costs $140 per child to run an intensive social skills program to improve behaviour of four-year-olds compared to $20,000 to send a school-aged child with severe behaviour problems to a special school.
"The Prime Minister, John Howard, will today launch a report by Mission Australia and Griffith University that details the results of a groundbreaking program that offers help for disadvantaged parents as well as a suite of options for their four-year-olds. The results showed a 25 per cent fall in children diagnosed with serious behaviour problems after a year in the program..."
"US research has shown that for every dollar invested in intensive and targeted programs for preschool children there was an eventual return to society of more than $17 in reduced expenditure on welfare, remedial education and criminal justice. But similar Australian data has been lacking due to a paucity of long-established programs, and a failure to rigorously evaluate the ones that exist..."
Full story in The Sydney Morning Herald at link
Similar story in The West Australian [page 9: not available online]
- The Australian
- Burke blackmailed me: MP
by Alana Buckley-Carr
"Brian Burke blackmailed a West Australian MP by threatening her chances of preselection if she didn't advance the interests of his clients, a corruption probe was told yesterday.
"As the explosive four-week Corruption and Crime Commission hearing wrapped up, Labor MLC Adele Farina accused the disgraced former premier of bullying and intimidatory tactics..."
"[Adele Farina] eventually relented to the pressure to withdraw that was put on her by Mr Burke and factional colleagues including Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich and federal senator Glenn Sterle, who began his term after the ballot..." [emphasis added]
Full story in The Australian at link
- Kingmaker's days of influence are over
"If a final stake had to be hammered through the heart of former ALP colossus Brian Burke, it happened yesterday."
Similar story in The West Australian [plus Op Ed piece on page 19 of The West]
- The Times
- The Guardian
- The Sydney Daily Telegraph
- Strategy to keep kids at school
by Bruce McDougall
"Student retention rates have plummeted to as low as 58 per cent in "crisis" areas, forcing schools to set targets aimed at boosting the numbers staying on to Year 12."The NSW retention rate remains well below the national average, despite an improvement over the past six years, data obtained by The Daily Telegraph shows..."
"Now the Iemma Government plans to raise the compulsory leaving age to 16 or completion of Year 10, whichever comes first..."
"A government strategy to tackle the retention problem involves:Creation of virtual classrooms enabling students to access a broader range of subjects
Giving gifted students access to advanced courses in areas like Maths and English on-line
A taste of TAFE program so students can explore career options
A think tank on increasing retention for maths and science
"Ten new trade schools are expected to increase opportunities for students to start an apprenticeship while still at school and speed up their entry into the workforce."
Full story in The Sydney Daily Telegraph at link
- The Melbourne Herald Sun
- Letter to the Editor
- Brainwashing nonsense
"When Cotter Gray slanders the teaching profession by saying that the 18-year-old vote “is overwhelmingly Labor because of brainwashing at school” (Labor saved by kids, migrants, 4/12), he doesn't provide any evidence – probably because there isn't any."I have taught with hundreds of teachers over 33 years, and I have never seen an example of a teacher brainwashing students to vote Labor. Teachers are dedicated professionals who take their responsibilities seriously.
"They do not deserve the constant fact-free sniping they get from those who are undermining education."
Chris Curtis
- The Canberra Times
- ABC News
- WA Education Minister to keep job (1:00 pm)
"Western Australian Premier Alan Carpenter says he will not sack his Education Minister, despite a parliamentary committee finding she misled the Upper House about a corruption probe into her Department.
"The Department's former director-general, Paul Albert, stepped down after a Corruption and Crime Commission investigation found the Education Department had mishandled sexual misconduct allegations.
"The inquiry was set up to examine the circumstances surrounding his departure and to find out how much Ms Ravlich knew about the investigation.
"A majority of the committee's members, including chairwoman Giz Watson, found the Minister had some understanding of the nature of the issue but should have been briefed more thoroughly.
"Mr Carpenter says he thinks the matter is now closed.
"There is still obviously - and they acknowledge this, and Giz Watson has acknowledged this - there is still considerable doubt about how many times the matter was referred to," he said.
"But there is absolutely no doubt in anyone's minds that the Minister at no stage was provided with a briefing on this issue."
From ABC News Online at link
- The West Australian
- OBE too crude, says damning report (page 15)
by Bethany Hiatt
"Teachers claim that a new report into outcomes-based education assessment could eventually sound the death knell for the system.
"The Curriculum Council yesterday released the report Meeting the Challenge of Assessing in a Standards-based system by education consultant Jim Tognolini which found that assessing students using OBE "levels" was to crude for tertiary selection.
"Lower school teachers say the same logic should be applied to assessing children in Years 8, 9 and 10, which could lead to less reliance of levels as a reporting tool.
"A State school head of maths said it would report to parents of lower school students in percentages and levels one to eight because marks gave students more incentive to strive. Under OBE, most of the class could get the same level. Some pupils could sit on one level for two years. Teachers had to assess each piece of work against several wordy outcome statements, a time-consuming and often inaccurate process.
"Other teachers said levels were too vague to understand.
"Professor Tognolini said a traditional percentage system was more accurate when ranking students for tertiary entrance, though teachers should still be given the option to level students' work.
"But it would be their responsibility to ensure they differentiated student performances sufficiently for university entrance purposes.
"People Lobbying Against Teaching Outcomes co-founder Marko Vojkovic said the report vindicated the stance it took two years ago.
"Curriculum Council chief executive David Wood said the report allowed for teachers to use different reporting methods but it very clearly affirmed the outcomes and standards base that underpinned upper school reforms, which were consistent with the direction taken by other States."
From The West Australian
- Once again, Ravlich proves the adage: Better to remain silent and let people assume that you are a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt...
Shirty Shultz shows she needs instruction on CCC: Inside Cover (page 2)
"For a politician whose name has been frequently linked to the Corruption and Crime Commission in recent weeks, Education Minister Ljiljanna "Schultz" Ravlich yesterday appeared acutely unaware of its powers.
"She's obviously angry about, well, a lot of things but yesterday it was The West's reports on the bungled $2 million Balga Works Program by journalist Jessica Strutt.
"It's interesting to see Ms Strutt sitting up there again (in the press gallery) and I wonder whether you (the Opposition) actually ask the questions and get The West to write them or they know what to write and then they give you the questions but I think that that should be investigated by the CCC," Schultz told Parliament.
"I think there are some very serious questions about the involvement in the media in terms of how they go about their business as they interface with politicians and how they interface in relation to public sector agencies.
"I don't doubt the CCC will look at this and so they should because we referred it to them."
"Wishful thinking, Schultz – the CCC's own Act clearly shows that it investigates public officers, not journalists who happen to talk to them.
"But the soon-to-be-ex-Education Minister kept up her tirade.
"It won't be taken to court, I can assure you of that, it will be investigated properly by the CCC," she said. "No doubt the CCC will look at all of this, plus the question of media involvement, I hope."
"Dream on. Liberal MLC Ray Halligan, a member of the joint standing committee overseeing the CCC, did attempt to set Schultz straight. "We just heard from a Minister who has absolutely no understanding of the CCC, no understanding of the law... no understanding of the things the she should understand," he said.
"We know what sort of world Schultz would like to see – our where journalists are investigated for breaking stories that embarrass her Government."
From The West Australian
- Ravlich ‘did not tell the truth’ about CCC probe (page 4)
by Ben Spencer
"Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich has been accused by a parliamentary committee of providing inaccurate information to Parliament about her knowledge of the Corruption and Crime Commission’s investigation into the Education Department."In a report tabled yesterday, the committee found Ms Ravlich was probably told three times that the CCC was investigating the department’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations before she received the watchdog’s report on October 12.
"But the three-member select committee attacked former director-general Paul Albert for failing to formally brief Ms Ravlich on the CCC report and made no recommendation as to what Ms Ravlich should have done with the information she received.
"The committee found it was “probable” Mr Albert had told Ms Ravlich about the inquiry at a conference on July 7 and at meetings in the Minister’s office on August 2 and October 3.
"Greens MLC Giz Watson and Liberal MLC Norman Moore believed questions asked of Mr Albert by Ms Ravlich at the August 2 and October 3 meetings indicated she had “had an understanding of the nature of the issue”.
"But their findings on Ms Ravlich’s knowledge of the report were not supported by the third committee member, Labor MLC Graham Giffard, who believed too much of Mr Albert’s evidence had been either disputed by, or was inconsistent with, the evidence of other witnesses.
"Outside Parliament, Ms Watson said Ms Ravlich’s claim in Parliament on October 18 that she had no knowledge of the report was “inaccurate”. But she said it was up to the Parliament and the public to decide whether Ms Ravlich should be punished for failing to answer the question accurately.
"Ms Ravlich said she accepted the recommendations of the committee but stood by her evidence that she was first briefed on the CCC report on October 12, adding she had no recollection of being told of the inquiry at any of the three meetings referred to by the committee.
“It is not acceptable in my view that a Minister needs to follow a trail of breadcrumbs in terms of hints being dropped,” she said. “The simple fact was that there were many opportunities to advise me in a formal way.”
"The committee was particularly critical of Mr Albert, who it said should have provided Ms Ravlich with more information about the CCC inquiry and a draft report.
"It said Mr Albert should have sought clarification from either the CCC or the State Solicitor’s Office about whether he was allowed to disclose the draft CCC report to Ms Ravlich. Opposition Leader Paul Omodei said Ms Ravlich had been caught out misleading Parliament."
From The West Australian at link
- Farce shows Upper House merits axe (page 4)
Analysis by Robert Taylor
"The report by a Legislative Council committee into what Ljiljanna Ravlich did or didn't know about a CCC inquiry into sexual misconduct allegations at the Education Department might be the strongest evidence yet for abolishing the Upper House.
"After 18 witnesses, several days r sitting and who knows how much taxpayers' money, the committee basically found that ministers should be told in writing about important stuff. Two members of the Council who are not in the Labor Party, Liberal Norman Moore and the Greens Giz Watson, found the bleeding obvious – that former director-general Paul Albert probably told his Minister about the report before she was finally handed it on October 12.
"Ms Ravlich's factional colleague, Labor's Graham Giffard, surprise, surprise, reckoned there were too many different versions of events to draw that conclusion..."
"The upshot is that Ms Ravlich has dodged another bullet but there's n doubt that senior figures in the Government believe she ran out of lives well before this particular farce was acted out and should not survive Alan Carpenter's Cabinet reshuffle due next week."
Full story in The West Australian
- MPs turn on Minister over funding clash on Balga blunder (page 4)
by Jessica Strutt
"The State Government and its departments came under fire over the bungled Balga Works Program in Parliament yesterday, with the Opposition moving a motion of concern at the project's handling.
"During a heated debate about the program fiasco, now the centre of a police and Corruption and Crime Commission probe, Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich attacked the Opposition and the media [see Inside Cover story above].
"She revealed that the unauthorised deal, started with a memorandum of understanding, was worth $3 million over three years.
"Shadow education minister Peter Collier questioned why the Office of Crime Prevention had provided a grant of $40,000 to Balga Senior High School P&C to hire a co-ordinator for the set-up phase of the program between September and December 2004 given that then-education minister Alan Carpenter had expressed concerns...
"He said there was still a plethora of unanswered questions, including who had approved almost $2.1 million in funding going to Melbourne-based Hurson Pty Ltd..."
Full story in The West Australian
- The Australian
- No action against accused minister
by Amanda O'Brien, West Australian political reporter
"Embattled West Australian Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich misled parliament over her knowledge of a corruption probe involving her department."But the parliamentary inquiry that made the finding has stopped short of recommending any action against her.
"The committee of three MPs - one Labor, one Liberal and one Greens - took evidence from 21 witnesses over five days to determine what the minister knew about the long-running Corruption and Crime Commission investigation into her department's mishandling of sexual misconduct complaints against teachers.
"Ms Ravlich has been under sustained pressure for denying she knew of the investigation. Her lack of knowledge has been used to explain why she did nothing about the serious problems in her department.
"Outside parliament, committee chair Giz Watson said the majority of the committee felt it was probable the minister was informed verbally about the CCC investigation by former department head Paul Albert. She said that when Ms Ravlich told parliament she had no knowledge of the CCC investigation, "it would seem that that was inaccurate".
"But Ms Watson said no action was recommended because of mitigating factors, which included the informal way in which Mr Albert chose to brief her. "If it was a matter of such seriousness, then the CCC and her staff should have provided her with that information in writing," she said.
"Mr Albert gave evidence to the inquiry that he told the minister four times about the investigation. The majority finding that Ms Ravlich was probably told on three occasions provided partial vindication for him, but the committee also found that Mr Albert did not do enough to inform the minister properly. [emphasis added]
"It said he should have provided written reports or briefings, and should have placed the matter onMs Ravlich's contentious issues file.
"Mr Albert was forced to resign in October when the CCC released its damning report on the Education Department's failure to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct by teachers against children.
"Ms Ravlich last night said she still had no recollection of Mr Albert raising the matter with her and said she felt vindicated by the committee's report, particularly its findings on the need to properly brief ministers. "It is not acceptable in my view that a minister needs to follow a trail of breadcrumbs in terms of hints being dropped," Ms Ravlich said.
"The simple fact was that there were many opportunities to advise me in a formal way."
"Despite glaring inconsistencies in evidence of witnesses, no recommendations were made regarding the honesty of individuals or possible follow-up action.
"Ms Watson said it had been hard to make a judgment on whose evidence was accurate.
"But the committee report included a strong warning about the significant penalties, including fines and imprisonment, that were available if people were found to have been deliberately untruthful.
"Evidence from Mr Albert and his staff directly contradicted some of the evidence of Ms Ravlich and her staff, and the accounts of the minister's own staff were also at odds with each other. Parliament is unlikely to consider the committee's findings until it returns early next year." [emphasis added]
From The Australian at link
- Minister's denial unlikely: report [late website update on 7 Dec]
AAP (Adam Gartrell and Nicolas Perpitch)
"West Australian Education Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich is facing renewed demands for her resignation after a committee found it probable she was told of a corruption probe into her department."Ms Ravlich still claims she knew nothing of the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) inquiry until just four days before it released its damning final report in October.
"The report found the Department of Education and Training (DET) did not pay enough attention to managing the risks of sexual contact between teachers and students and attached more importance to employee welfare than to the safety and protection of children.
"The CCC report claimed the scalp of DET director-general Paul Albert, who accepted a "management initiated retirement" less than 12 hours after its release.
"Mr Albert subsequently told the parliamentary committee which released its findings today that he had told Ms Ravlich at least three times – in July, August and early October – about the CCC probe.
"Two members of the three-person upper house committee today said they were convinced Mr Albert was telling the truth.
"The majority of the committee finds that it is probable that Mr Albert ... verbally advised the minister of the CCC inquiry and subsequent draft CCC report on at least three separate occasions," the committee's report read.
"Greens MP Giz Watson and Liberal MP Norman Moore also found that questions Ms Ravlich asked on two of those occasions indicated she had an "understanding of the nature of the issue".
"But Labor committee member Graham Giffard dissented, saying too much of Mr Albert's evidence was either disputed or inconsistent.
"The three members did agree that Mr Albert should have briefed Ms Ravlich more thoroughly and formally.
"(Mr Albert) should have provided written rep
