Monday 28 April

Tuesday 29 April

Wednesday 30 April

Thursday 1 May

Friday 2 May

Saturday – Sunday, 3 – 4 May

Lame Excuse of the Year Award "You can't prevent other people sending emails to your own account," Mr Ripper said yesterday. "Hundreds of thousands of Australians are, every day, victims of unwanted emails." [describing Mark McGowan's very detailed emails from Brian Burke, sent via McGowan's wife email account] from The Australian, 28 April 2008

Monday 28 April

• The Washington Post
  
  
  • Searching for Science to Guide Good Teaching
    by Maria Glod
    
    "The Bush administration's chief of education research says teachers too often rely on "folk wisdom" instead of proven methods to help students learn reading and math. Just as doctors consider data from drug trials and clinical research when they treat patients, he wants educators to think more scientifically in their quest for the right textbooks, technology, teacher training and lesson plans to raise student achievement.

    "The Education Department's push to elevate the role of rigorous research in public education could become one of the most important legacies of the No Child Left Behind era for schools in the Washington area and nationwide. The point man in this effort is a former psychology and pediatrics professor named Grover J. "Russ" Whitehurst.

    "Whitehurst, who in late 2002 became the founding director of the department's Institute of Education Sciences, has discovered that his vision for the role of research sometimes conflicts with the turbulent forces of politics, policy and public opinion.

    "Consider the institute's recent attempt to study Upward Bound, a federal program that helps teenagers from low-income backgrounds and those who would be the first in their families to pursue college. The proposal called for recruiting double the number of students that Upward Bound is able to serve. Half would participate in the program, and half would become a control group. Researchers would track the progress of both groups.

    "Scientifically, it was sound. Politically, it was a non-starter.

    "Critics said it was unethical to introduce at-risk kids to Upward Bound's opportunities if officials knew they couldn't participate. At a February hearing on Capitol Hill, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) called the evaluation design "discriminatory."

    "After lawmakers proposed legislation to halt the study, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings agreed to scrap it.

    "Whitehurst called the congressional intervention a "terrific mistake" that could affect future research. But he also took some blame, calling it a "case study in how the federal government should not go about evaluation."

    "We took on a program that was highly popular and was going to continue to be funded regardless of what kind of evaluation is done on it," Whitehurst said in a February speech to education experts at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank. "If we find that the program works, what will happen? The program will continue. If we find that the program does not work, what will happen? The program will continue, except we will have spat into the wind, and the wind will blow that back in our face."

    "The No Child Left Behind law requires reading and math tests for all public school students from grades 3 through 8 and once in high school, with a goal of universal proficiency in those subjects by 2014. The law has sparked calls for better tools to help teachers and has given researchers mountains of new test score data to analyze. Demand for more research is high. In March, a presidential National Mathematics Advisory Panel lamented that there is "no research or insufficient research relating to a great many matters of concern in educational policy and practice."

    "Not all researchers agree with Whitehurst's preference for randomized trials over other methods, but many academics say he has brought needed scrutiny to a field in which glossy reports often masquerade as solid education research..."
    
    "The institute's What Works Clearinghouse acts as a Consumer Reports of education products, vetting studies to help schools decide which programs are worth investment. In one case, it found a reading program that bills itself as a "universal literacy system" had done some good but had a "potentially negative" effect on comprehension.

    "With a $575 million annual budget, the institute funds studies at major universities on reading, math, teacher incentive programs and other topics. Whitehurst said a major insight has emerged from such studies: The success of students depends more on who teaches them than on nearly any other factor. Teacher quality trumps curriculum and education funding. With a good teacher, children from poor families overcome the odds.

    "You can take all of these risk factors and have the child in a class of a highly effective teacher, and it makes a world of difference," Whitehurst said. "People are surprised by how powerful it is."

    "What makes a teacher good?

    "We don't know," Whitehurst said. That's the next question for research..."
    
    Full story in The Washington Post at link

     

  • When Young Teachers Go Wild on the Web
    
    Public Profiles Raise Questions of Propriety and Privacy
    
    But the crudeness of some Facebook or MySpace teacher profiles, which are far, far away from sanitized Web sites ending in ".edu," prompts questions emblematic of our times: Do the risque pages matter if teacher performance is not hindered and if students, parents and school officials don't see them? At what point are these young teachers judged by the standards for public officials?
    
    
    
    
• The Sydney Morning Herald
  
  
  • Unlikely allies in the fight for public education
    
    NSW Nationals and the teachers union see eye to eye on many policies, Anna Patty writes.
    
    "An unlikely alliance has formed between the NSW Coalition and the teachers' union, with the leader of the Nationals, Andrew Stoner, calling for a rescue package for public education.

    "Mr Stoner is a former public school student and has come out in support of the NSW Teachers Federation campaign to maintain the teacher transfer system.

    "The changes will allow principals to hire their own staff, which the union fears will dismantle the teacher transfer system and the incentive to work in remote areas and hard-to-staff schools.

    "Mr Stoner has also rejected the Howard government's proposal on performance pay for teachers, which would reward teachers on the basis of student results.

    "The performance-based pay I reject because you cannot compare academic outcomes from Walgett with academic outcomes on the North Shore. Merit-based pay with a high emphasis on professional development and linking pay to progression and supporting professional development, I'm happy to talk about." [emphasis added]

    "Mr Stoner, the NSW Coalition spokesman on education, said he wanted a rescue package for public schools because they served a high proportion of Nationals voters.

    "In his electorate of Oxley there are 37 government schools and 11 non-government schools. In Murray-Darling there are 61 public and 13 private schools.

    "We are absolutely agreed on the need for public education, not just to survive but thrive," he said. "All of my team are champions of public schools because they are overwhelmingly our schools, and we are aware of the high quality of teachers and the poor quality of infrastructure. If we don't have a good public school system we are dudding ourself as a nation in terms of our human capital. It is also leading to social unrest, because the gap is widening between the haves and the have nots.

    "The one thing that gives everybody a really good shot in life is a really robust public education system, so it's worth fighting for."

    "Mr Stoner said there had been a shift in NSW politics, with the Labor Government "lurching to the right". "The Nationals are getting a little greener and more socially moderate at the same time," he said. "We are hearing it from all sorts of unions that the Labor Government doesn't represent them any more."

    "The president of the NSW Teachers Federation, Maree O'Halloran, said she recently met Nationals members to discuss the Government's changes to teacher staffing arrangements.

    "The federation is not affiliated to any political party, but it is a great disappointment to us that having fought a campaign against Work Choices, which was a Coalition policy, we now have a state Labor Government completely happy with walking away from an industrial agreement on staffing.

    "The Nationals have been very strong on the issue of the need to increase funding for ongoing school maintenance and infrastructure, and we have the same policies in that area."

    "The federation opposes Nationals policies on industrial relations and private school funding. It has also criticised Mr Stoner's attacks on the State Government's underfunding of school maintenance, saying this has had a negative impact on teachers.

    "The president of the Federation of Parents and Citizen's Associations of NSW, Dianne Giblin, said: "It is a shame that it has taken for him to come into opposition to form alliances to support what should be the top priority of all governments."

    From The Sydney Morning Herald at link
    
    
    
    
• The West Australian
  
  
  • Letter to the Editor (page 23)
    
    
    • Easy solution

      "I had to read the sentence three times to make sure of what I was reading. Education Minister Mark McGowan used the forecast (of a teacher shortage) to attack a push by State schoolteachers for better conditions, saying it would only exacerbate the problem (Teacher shortage may hit 2000, 25/4).

      "Surely he or his advisers must be aware that the poor conditions are the reasons for the teacher shortage. Mr McGowan said he had tried 17 initiatives over 18 months.

      "I can suggest two that his advisers obviously haven't thought of. Give all teachers a pay rise of at least 20 per cent. Ease the workload so teachers can have some more quality time with their families."

      Patrick F. Whalen, Yokine
      

      
      
      
• The Daily Mail
  
  
  • Op Ed
    Our do-it-all teachers deserve every penny (26 April)
    by Suzanne Moore
    
    "Was I inconvenienced by the schools shutting last week? Obviously. Did I think the teachers had a point? Most definitely.
    

    "If teachers were paid only to teach, perhaps we could continue not to give them any more.

    "But teachers now have to provide sex education, policing, teach children who cannot speak English and socialise children who have never sat at a table to eat.

    "They are expected to impart not only knowledge, but morals, values and social skills – in other words, to fill all the missing gaps of modern-day parenting.

    "For this, they may be abused by both pupils and their parents. They have also had to adapt to every new Government initiative about exams and testing.

    "If this Government believes in education, it has to believe in teachers. Indeed, it has to reward the public sector instead of expecting its workers to survive on what many business people claim for expenses.

    "The devaluing of civil society, of public life itself, is intimately bound up with how we treat those who choose to work for the public good.

    "If a Labour Government does not recognise that, then who will?"

    From The Daily Mail at link [scroll down to the second section unless you also want to read If smoking in a pub is wrong, why isn't sex?]
    
    
    
    
• ABC News
  
  
  • Teachers begin strike three
    
    "The Education Union will recommending its members reject the Territory Government's latest offer on pay and conditions at today's stop work meeting.

    "Despite eight months of negotiations, teachers and the Government remain at loggerheads, unable to find a compromise between the 11 per cent on offer and the 15 per cent being sought. The Government is also offering remote allowances and to back-pay any pay rise to last September, but the union says there needs to be more incentives to attract and retain teachers.

    "Today's four-hour strike is the third in four weeks, but the union's president Nadine Williams says parents should not be disillusioned by the recurring strike action.

    "I'm saying to the whole community of the Northern Territory, which includes a lot of parents who have been incredibly supportive of the teacher's actions to date, please hang in and try to continue to lobby your member of Parliament as to why teachers in classrooms who teach your children actually need more support.

    "We have the worst results in the whole of Australia for student outcomes, particularly for our regional and remote students.

    "Things are worse now than they were in 2000. They are worse, much worse, than they were in 1995 even."

    "The union says a letter has been sent home to all parents advising them about the level of supervision available at their school.

    "The Chief Minister has expressed disappointment at today's strike action, but the Opposition says the Government's pay offer will not even keep pace with inflation.

    "The Government is expected to discuss the pay offer again before the budget is handed down."

    From ABC News at link
    
    
    
  • McGowan treading fine line: political analyst
    
    "A political analyst says senior Labor MP Mark McGowan is treading a fine line by claiming he did not breach an order banning ministers and their staff from having contact with the lobbyist Brian Burke.

    "The opposition has called for the Education Minister to be sacked after a link to Mr Burke was exposed in emails between the pair..."
    
    Full story at ABC News at link

    
    
    
• The Adelaide Advertiser
  
  
  • Pay bonus for country teachers
    by Lucy Hood
    
    "Teachers will be offered more money to teach subjects such as science and maths in country schools under a plan to attract and retain staff in rural areas.

    "The incentives, part of the State Government's enterprise bargaining agreement offered to public school teachers, would be in addition to up to $7000 provided to staff in the first five years of employment at a country school.

    "It would also be extra to a one-off payment of between $350 and $680 provided to new permanent staff at rural and remote schools.

    "Industrial Relations Minister Michael Wright said "teachers in hard-to-staff areas (subjects) and locations will be provided with extra financial assistance depending on the circumstances".

    "The proposal does not specify which subjects will be targeted but it is known that maths and science are among the most difficult areas to staff.

    "Exact details of the plan are yet to be finalised but the Australian Education Union has already branded it "educational apartheid".

    "Union SA branch president Correna Haythorpe said an "across the board" approach to the attraction and retention of teachers was needed.

    "We don't want a system of educational apartheid where (some) teachers get favourable treatment over others . . . whose (subjects) don't lie in those hard to staff areas," she said. "Instead of filling gaps, we want a strategy which addresses the overall shortfall and doesn't create (division)."

    "The union will meet today to formally consider the enterprise agreement, which has previously been described as "disgusting" and "unacceptable".

    "The union demanded a 21 per cent pay rise over three years but was instead offered 9.75 per cent over the same period. Their calls for six months paid maternity leave and a drastic reduction in class sizes were also ignored.

    "Ms Haythorpe said it was likely the offer would be rejected and that statewide rallies would be held next month to protest for better pay and working conditions.

    "Mr Wright said the Government would continue discussions with the union. "Discussions are continuing between the Government and the union to further address . . . these issues," he said."

    From The Adelaide Advertiser at link
    
    
    
    
• The Age
  
  
  • The Monday Education Section has been updated and has 11 articles today, including these four:
    
    
    • The parent trap
      by Elisabeth Tarica
      

      "Nothing in her 38 years as a teacher, most of it at "difficult" schools, prepared Toni Sharkey for that moment: not her long experience of making peace with troublesome students, not her skill at persuading quarrelsome parents to see reason.

      "Sitting in her office as principal of Newcomb Secondary College in Geelong, she was faced with a student's mother known for her short fuse and angry rants. In the past Ms Sharkey had been able to calm her. Not this time.

      "After screaming and carrying on at me, she grabbed me by the top of the arm and around my neck with the other hand and threw me on the ground," she recalls of that moment in 2006. "I didn't know what was happening,"

      "It was thanks to the intervention of an assistant principal, who, from his office, had heard the swearing and abuse escalate, that the physical damage was limited to severe bruising and a neck injury.

      "What had Ms Sharkey done to deserve such an attack? She had suspended the woman's son after he arrived at school one day with baseball bats and two other boys, neither of them a student at the school, looking to settle a score with another student.

      "The assault brought Ms Sharkey's years of hard work to an abrupt end, the physical injuries paling against the mental and emotional impact. She hasn't worked since the incident, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and is unlikely to return to work.

      "I find that unbelievably challenging," she says. "I have never thought about retiring or resigning from teaching."

      "While Ms Sharkey's case is an extreme example of how quickly and badly things can go wrong with the parent-teacher relationship, it isn't unique. Many teachers and principals have been attacked, bullied or stalked by parents - and probably all in the profession come to experience that other beast, the relentlessly intrusive mum or dad.

      "While new teachers enter the classroom ready to deal with a range of difficult students, teachers' colleges seldom prepare them for overbearing, aggressive, overprotective and know-all parents - those who decide their child's failure to flourish is due entirely to some failing of the teacher; or believe the teacher has taken a set against their progeny; or hold that their child should be exempt from the usual sanctions and rules of school life.

      "Parents, in short, who fail to recognise the line between healthy engagement with teachers and something more disturbing.

      "Teachers' unions say the increasingly violent nature of attacks is forcing educators to take time off to deal with stress. Some have resorted to intervention orders. Some young teachers simply abandon the profession.

      "It is now common for badly behaved parents to storm into classrooms to confront teachers or to roam school grounds looking for retribution for perceived wrongs, says Brian Burgess, president of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals.

      "Physical attacks have included headbutting, punching, slapping and menacing with machetes. Death threats are common. The association is pushing for new laws to protect teachers from such attacks.

      "Mr Burgess points to NSW, where the government has introduced legislation that allows for jail for those who use threatening or abusive language at schools..."

      Full story in The Age at link
      
      
      

    • Op Ed
      A pathway to literacy
      by Wendy Baarda
      

      "Government needs to invest heavily in teachers, teacher training and infrastructure if there is to be a rise in literacy levels of Aboriginal children in remote communities. More importantly, whole communities need to be supported to become literate in the context of cultural and community development for any real change to occur.

      "After 30 years living and teaching at Yuendumu - a remote community about 300 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs that speaks Warlpiri as its first language - I have watched literacy attainment levels slowly declining over the past decade. I believe there are two main reasons for this. One is the reduction and neglect of our bilingual or Two-Way program, a key to community involvement and pride in schools at Yuendumu and other bush schools.

      "The other factor has been the difficulty in attracting school principals of sufficient calibre and experience to be able to navigate complex relationships between two vastly different cultures and to develop innovative, community-based solutions.

      "There has been a steady loss of positions for Warlpiri staff since the early '90s. Fifteen years ago our Two-Way program was thriving. We had 10 Warlpiri and 10 mainstream staff members, including a mentor and a teacher linguist to support Warlpiri staff.

      "Now we have only one trained Warlpiri teacher and four Warlpiri assistant teachers with seven mainstream teachers. With fewer Warlpiri staff in the school there are fewer families represented and therefore a declining interest in the school and fewer children made to attend. Attendance has declined over the past decade, a symptom of a malaise within the community itself.

      "The Aboriginal schools whose Two-Way programs were discontinued have not since lifted literacy standards. Across all remote indigenous schools, whether English-only or Two-Way, the standard of spoken and written English is very low.

      "I am convinced this is due to the failure to engage communities in education and learning; a lack of employment opportunities for indigenous staff; and a lack of basic learning supports such as are routinely provided for indigenous students in towns as well as for migrant children.

      "One way to make a difference quickly would be to provide more teachers so that children can learn in small groups of 5 or 6, rather than 20 as is the case at Yuendumu at present.

      "But putting more white people into Yuendumu school might also risk overwhelming the Two-Way program that is the one good thing we still have going for us. Despite the small numbers of Warlpiri staff, the program continues to offer children initial learning in their own language and a school environment that they can identify with.

      "An influx of white teachers without new local staff might send Warlpiri teachers the message that they are redundant, that they have failed. In fact local staff have done and continue to do a wonderful job under difficult circumstances, receive little support and a have a continuing battle to retain some input into school decision-making.

      "They are the perfect role models for Warlpiri children, who know they will never be like a white teacher but they could be like a Warlpiri teacher.

      "However, teacher assistants can never have the same status as teachers. It is important for Warlpiri children to see their own people in charge in the classroom. Warlpiri are a proud people. Children have a strong sense of identity and healthy self-esteem. They are well equipped to take on whatever training and learning they need to pursue if and when opportunities are given to them.

      "The quality of leadership offered by school principals is another vital ingredient. Yuendumu has found it difficult to attract appropriate principals, although the current principal has made some important changes and attendance has improved as a result. But the challenge of making the school into an education centre for the whole community also relies on having community leaders who are committed to education and confident in both cultures and both languages.

      "Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments should look to utilising the millions of unspent education dollars that are notionally saved as a result of the high drop-out rate of indigenous students from remote area schools and town schools, and the small amount of secondary education that is being provided for that cohort as a consequence.

      "More local people need to receive proper training as teachers and teacher assistants so they can become decision-makers in the school and leaders and the community. The knowledge of Warlpiri language and culture that these teachers bring to the classroom is a priceless resource. More Warlpiri culture in the curriculum and more community involvement in the school would result in better attendance and more learning.

      "Strategies to lift literacy in bush schools should therefore be addressed in concert with strategies to involve and empower whole communities with basic education, language and work skills that the communities desperately need.

      "Boarding schools may be the answer for some, but why should Aboriginal children need to be sent far away to boarding schools to become literate, when much more could be done to improve education and build strong communities at home?

      Wendy Baarda lives at Yuendumu in the Northern Territory. She recently retired from her position as teacher and teacher linguist at the Yuendumu Community School.

      From The Age at link
      
      
      

    • Op Ed
      A vision from the past
      by Brian Caldwell
      

      "Now that the dust has settled, what can schools expect from the Australia 2020 Summit? I did not apply to attend but was pleased to receive an invitation, given my interest in the transformation of schools.

      "I had previously questioned whether Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his deputy, Julia Gillard, understood the significance of an "education revolution", which got off to a modest start with the promise of computer access for all secondary students. Smart schools began this switch more than a decade ago.

      "I was placed in the productivity stream that was given the task of forming "big ideas" on education, skills, training, science and innovation. I have been concerned for some time that there are weak linkages between education, economy and society, and the productivity stream provided an opportunity to make proposals to achieve an alignment.

      "So how did the process and the outcomes stack up against expectations for an education revolution? On the positive side, the "big ideas" are both coherent and comprehensive. It was a rare opportunity for people from education, business and a range of community-based organisations to share their ideas.

      "On the negative side, I cannot identify a single significant idea that has not been canvassed in the past decade, including those put forward by the prime minister, premiers and ministers.

      "Ms Gillard's proposal for partnerships between the top 100 companies and secondary schools is a re-statement of a more expansive proposal by her predecessor, Julie Bishop. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's call for a national curriculum has already been embraced. The same proposal by Ms Bishop had been rejected by most of her state counterparts.

      "Mr Rudd's proposal for one-stop early learning support is consistent with the long-standing call for a "full-service" approach.

      "There was endorsement of the existing consensus on attracting the best people to the profession, and a renewed call to improve science and maths education by connecting scientists to teachers.

      "Mr Rudd joined our discussions at the moment I was highlighting Finland's success in ensuring that every child who falls behind is given immediate expert support to catch up quickly. It is a strategy that should be adopted here to ensure that the gap between high and low-performing students is as narrow as it is in Finland.

      "I was impressed with the Prime Minister's immediate grasp of the issues and his understanding of the magnitude of Finland's transformation. As a diplomat in Sweden in the early 1980s, he had visited Finland and observed the former parlous state of its schools. He was well aware of the commitment that country later made to early learning and to building the intellectual capital of the profession."
      

      From The Age at link
      
      
      

    • Testing times for principals
      by Caroline Milburn
      
      "A rising wave of national literacy and numeracy tests will be meaningless if schools don't get help to interpret the student data, say leading educators.

      "This year, for the first time, all students nationwide in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will sit a national literacy and numeracy test. It is part of a government push to lift student achievement and make schools more accountable for their results.

      "But William Louden, a literacy expert and dean of the University of Western Australia's education faculty, says the publication of more national benchmark scores does not mean that all schools will know how to analyse the test data and use it to improve classrooms.

      "There is a ritualised use of data going on - schools will stick a graph or put colour tables in their annual report," Professor Louden says. "Publishing the data is one thing, making sense out of it is another.

      "There's lots of talk about evidence-based decision making but you have to have the skills to do that. We've found that some principals are really good at evaluating data and others have never studied statistics or probability."

      "He established a program for the WA education department to help principals analyse and use national test results. The Data Club professional development program grew out of a research project and involved 77% of WA primary schools.

      "A review of the project found most principals were not using national test results before they joined Data Club because they did not know what the statistics meant or how to apply them in their schools. When asked to produce previous annual data from national tests, almost all schools could not find it and had to pay to get a replacement copy of their results from the testing agency.

      "The review found that:

      • Schools want reliable help from independent experts;
      • The project enabled schools to make fair, accurate and defensible judgements about student and school performance;
      • It made principals take the time to think carefully about the test data and gave them a way to track student cohorts over time.

      "All the anxiety around the publication of school data is about people thinking they will be unfairly judged - that's why there is interest from principals in having a dispassionate person talk them through it and develop their skills," says Professor Louden. "The key reason why the workshops with principals were a success was because we worked for universities: we were not supervising them or drawing judgements about them. If the same activity had been undertaken by their regional office, principals would have clammed up."

      "More than 80% of WA's primary schools now use Data Club. It was considered so successful that the Howard government published a booklet to encourage states and territories to adopt it but it is unclear to what extent they did.

      "Geoff Masters, chief executive of the Australian Council for Educational Research, says the Data Club and new software developed by the NSW education department to help teachers dissect national test results - as well as analysis tools developed by ACER - showed progress was being made.

      "There is a real need in schools for higher levels of skill to interpret test data," Dr Masters says. "There's also a general recognition among senior staff in state education departments that if all of this national testing is to occur we need to make sure that it's put to the best use for children - to raise performance and close the gaps between groups of students."

      "More than a million students will sit the tests. They will occur against a political backdrop in which the Rudd Government has promised to tighten school accountability and introduce a national action plan on literacy and numeracy. It has also promised a national school curriculum in maths, science, English and history by next year.

      "Andrew Blair, president of the Australian Secondary Principals Association, says schools are getting better at analysing the national test score data but principals are wary about what the Federal Government will do with it.

      "The Rudd Government has talked about the publication of school results and one of the obvious things to report on is how kids perform on national tests," Mr Blair says. "If their intention is to put a blowtorch to schools to improve their performance by publishing league tables, the international evidence suggests that league tables are an inhibitor of improved educational performance."

      School talk

      "Reasons principals gave for joining the Data Club and improving their understanding of national test data:

      "There was a lot of opposition in the school - a feeling that the tests were not a true reflection of the students - so I needed to understand it. This kind of accountability isn't going to go away.

      "It provided better stats than we could produce ourselves.

      "We need to be able to talk to the district directors about the school data, so I had to learn how to do that.

      "Every school works in isolation - what we think is super-duper may not be that at all."

      Source: Developing Schools Capacity to Make Performance Judgements, Edith Cowan University and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

      From The Age at link
      
      
      

  • Op Ed
    Learning a language is not just words
    
    It is in Australia's best interest to look beyond speaking only English.
    
    Learning a language is not like buying a commodity as one would a set of tools. It is not like using a simple filter device as some hopefuls use "language calculators" and software to swap words between languages in a detached scramble for meaning. Languages demand involvement by the whole personality, both for passive comprehension and active expression. And they need humility too, as the innocent child opens its eyes to its own ignorance. Language skill is another of our internal learning processes, essential for strengthening our minds along the path to maturity, looking beyond the surface gloss of tourist brochures.
    
    
    
  • Bishops hope to cast a wide net with cyberspace warning
    
    For children, using the internet can be like visiting the best theme park and stumbling across a toxic waste dump. It's a world of possibilities, but also hidden dangers, according to Australia's Catholic bishops.
    
    
    
    
• The Australian
  
  
  • MP email link to Burke
    by Alana Buckley-Carr and Ryan Emery
    
    "Another West Australian government minister was under pressure to resign last night after secret emails with disgraced lobbyist Brian Burke were revealed.

    "Documents showed that state Education Minister Mark McGowan, widely touted as a rising star of the Labor Party, used wife Sarah's email address to communicate with Mr Burke about a fundraising dinner in 2005. At the time, Mr McGowan was parliamentary secretary to then-premier Geoff Gallop..."
    
    "You can't prevent other people sending emails to your own account," Mr Ripper said yesterday. "Hundreds of thousands of Australians are, every day, victims of unwanted emails." ... [So it was just an unwanted "junk email"??? Pretty damned specific! I have heard some lame excuses in my time, but that's right at the top of the list!  Web]
    
    Full story in The Australian at link
    
    
    

• The Daily Mail
  
  
  • Boys 'achieve better results in classrooms free of girls' (27 April)
    by Julie Moult
    
    "Boys do better in single-sex classes, according to an authoritative report.

    "They were found to achieve significantly higher test results at primary level without the distraction of girls.

    "The study of English lessons in every state school in the country showed that boys' performance fell as the proportion of girl pupils rose.

    "Researchers at Bristol University suggested this was because mixed lessons allowed boys to hide in the background while girls took the initiative and participated more.

    "The findings go against previous studies showing that boys do better in mixed classes because of the civilising affect of female peers.

    "Steven Proud, who led the Bristol team, said their results implied that boys of all ages would benefit from studying with as few girls as possible present in the same class.

    "He added: "The more girls there are, the less they need to work. That is one supposition.

    "Since girls perform considerably better in English, if there are more girls in the class, they are more likely to volunteer answers, so boys can hide in the background and it still appears the class is doing well.

    "The other possibility is that there is some link between the sex of the teacher and how they focus their teaching.

    "If a female teacher is teaching a lot of female pupils, they could focus their teaching toward girls and that could negatively affect the boys."

    "He argued that girls tended to be ahead of boys in English and so were more likely to answer questions, raise their hands and behave confidently in lessons.

    "Mick Brookes, general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, said that where boys are outnumbered in class they can "feel swamped by high-attaining girls".

    "English is seen as a girly thing to do but that is wrong," he added.

    "What schools have to do is look at the subject matter in English and if it appears to have a feminine bias, then they need to look at that and see how it can be changed."

    "Parents have called for teachers to be trained in dealing with classes where there are gender imbalances.

    "Margaret Morrissey, of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said:

    "I suspect that when there are fewer boys they are not going to feel as confident to put their hands up and are worried they will look silly if they get it wrong."

    From The Daily Mail at link

Tuesday 29 April

• The West Australian
  
  
  • Letters to the Editor (page 22)
    
    
    • Bring on the report

      "There can be only three reasons Education Minister Mark McGowan and his minions at the WA Department of Education and Training (DET) are keeping under wraps the Twomey report into the teacher shortage in WA (Teachers angry as McGowan hides report, 26/4).

      "The first is that any report into this problem will surely bring into embarrassingly sharp relief the abject failure of the DET supremos, past and present, to address this issue when they have been aware of its impending arrival for more than 10 years.

      "The second reason will be that the report no doubt will highlight the DET's appalling leadership in relation to strategic human resource management, in particular the recruitment and retention of teachers.

      "This is a department that has routinely and notoriously taken its teachers for granted for the same period, if not even longer. I've been teaching for the DET for a number of years on and off and I speak from experience. An unsettling number of my present and former colleagues feel the same way.

      "The third reason, of course, has to do with money. It's safe to assume the Twomey report has highlighted the causes and effects of the teacher shortages. The DET and the State Government simply are not interested in dealing with cause and effect. They know all too well any solutions the report recommends to resolve the relevant issues will require a major investment over the next five-10 years of both political will and budgetary resources - not just in teacher remuneration, but in general working conditions.

      "As one of those "angry' teachers, I say bring on the report's release, but I won't be holding my breath waiting on our State Government or the DET to respond in a timely, effective and genuine manner to its recommendations whatever they might be. For many the horse has already bolted. Whatever might be done may already be too little, too late."

      Greg Maybury, Inglewood
      
      

    • What a fiasco

      "On the face of it, Education Minister Mark McGowan just doesn't get it. On the other hand, his track record suggests that he's probably not as dumb as his actions suggest.

      "On the one hand, he comes to the public with a long face and melancholic tone to say that we are facing a dire teacher shortage and that we need to develop strategies to alleviate the problem.

      "Clearly, in a time of rising interest rates and mortgage stress, the best strategy to make an occupation more attractive is to pay more. Yet Mr McGowan continues to resist the teachers' pay claims with the now-familiar blend of malevolent actions and patronising words. In the meantime, the Twomey report, which apparently has some answers, has been locked away for five months because it is apparently not important enough for Cabinet to consider. What an insult to Professor Twomey, his colleagues and those who diligently contributed to the inquiry.

      "So what is going on here? As Hamlet's mother observed, the minister doth protest too much, methinks. In light of the OBE debacle and now this, it seems that the position of Minister for Education in a Carpenter Government also has the portfolio of minister for fiascos attached to it.

      "Clearly, our education system is at risk and clearly the responsible Minister is responsible for fixing the problem. On the other hand, maybe Mr McGowan is just the Government's fall guy and the whole thing is being run out of Treasury or the Premier's Department.

      "Maybe, like Hamlet's mother, he was there but he was only an accessory to the dirty deed.

      "In the meantime, thousands of experienced teachers aged 55 or more are awaiting the outcome of the pay negotiations before they decide whether it's worth their while to hang around for a few more years in a scene which has strong elements of both farce and tragedy. If they decide to bale out, our children and grandchildren are in deep trouble."

      J.A. Horner, Shelley
      
      

    • It's too late

      "Mr McGowan blames the delay on publishing the taxpayer-funded Twomey report on the Government's moves to develop a comprehensive response to the report before it is released.

      "He reveals Cabinet has not yet considered the report despite dire predictions of extreme teacher shortages within seven years.

      "By the time consideration is given and a response developed, the findings of the report will already be outdated. An independent report should provide a sound basis for dialogue and negotiation, not contribute to the deteriorating relationship between the Minister and teachers.

      "Come on, put the report out there and get on with resolving the issues."

      A Sharp, Swanbourne
      

      
      
      
  • Ban tests, union tells teachers (page 3)
    by Bethany Hiatt and Suellen Jerrard

    "Turmoil in the State school system worsened yesterday when the teachers' union called for a boycott of the first national reading, writing and maths tests and warned that bans on unpaid overtime could threaten Country Week, WA's biggest school sporting event.

    "The State School Teachers Union has directed teachers not to take part in the new National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy tests which students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 are due to sit in two weeks.

    "The union believes testing every student will narrow the curriculum, result in league tables which invite unfair comparisons between schools and that test results could be used to set performance pay for teachers.

    "Union president Anne Gisborne said the WA boycott was a continuation of a 10-year ban on the annual WA Literacy and Numeracy Assessments, which the national tests will replace, and was not part of the current campaign for higher wages.

    "While many teachers had previously ignored calls from the union to refuse to administer the WA tests, Ms Gisborne said she hoped they would take a broader view of the national tests.

    "We believe that the issue is one of importance and we need to take a bigger picture view of the concerns around this type of testing," she said.

    "Education Minister Mark McGowan said he would urge the union leadership not to "sabotage WA students' education."

    "Ms Gisborne denied the ban was "sabotage". "I think that's a gross overstatement of the importance of a one-off test," she said.

    "WA Primary Principals Association president Stephen Breen said a ban on administering the national tests would be disruptive but principals had overcome previous boycotts by using relief teachers or non-union members.

    "Ms Gisborne also said she expected the majority of members to follow a ban imposed on extracurricular activities, which could force the cancellation of Country Week, an 81-year-old event, which last year attracted 3000 students from 39 country schools.

    "WA's peak parent body, the WA Council of State School Organisations, said it would be a tragedy if the event was cancelled and a classic example of how students were the victims in the drawn-out campaign by teachers for better pay and conditions.

    "It's not looking good and the losers out of all this are the kids from the country areas that get the opportunity perhaps once in a lifetime while at school to travel to Perth and mix and integrate with children in similar arrangements in various parts of the State," WACSSO president Rob Fry said.

    "The teachers' association that runs Country Week, School Sports WA, has extended the deadline for schools to register from March through to the end of May in the hope a resolution is reached in the interim.

    "School Sports WA director Peter Smith said some schools had already decided not to compete this year given they had to make arrangements for travel, accommodation and uniforms.

    "Ms Gisborne said while she sympathised with students and parents, the union could not afford to give up its fight for better pay and conditions for both teachers and students.

    "She said the event was a classic example of the unpaid, extra work carried out by teachers and should only proceed if they were paid for the hours they put in or if they received time off in lieu.

    "In another move, principals called for free housing to help reduce the shortage of teachers in the bush.

    "Mr Breen said the State Government should work with the union to deliver a free housing policy to provide greater incentive for primary school teachers to move to the country. The WA Secondary School Executives Association backed the call."

    From The West Australian
    
    Similar story on ABC News
    
    
    

  • Unis fail to turn out enough graduates (page 4)
    Canberra

    "Universities are offering almost as many places as there are students who want to fill them, reports reveal, but they are not turning out enough graduates to meet workforce needs.

    "A Federal Department of Education report has found that the number of young people applying to university grew just 0.2 per cent compared with 2007, and in some States the number declined.

    "The report found that while there were more than enough students applying for places in medicine, law and veterinary science, fields such as agriculture and natural and physical sciences had more places than interested students.

    "A Universities Australia report estimates that 12,600 students will miss out on a university place this year, continuing a downward trend since 2004, when 36,100 people missed out on a tertiary place.

    "The chief executive of Universities Australia, Glenn Withers, said the Federal Government had effectively eliminated "unmet demand" by funding more university places, but universities were still not producing enough graduates to counter the skills shortage."

    From The West Australian [Surprise, surprise: Julia Gillard's media release puts a different slant on it...]
    
    
    

  • Political Sketch
    McGowan's ambition is on show for all to see (page 7)
    by Robert Taylor

    "Shortly after Labor took government from Richard Court in February 2001, Mark McGowan - then an ambitious backbencher who had just won his second term as MP for Rockingham - met Liberal Party powerbroker Noel Crichton-Browne at Cottesloe's Blue Duck restaurant.

    "Mr McGowan has always characterised the meeting as one initiated by the Liberal for the purpose of dishing dirt on his enemies within the party.

    "Just last year in State Parliament, Mr McGowan gave this explanation: "Mr Crichton-Browne wanted to pass on information about members of the Liberal Party. In 2001, he had a few things to say about the then leader of the Opposition. It is no secret that I had a coffee with Noel Crichton-Browne in 2001 and at that time he passed on information about members of the Liberal Party."

    "Note the according to Mr McGowan it was Mr Crichton-Browne who wanted to pass on information and for some reason he chose a little known Labor backbencher not even in the first Gallop Cabinet. Mr Crichton-Browne has a different recollection of events.

    "He (McGowan) rang me up shortly after Gallop had been elected Premier and pleaded with me to meet with him down at the Blue Duck, which I sceptically did, and the purpose of the meeting was to say to me that he was not factionally aligned, that was some barrier to his automatic promotion and what he had to do was ingratiate himself with his leader.

    'And could I help him by giving him any assistance I might be able to offer in terms of dealing with the Liberal Party, any dirt that the Liberal Party might have or anything of any nature I might be of a mind to give to him that would see him look good in the eyes of his leader."

    "Mr Crichton-Browne is adamant that he never dished any dirt on Liberals to Mr McGowan. "It's a bald-faced lie," he said yesterday. "I was a bit appalled at the desperate grasping nature of things. I suppose I gave him marks for having front, I wouldn't have known him from a bar of soap, I'd never spoken to him before.

    "He obviously thought that I was some bitter and twisted person who was about to give him a book full of stories that he could use to ingratiate himself with his leader. "I didn't bother to contact him again, of course, ever."

    "It's up to others to decide who they believe but there's a pattern emerging around Mr McGowan, nicknamed Sneakers for his slavish devotion to the party's leaders.

    "Mr McGowan has been happy to lead the charge against Brian Burke and Noel Crichton-Browne in State Parliament, where he has also been unrelenting in his pursuit of Opposition Leader Troy Buswell over his car park meeting with the former senator.

    "Only this week, however, it has been shown that Mr McGowan wasn't above receiving a little help from the two powerbrokers when it was on offer or perceived to be on offer.

    "It's clear from emails between Mr Burke and Mr McGowan exchanged before the 2005 State election that he was happy to accept Mr Burke's help with fundraising and advertising even while serving as parliamentary secretary to Geoff Gallop, who had banned contact with Mr Burke for his ministers and their staff.

    "And only two weeks ago he managed to offend a big section of the community when he leapt in front of the cameras after an Alan Carpenter press conference to declare the Premier's No. 3 enemy John D'Orazio - after Brian Burke and Julian Grill - "the worst ethnic branch stacker" in WA Labor Party history.

    "Mr McGowan's ambition is on show for all to see but if he is to go further in politics, even all the way to the top job, he might do better to produce some outcomes in his Education portfolio, where teachers are threatening to campaign against Labor at the next election.

    "That would impress people."

    From The West Australian

    
    

  • Minister may face inquiry over 'lobbyist link' (page 7)
    by Amanda Banks

    "Education Minister Mark McGowan is facing the prospect of being grilled by a powerful procedure and privileges parliamentary committee over allegations he may have misled the House about extent of his relationship with lobbyist Brian Burke.

    "Opposition Leader Troy Buswell said the Liberal Party was closely examining Mr McGowan's previous statements about his relationship with Mr Burke and his response to the latest email scandal and vowed to refer any concerns to the Lower House committee. "It is our view that Mark McGowan's attempts to cover up and hide the true extent of his relationship with Brian Burke may well constitute a misleading of Parliament and if that is the case then the proper place for that to be examined is the parliamentary privileges committee," Mr Buswell said.

    "Our view is that Mark McGowan went to great lengths to hide the true extent of his relationship with Brian Burke."

    "The controversy follows revelations that Mr McGowan, through his wife's email, responded to an email from Mr Burke before the 2005 State election about campaign fundraising. In November last year, Mr McGowan told Parliament that Mr Burke had worked against him in the lead-up to the election.

    "At the weekend, Mr McGowan maintained that his involvement with Mr Burke before the last election had been "very minor" and was only part of the lobbyist's work on the campaign of former Labor MP Norm Marlborough.

    "Mr Buswell yesterday denied suggestions that his office had leaked the damaging emails between Mr McGowan and Mr Burke, accusing the Government of trying to deflect attention from the issue.

    "We have no knowledge of them and we have never held those particular emails," Mr Buswell said.

    "That's a convenient smokescreen for the State Government to take attention away from the real issue here. The real issue here is Mark McGowan's attempts to cover up his relationship with Brian Burke."

    "Mr McGowan was travelling yesterday and could not be contacted by The West Australian."

    From The West Australian
    
    
    

• The Age
  
  
  • Op Ed
    Teachers need to be on board if education reform is to succeed
    by Farrah Tomazin
    
    Changes to education will be hampered if the industrial dispute lingers.
    
    "When John Brumby became Victoria's 45th premier almost a year ago, he hung his hat on education being his number one priority. This month — faced with an increasingly disgruntled teaching workforce fighting for more pay — he released an ambitious new strategy designed to show the cynics that he means it.

    "The so-called "education blueprint" sets out the Government's plan to reform early childhood education and schools in the next five years.

    "Proposals include moving disengaged teachers out of the classroom and encouraging them to find other jobs; giving parents unprecedented information on how schools perform; providing top teachers with financial incentives to work in struggling schools; boosting the number of children attending kindergarten … and so it goes.

    "In essence, the plan is a refreshing acknowledgement that significant gaps remain between the "haves" and "have nots" in the education system. The aims of the blueprint are clear: bridge that gap, create a culture of excellence, reform the teaching workforce and forge stronger links between parents and schools.

    "Sounds pretty simple, right? Not quite. For the education blueprint to have any chance of success, it must have the support of Victorian teachers — the very people the Government has been fighting with for the past year over pay and working conditions. Teacher unions boycotted the launch of the blueprint discussion paper earlier this month, and will be loath to help implement any reforms unless they get a better wage deal.

    "The industrial stoush places the Government in a somewhat testing position. On one hand, it wants to use the blueprint to bolster the teaching profession so more of the best and brightest choose teaching as a career. The discussion paper — which is out for public consultation before a final report of chosen reforms is delivered later this year — talks about improving teacher training programs, providing incentives for top university graduates to work in challenging areas and rewarding high-performing teachers.

    "On the other hand, the Government has so far refused publicly to move on its offer of a 3.25% wage increase a year — well short of the union's push for pay parity with NSW, where teachers earn about $10,000 more. But if you're talking about reforming the workforce and boosting the quality of your teachers, wouldn't an obvious starting point be in better salary packages and improved career structures? [emphasis added]

    "Brumby and Education Minister Bronwyn Pike face other challenges. While the proposed blueprint sets out an important framework for improvement, it needs to go further. Any of the proposals adopted by the Government must be brave enough to dramatically shake up schools that are consistently underperforming. After all, it's not the first time we've had an education strategy designed to lift Victoria's classroom standards.

    "In 2003, then education minister Lynne Kosky released the first Blueprint for Government Schools, a policy underpinned by a desire to make schools more accountable for their results, and develop a culture of "continous improvement" among teachers and principals.

    "It's true that there have been some solid achievements since Kosky's reforms were introduced (a new curriculum framework, more students completing year 12 or its equivalent, and all public schools gradually being rebuilt or modernised). But significant problems remain — and that's what the new wave of reforms must tackle.

    "Too many families are continuing to opt for private schools. Student achievement levels on some key literacy and numeracy benchmarks are the lowest of all the mainland states. Victorian primary and secondary schools remain the lowest-funded in the nation. And chronic underperformance in some of the state's most disadvantaged regions requires nothing short of radical government intervention. Out in the northern suburbs, for instance, almost half the secondary schools are in the bottom 20% of the state when it comes to the VCE, while almost 40% of primary schools fall in the bottom 20% of the standard reading benchmarks. If the Government is serious about curbing these trends, it must use this blueprint as an opportunity to make some bold but necessary decisions.

    "Why not, for instance, move dud principals who repeatedly refuse to be accountable for their students' results? Why not partner high-performing private schools with low-performing public schools so they can share tricks of the trade? Or adopt the British Labour Government's program of partnering every secondary school with a business?

    "Finally, if the driving force of any education revolution is the quality of its teachers, why not learn a few lessons from countries such as Finland, the OECD's most successful education system?

    "There all new teachers are required to have masters' degrees and they are also provided with strong support and intensive professional development throughout their careers. [emphasis added]

    "The new spirit of co-operative federalism in Australia has left Victoria with a unique opportunity to work with the Federal Government to start bridging the gaps in education and lift classroom standards beyond mere rhetoric. Here's hoping the Government, through its new blueprint, can make the most of it."

    Farrah Tomazin is education editor.

    From The Age at link
    
    
    
    
  • Warning on state Steiner schools
    by Farrah Tomazin
    
    "A bitter dispute at a Melbourne primary school over Steiner education has prompted a call for the State Government to strengthen its guidelines on the controversial teaching method, in which children are not taught to read and write until they are seven.

    "An independent review of the Steiner stream offered at Footscray City Primary School has recommended that, in future, schools must rigorously assess "specialised curriculums" and prove they are well supported by parents before they are introduced.

    "Footscray City Primary School introduced the Steiner program in 2001, with some members of the council believing it could broaden the curriculum, boost the school's public profile and increase enrolments.

    "But the move divided the school and tension rose to the point that the council was unable to govern because of infighting, forcing the Government to intervene.

    "The report, conducted by Melbourne University academics on behalf of the Education Department, found the Steiner stream did not comply with basic standards, including literacy in the early years, at the time it was introduced.

    "Nevertheless, the implementation of Steiner at FCPS went ahead, and concerns regarding compliance in the curriculum requirements remain evident," the report said.

    "The Steiner curriculum is based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, a 20th-century Austrian educationist.

    "Children have the same teacher for the first seven years, and are discouraged from using computers or watching television.

    "Critics say the program does not belong in public schools because it is too religious and does not pay enough attention to literacy during the critical early years. Supporters, however, argue it provides a more "holistic" approach..."
    
    "Education Department spokeswoman Anna Malbon said: "As all Victorian schools continue to move to the full implementation of Victorian Essential Learning Standards (the new curriculum standards), the Steiner stream will need to ensure its curriculum also complies."

    "Victoria has 17 schools with specialised curriculum streams, eight of which run Steiner streams."

    From The Age at link
    
    
    

• The Sydney Morning Herald
  
  
  • Teachers face a relative grilling
    by Anna Patty, Education Editor
    
    "School staff have been asked to declare any relationships they have with students or teachers around Australia in preparation for national literacy and numeracy testing.

    "The requirement would extend to partners and extended family including cousins, nephews, nieces and de facto partners of relatives.

    "Teachers at all schools in NSW will be advised by their unions to ignore the conflict-of-interest disclosure requirement.

    "The NSW/ACT Independent Education Union, which represents teachers at private schools, said the requirement would create unnecessary paperwork.

    "The union's general secretary, Dick Shearman, said it was a ridiculous imposition and another "layer of red tape". In a directive to principals and teaching staff, he advises them to ignore the disclosure requirement, saying it is "offensive and unnecessary".

    "Mr Shearman said teachers had a right to feel offended because it appeared the same requirement had not been expected of other states.

    "Maree O'Halloran, president of the NSW Teachers Federation, representing staff in government schools, said her union had decided to ban the new requirement. "Our fax will go out on Wednesday," she said. "It is treating teachers as if they were not professionals."

    "The NSW National Assessment Program procedures manual says because the "highest standards of security" are expected for the new tests, employees are requested to declare any potential conflict of interest.

    "A form asks staff to provide details of any student anywhere in Australia in years 3, 5, 7 or 9 and any teacher with whom they have a family relationship.

    "A spokesman for the NSW Department of Education said public school staff already worked under the department's strict code of conduct.

    "To further protect the integrity of national literacy and numeracy testing, the department, along with counterparts in all other states and territories, has agreed to a national administrative protocol," the spokesman said.

    "Under the protocol, only teachers or principals administering or marking the tests need to register at their school any relationship with a close family relation sitting the test.

    "The register does not imply any wrongdoing, but it allows schools to avoid or minimise situations where an allegation of inappropriate behaviour could be made."

    From The Sydney Morning Herald at link
    
    
    
    
• The Guardian
  
  
  • School pays pupils to fill teaching gaps
    by Jessica Shepherd
    
    "A school is employing sixth formers as supply teachers because of a shortage of qualified staff. Chalfonts community college in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, pays its 16-, 17- and 18-year-old sixth formers £5 for each 50-minute class they take. The 24 teenagers follow teachers' lesson plans, instructing 11- to 16-year-olds in subjects they may no longer take themselves.

    "The school trains them in behaviour management, lesson preparation and the importance of confidentiality. An older adult is with them in the classroom, but may not be a trained teacher and does not take the lesson. The school is thought to be the only one in the UK to have taken this approach to supply teacher shortages.

    "The General Teaching Council for England, which collects data on teachers, says there were 2,140 fewer supply teachers in March 2007 than the year before. It does not have comparable figures for before that. Agencies that employ supply teachers and some schools say there is a shortage of good supply teachers, especially in London and the home counties.

    "Jonathan Clarke, the school's vice-principal, said: "External supply teachers have been of variable quality and do not always come up to the standards that we expect." He added that many "cover students" had a high level of subject knowledge as well as excellent leadership skills.

    "John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, said there was "every argument for older pupils to mentor younger ones", but they should not be used as "quasi-supply staff".

    "The Department for Children, Schools and Families said the system was acceptable "as long as the sixth former is under the direction and supervision of a qualified person and is adhering to the lesson plan devised by the class teacher".

    From The Guardian at link
    
    
    
    
• The Times
  
  
  • Times Education Supplement Blog
    Get the non-teachers out (from 29 February)

    Why are schools allowing unqualified parents to teach, asks Tony Callaghan.

    The plethora of civilians in our schools is at an all time high and they are being used to teach classes when the professionals are absent or on courses.
    
    [Perhaps we could sell them WACOT?  Web]
    
    
    
    
• The Australian
  
  
  • Migrant graduates failing to get jobs
    
    Fewer than a quarter of young, degree-educated migrants are finding skilled or professional jobs in their areas of study, and graduates are leaving university with poor academic standards and minimal English.
    
    
    
    
• Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard Media Release
  
  
  • University offers and acceptances up in 2008

    The 2008 Undergraduate Applications, Offers and Acceptances report has found that fewer students are being turned away from universities, with nearly 80 per cent of applicants being offered a place.

    In 2008, there was a 4.5 per cent decrease on unmet demand compared to last year - the lowest level recorded.

    This report shows that demand and supply are broadly in balance at the aggregate level but there are some fields of study where we need more graduates.

    The Rudd Government has given a commitment to fund additional places in the priority areas of nursing and early childhood education.

    To encourage students to study the critical disciplines of maths and science the Government is reducing student contribution amounts to the lowest ‘national priority’ rate.

    Graduates who take up employment in related occupations, including teaching these subjects in secondary schools will also receive reductions in HECS-HELP repayments and debts. [emphasis added]

    If Australia is to develop the highly educated workforce it needs, we have to do more to give every young Australian with talent and willingness the opportunity to study at university.

    Widening access to higher education and responding to the skills needs of industry are central concerns of the Review of Australian Higher Education being led by Professor Denise Bradley AC. The Review will provide a final report to the Minister on the future direction of the higher education sector by the end of the year.

    The new report on Undergraduate Applications, Offers and Acceptances is available through this link.
    
    
    

Wednesday 30 April

• The West Australian
  
  
  • Letter to the Editor (page 22)
    
    
    • Bleak future
      
      "The Education Minister, Mark McGowan, has warned us of a 2000 teacher shortage over the next seven years. The letters to the editor on these pages reflect a mounting frustration by teachers who have had enough.
      
      "The Minister is sitting on the Twomey Report which has cost taxpayers more than $480 000. The fact that it hasn't been released proves beyond a doubt that it is damning.
      
      "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that bringing teachers' working conditions and pay into line with teachers' worth is going to equal a solution to the problem.
      
      "But I fear it is all going to be too little too late.
      
      "As a parent a teacher and a taxpayer, I am very concerned for the future of education in Western Australia under this farce of a Labor Government.
      
      "Taxpayers' money should be spent on basic necessities and the last time I checked, education and health were basic necessities.
      Our politicians should remember that fun parks and Ferris wheels will not teach our children how to read and write .
      
      "Where are your priorities Mr Carpenter? Are you even listening? Education in this State is in crisis. "
      
      Lisa Thomas, Perth
      
      
      
      
  • National test crucial: academic (page 15)
    by Bethany Hiatt

    "A leading WA academic has thrown his weight behind national literacy and numeracy testing of all children in Years 3,5, 7 and 9, saying the results would allow schools to see whether students are progressing and provide reassurance for parents.

    "University of WA education dean Bill Louden said the new National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy tests, which students are due to sit in two weeks, would provide parents and schools with valuable information.

    "These tests are important to schools because they give schools a sense of how individual students are progressing," he said. "And as schools watch those scores year after year they can use them as a way of figuring out whether their own performance is improving or not."

    "The State School Teachers Union has directed members not to take part in the tests, which will replace similar WA assessments, because it fears teachers will teach only what is in the tests and results will be used to unfairly compare schools or set performance pay for teachers.

    "The union claims the same information could be obtained by randomly testing small groups of students rather than forcing every child to sit the same tests in reading, writing, maths and grammar and punctuation.

    "But Professor Louden, who is also WA's representative on the National Curriculum Board, said the advantage of "whole-of-population" testing was that it told parents how their child's performance compared with those across the nation.

    "A student who was among the top students in one school might be in the "little black dot" which showed an individual's test results compared with the rest of the population provided reassurance to parents.

    "Professor Louden was confident that WA students would do well. "No one can be sure what will happen because the tests are new tests, but based on the old tests where there were comparisons between States, WA children on average did better than almost any children in the country, especially in Year 3," he said. "I'm not at all concerned that it's going to reveal poor standards in WA."

    "WA Council of State School Organisations President Rob Fry said most parents supported the testing if it was used to identify problems, but he was concerned the results could be used as a political tool to bash the States.

    "It was unfair to compare children's performance between States when they started school at different ages.

    "WA children in each year group could be nearly 12 months younger than those in other States. Mr Fry said if State school results were released publicly then private schools should also be obliged to publish their results.

    "WA Primary Principals Association president Stephen Breen said he understood the union's concerns but principals had to make sure the testing program went ahead."

    From The West Australian
    
    
    

• ABC News
  
  
  • WA students will sit national tests: Education Department
    
    "The Department of Education says all students in Western Australia will have the opportunity to sit the national literacy and numeracy tests despite opposition from the State School Teachers Union.

    "The Union has directed members not to take part in the tests, saying results will be used to unfairly compare schools or set performance-based pay for teachers.

    "But the Department's David Axworthy says the tests are very important, and will go ahead.

    "We're very confident that our principals in our schools will manage this," he said.

    "They have done that in the past, and they will continue to do so. All children will have the opportunity to sit these tests.

    "We're very disappointed that the union has taken this stance, especially since we know, and the union knows, how important this information is and how valued it is by teachers, nevertheless the tests will go ahead."

    From ABC News at link
    
    
    
    
• The Sydney Morning Herald
  
  
  • Call for schools to have at least two principals
    by Anna Patty Education Editor
    
    "School leadership is too big a job for one principal, according to Australian research that recommends two or more people should share the responsibility.

    "An Australian Council for Educational Research paper released yesterday says the job of school principal has become too complex for one person.

    "Bill Mulford, an honorary professor from the University of Tasmania education faculty, who compiled the report, said this had made the job unpopular among prospective candidates.

    "About 20 per cent of principals are aged 55 or over and it is going to be a large proportion who are going to retire in the next five to 10 years," Professor Mulford said. "But people aren't rushing for the job.

    "We need to rethink school leadership as being broader than the school principal. Who takes leadership responsibility needs to be distributed among a wide range of people."

    "The report recommends that federal and state education ministers face the same level of scrutiny as schools. "Politicians and state departments of education have set themselves up as the people who have all the answers about how schools should be operating," Professor Mulford said.

    "We have very little evidence that this passing parade of education ministers, who are not around long enough to take responsibility for the changes they keep trotting out for schools, are doing them any good.

    "It is left for the schools to do the work and then be judged on whether the changes work after having had little input into them.

    "Education ministers should be scrutinised to see how effective they have been in changes at the school level."

    "Meanwhile, the NSW Board of Studies will this week issue a warning to every school in the state about cheating in the HSC.

    "The one-page document says any work from external sources should be acknowledged. Failure to do so may be reported to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

    "The warning follows an ICAC investigation into an incident in which a coaching college was found to have written an HSC research assignment for a student.

    "The Education Minister, John Della Bosca, said 54 plagiarised responses were detected in last year's HSC. All were marked down or given a zero mark."
    
    From The Sydney Morning Herald at link
    
    
    

• The Australian
  
  
  • Unis 'should raise hope in poor schools'
    by Guy Healy and Bernard Lane
    
    "Universities should send their academics into the poorest schools in their regions to boost the presence of disadvantaged students on campus after 15 years of little change, according to higher education commentator Richard James.

    "Each university should embrace a number of under-represented schools in their catchments and get their best academics working with those schools to raise kids' aspirations and strengthen the educational environment," said Professor James, from the University of Melbourne's Centre for the Study of Higher Education.

    "Professor James was the lead author of the equity report released this month by Universities Australia.

    "The proportion of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (about 15 per cent) has changed little in 15 years, the report says. The problem seems to be bound up with social class, weaker school performance and low aspirations.

    "Professor James said "the gridlock that (equivalent national tertiary entrance rank) scores create" had to be broken by establishing pathways to university that bypassed the narrow selectivity of ENTERs..."
    
    Full story in The Australian at link
    
    
    

  • Call to increase capacity
    by Guy Healy
    
    "Widening professional skills shortages and evidence Australia's mass university system has reached full capacity - that is, the number of eligible applicants missing out has touched new lows - have sparked calls for a student recruitment drive and better targeting of places to students' first choices.
    
    "Figures released yesterday show that 12,600 eligible applicants missed out on a university place this year, down from a peak of 36,100 four years ago, according to Universities Australia. In 2008 there were 2403 fewer applications, 2741 fewer offers and 9172 fewer acceptances than in 2007, UA data shows.

    "The falling unmet demand figures follow revelations in recent weeks that universities have handed back or deferred more than 4000 places since 2005, particularly in the resource boom states of Queensland and Western Australia.

    "A record number of places were handed back this year..."

    Full story in The Australian at link
    
    
    
    
  • HECS-style loan plan to lift TAFE trade training
    
    HECS-style loans could be offered to TAFE students for the first time as part of a plan that could lead to substantial increases in fees for longer courses but would also be designed to encourage more people into training.
    
    Similar story in The Age
    
    
    
    
  • Op Ed
    Science must prevail
    by Barry Brook
    
    "Scientists must work harder at making the public aware of the stark difference between good science and denialist spin. "Don't feed the troll!" This is a common admonition in the expanding science blogosphere, at least the rational quarters.

    "Trolls, in the internet vernacular, are people who intentionally post false or controversial messages to gain attention or foment a conflicting style of debate. Most remain shielded within the anonymous confines of their online pseudonym. A rare but vocal few are sufficiently emboldened by self-confidence (or hubris) to speak out in public.

    "For the longstanding ostensible debate over the relative merits of evolution v creationism, they usually style themselves as "creation scientists" or "intelligent designists".

    "In climate science and policy, those few apparently well-educated people who continue to deny the now vast body of scientific knowledge and analysis on the causes and consequences of global warming are variously called sceptics, denialists, contrarians, delayers or delusionists. Whatever the label you attach to them, they are all cut of the same anti-intellectual cloth.

    "Their business is the dissemination of disinformation, doubt and unscientific nonsense. One of their most regular ploys is to leverage the widespread lack of public appreciation of how science operates. The scientific process of theoretical postulates, hypothesis testing, critical evaluation (and re-evaluation) of ever accumulating empirical evidence, model validation and peer review is inherently complex and often technical.

    "Science has little top-down control on what should and should not be investigated (embryonic stem-cell research and bio-weapons development notwithstanding). There is no attempt to ignore inconvenient findings and no global conspiracy to distort the truth for securing funding or notoriety.

    "Good science -- evidence and ideas that are repeatedly supported by observations, experiments and models -- gradually emerges from the pack and moves from being hypotheses to theories, paradigms and laws. Yet some people will attempt to hijack science for political or ideological reasons and in doing so besmirch science's public image. They are good at doing this, and they often exert a disproportionate influence on policy. Some will simply argue that the Earth is flat because "it looks flat".

    "Groups with vested interests in business as usual (such as tobacco spokespeople or fossil fuel lobbyists) will attempt to push so-called "scientific evidence" to support their claims.

    "In fact they are at best drawing selectively on a small part of the evidence, or at worst relying on "junk" science: that is, outdated, discredited or fabricated data and ideas.

    "If confronted with good science, deniers sidestep valid critiques and ignore counter-evidence (or dismiss it by deferring to other discredited ideas). They are hard to pin down because they don't want a serious scientific debate.

    "The Washington Post recently reported Walter Meier of the National Snow and Ice Data Centre about the parlous state of Arctic sea ice: "'Flying over the Arctic, one might perceive the sea ice cover as broad,' Meier said, but that apparent breadth hides the fact that the ice is so thin. 'It's a facade, like a Hollywood set,' he said. 'There's no building behind it."'

    "Joseph Romm, who writes a blog on climate change and denialism (www.climateprogress.org), commented: "What a perfect metaphor for the delayers. Their arguments seem solid and impressive, but it's a facade."

    "Scientists should beware of feeding trolls by engaging them on their terms. Instead, be strong, well-informed advocates for good science.

    "Don't think that it is enough to be merely passive bystanders. Good science alone invariably wins these silly debates, but usually not before denialist spin does much damage.

    "Active and forthright public communication of science is not only an obligation of scientists, but a critical necessity. This is especially true for climate change and environmental sustainability, where we are perilously close to running out of time."

    Barry W. Brook is director of the Research Institute for Climate Change and Sustainability at the University of Adelaide. This article is reprinted from Australasian Science.

    From The Australian at link
    
    
    
    
  • Op Ed
    Reasoned argument
    by Alan Tapper (research fellow at the Curtin University Centre for Applied Ethics and Philosophy)
    
    Philosophy is vital in teaching university students critical thinking and ethics.
    
    
    
    
  • Op Ed
    Door opens to clear admissions policy
    
    Higher education institutions in Britain will bring together "widening participation and fair access policies" in a single document as part of a government push to make university admissions a more transparent process.
    
    
    
  • Letter to the Editor
    
    
    • Utopia out of reach
      
      "I was somewhat puzzled that the rhetoric of an “education revolution” proved to be a virtually empty slogan at the first hurdle: the 2020 Summit. Also surprising is the failure of the two most recent ministers, Brendan Nelson and Julie Bishop, to make capital out of this hypocrisy. Didn’t they even notice?

      "It seems for universities the whole gabfest was designed to disappoint, given its failure to have a dedicated education strand. That reveals the failure to really treat this area properly. No doubt, as already flagged, the budget will be the second hurdle; or, in these revolutionary times, would barricade be better? One noted with resignation that they have already said there will be no new money or significant policy as the Government needs to review it all ... again.

      "One would think, after almost 12 years in the Opposition wilderness, that there was plenty of time for Labor to think, read and analyse the issues. But no.

      "There is no need for yet another time-wasting review about universities. Of course, it will probably report too close to an election and get shelved. These shelves of past reports on how to reach utopia are already groaning. What a waste of forests."

      Antony Howe, Department of history, University of Sydney
      
      
      

• The Age
  
  
  • Letter to the Editor
    
    
    • Outrage at Steiner

      "Programs based on educational fads that are unsupported by the research evidence as to how children learn to read, and how best to teach them, have no place in the state school system. It is inconceivable that the philosophy underlying the Steiner school curriculum can be "tweaked" to comply with Victorian curriculum standards — unless these standards are themselves flawed.

      "It is outrageous that the Victorian Department of Education should allow such programs to operate in state schools."

      Marion de Lemos, Hawthorn East
      
      [Just substitute "OBE" for "Steiner" and you've got it in one!  Web]
      
      
      

• The Guardian
  
  
  • Schools may be judged on teenage pregnancy rates and drug problems
    Exclusive
    

· Plan to include 18 social targets in Ofsted reports
· Teaching unions reject proposals as madness

"Schools will be made to keep records of teenage pregnancy rates, pupils' drug problems, criminal records and obesity levels under government plans to give parents a true picture of children's lives.

"The ideas, set out in a discussion document from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, suggest schools would become accountable for 18 new targets, from bullying and neglect, to what happens to pupils after they leave school. Sources said the 10-page document, entitled Indicators of schools' performance in contributing to pupil wellbeing, calls for Ofsted inspectors to judge schools on the wide range of measures in addition to existing criteria such as exam results and exclusion rates. The measures could be implemented by Ofsted from 2009, and suggest that schools would become broadly responsible for children's safety, enjoyment and happiness.

"The move is part of a government attempt to tackle the UK's teenage pregnancy rate, which is one of the highest in Europe, and reduce drug use. A government survey of 115,000 children in England aged between 10 and 15 last year found one in seven had taken drugs.

"The proposals were discussed last week at a meeting of the New Relationships with Schools group, which includes civil servants, teaching unions, children's services directors, local authority and Ofsted inspectors, governors and headteachers of primary and secondary schools.

"They call for a study of pupils' experiences, suggesting "parents' and pupils' views will need to be gathered through surveys, probably regular and nationally administered", as there is no existing consistent national school-level data.

"These findings could be included in Ofsted's annual report on the state of schools in England and Wales, which is used by parents to find out more about schools in their area.

"The move follows the publication in December of the Children's Plan, by the schools secretary, Ed Balls, which made wellbeing a priority, and expands upon the Every Child Matters policy, in place since 2004, which looked at health, safety, enjoyment and achievement.

"But last night teachers' leaders - alarmed that the plans would make schools accountable for solving social problems over which they have no control - described the proposals as "madness"..." [emphasis added]

[‘Excuse me, Sally, have you used drugs or become pregnant today? Break any laws or eat too much chocolate? Thank you. Now Billy, have you used drugs...’  Web]

Full story in The Guardian at link

Thursday 1 May

• The West Australian
  
  
  • 'Dumbed down' OBE under fire (page 15)
    by Bethany Hiatt
    
    "A multi-million-dollar revision of new outcomes-based education courses for Years 11 and 12 has failed to appease the concerns of critics, who believe the revamped syllabuses are dumbed down and inadequate.
    
    "On Monday, 6600 teachers who attended professional development sessions across the State saw for the first time the final drafts of new courses they are expected to start teaching next year.
    
    "Many courses have undergone major rewrites since the first attempt to implement them in 2007 as part of the State Government's push to introduce OBE to Years 11 and 12.
    
    "The courses were delayed by the threat of a teacher boycott and then postponed again until 2009 by panels of teachers set up to assess their readiness.
    
    "The Government was also forced to abandon an assessment procedure based on eight OBE "levels of achievement" in favour of a return to grades and percentages.
    
    "People Lobbying Against Teaching Outcomes spokesman Marko Vojkovic, a physics teacher, said teachers were still dissatisfied.
    
    "(There are) some omissions and a general dumbing down," he said. "The (physics) syllabus we have now is slightly worse than the syllabus we had before."
    
    "Mr Vojkovic said the course changes were not worth the countless hours of planning or the money spent on printing, advertising campaigns and setting up teacher panels.
    
    "Many teachers had resigned in despair at the extra workload wrought by the changes.
    
    "Science Teachers Association of WA president Greg Moran said little had been achieved. "The whole thing concerns me, the fact that millions of dollars have been wasted and we're basically back to pretty much where we were before with just a few minor tweaks," he said.
    
    "Geographical Association of WA president Mike Fazio believed many teachers were concerned about some aspects of the course. [emphasis added]
    
    "Curriculum Council chief executive David Wood said traditional TEE subjects had been updated to include new content while all non-TEE subjects had been modernised and could now be used for university entry.
    
    "Having all courses modernised, structured so they can be studied by students with different backgrounds and abilities, and having them assessed in a similar manner, were all objectives of the senior school reform," he said. "This has been achieved."
    
    From The West Australian
    
    
    
    
  • Private schools face boycott of literacy tests (page 5)
    by Bethany Hiatt
    
    "Private school teachers could join a State school teachers' boycott of national reading, writing and maths tests for primary and secondary students.
    
    "The Independent Education Union, which represents teachers in Catholic and independent schools, is considering whether to direct its members not to take part in the first national literacy and numeracy tests program, which pupils in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are due to sit over three days from May 13.
    
    "The State School Teachers Union directed teachers this week not to administer the tests to extend a ban on the State-based versions, which the national tests replace.
    
    "Private school teachers have never imposed such a ban.
    
    "The SSTU says the tests invite unfair comparisons between schools, narrow the curriculum and the results could be used to set performance pay for teachers.
    
    "If I had an overwhelming response that yes it should be banned, we would look at how we could do that legally," IEU secretary Theresa Howe said yesterday.
    
    "She said the action would be unprecedented and disruptive but preparation for the tests increased teacher workloads at the expense of learning, the tests had no identifiable benefits for students and the data could be used inappropriately.
    "Ms Howe said sampling small groups could provide data that was as reliable as testing every student.
    
    "A spokeswoman for Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard said sample testing did not allow schools to report on how each child was progressing. Nor did it allow school systems to determine learning needs if tests detected problems.
    "She said several States, including WA, already tested all students and for the first time, all tests and results would be part of a single set of standards on a single assessment scale.
    
    "The Minister is confident that schools will recognise the importance of these tests for meeting their on-going responsibilities to students and families," she said.
    
    "Labor's election commitments include publishing the individual school results in a way that takes into account their different circumstances.
    
    "Association of Independent Schools of WA executive director Audrey Jackson said school had to agree to national testing as a condition of getting Federal funding.
    
    "It bothers me that the union would contemplate directing members to institute a ban which would mean that a school could not meet its obligations," she said.
    
    "Catholic Education Office director Ron Dullard was confident teachers would not ban the tests. "Most of our teachers would see the benefits that come out of that data," he said.
    
    "The Department of Education and Training said testing would go ahead in State schools."
    
    From The West Australian
    
    
    
    
  • Letter to the Editor (page 22)
    
    
    • How to help kids
      
      "Following the massacre in Columbine High School in Colorado, the mayor of the city knew there had to be a better way to treat the cancer of disillusioned youth that was ripping their city apart - as it is in Perth today.
      
      "They set up a state-wide process of early intervention for those in society who were at risk. It involves setting up classes in all schools from pre-school to Year 12 on anger management and socially acceptable manners.
      
      "It involves volunteer mentoring by a college student of all minors who come before the court. The student has to agree to visit the minor at least once a week to discuss the youth's problems and assist in goal setting and opening paths to trade or tertiary education. Training and expenses are paid for.
      
      "It involves getting nurses to visit all mothers weekly from the time they become pregnant until the child turns 16 to discuss mothering skills, including how to access further education for the mothers if they have been forced out of school early because of the pregnancy.
      
      "The cost to the state were initially very high but in the 10 years since the scheme has been in place it is calculated that for every dollar spent on providing the assistance there is a saving in costs to the state of at least $3.
      
      "This is reflected in a reduced number of court appearances, re-offending and prisoners in the jails, reduced hospital treatment for assault and alcohol abuse cases, lower drink driving and higher school retention rates through to university.
      
      "It would serve our Treasurer well to study this model while we have a Budget surplus that would allow us to cover the initial set-up costs. By not having to build new jails he would be able to kick-start the mentoring program and school classes."
      
      Angus Malcolm, Ballajura
      
      
      
      
• The Australian
  
  
  • Literacy plan works as read
    by Paige Taylor
    
    "A simple edict that Aboriginal children read and write for two hours every morning is finally reducing appalling levels of literacy in remote parts of Australia.

    "The literacy of children at Kiwirrkurra in the Gibson Desert, 700km west of Alice Springs, was so poor four years ago that only a handful had the reading and writing skills to attempt the West Australian Government's annual written literacy exam for all students in Years 3, 5 and 7. Of those who sat the test, not one met the national benchmarks.

    "In the remote township of 150 people, only 15 adults can read and write English.

    "But the students are now making small but significant gains after the West Australian Government's Aboriginal literacy strategy, rolled out to 42 remote schools in 2006, made it compulsory for teachers to devote the first two hours of every school day to guided reading, guided writing and word games.

    "The school's students have begun borrowing regularly from the library, and all are ready for the new national literacy and numeracy tests this month. "Their progress really has been incredible," said principal Mitchell Drage, a Pinikura-Thudgara man and one of the few indigenous school principals in Australia.

    "I call this common sense."

    "The state Department of Education and Training's analysis of the literacy strategy shows that, since its introduction, 70 per cent of Aboriginal students in remote West Australian schools have demonstrated moderate to very high improvement in their reading standards.

    "A fifth of those who improved achieved what the department regarded as very high growth, which was 5 per cent higher than the general student population.

    "In 2005, about 48 per cent of Aboriginal students in Year 3 in remote schools achieved recognised reading benchmarks. Last year, that figure jumped to about 66 per cent. Among Year 5 students, 31 per cent reached reading benchmarks in 2005, whereas last year 42 per cent hit the mark.

    "National Indigenous Education Taskforce chairwoman Sharyn O'Neill, who is the West Australian director-general of education, is hopeful but cautious. "The Aboriginal literacy strategy is the best shot we've had for a long time to improve literacy and numeracy in remote communities," she said.

    "At Kiwirrkurra in the vast Ngaanyatjarra Lands of northeast Western Australia, 1800km north of Kalgoorlie, six-year-old Cynthia Ward can now read enough words to enjoy picture books such as Tony Mitton's Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaurumpus.

    "Mr Drage, who has been the principal for three years, and who has worked in education for more than 20 years, says it is an extraordinary achievement for a girl who knew little English until she started school last year.

    "Cynthia's first language is Pintubi, which she speaks at home with her mother, Yukultji Napangati, a member of the Pintubi nine who famously "came in" from desert life at Lake Mackay in 1984.

    "Mr Drage is proud that this month every one of Kiwirrkurra school's students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will participate in the first national literacy and numeracy test.

    "Mr Drage said approaches to Aboriginal literacy had been "hit and miss" in the past but the new strategy gave teachers clear directions.

    "The strategy, he said, gave the students repetition and routine and the structure helped teachers in remote schools, many of whom were first-year graduates still learning their craft.

    "A lot of it is common sense and it's taking teaching back to basics," Mr Drage said. "The kids do guided reading, guided writing - kids are now using the school library more. When they look at a book, they've got more enjoyment in them."

    "Two of the school's students reached statewide literacy and numeracy benchmarks since the introduction of the strategy - one in 2006 and one last year.

    "Mr Drage said some may view that as appalling given the school had 39 students, but it was an achievement the community was and should be proud of.

    "According to Mr Drage, community support for the school at Kiwirrkurra has been the key. He credits the encouragement of community leader Jimmy Brown - a Lutheran pastor who speaks nine Aboriginal dialects - for the children's interest in school. "I tell them school is good and they come by themselves, they don't have to be told," Mr Brown said."

    From The Australian at link
    
    
    
    
• The Washington Post
  
  
  • Prince George's Replacing Teachers
    
    Teachers of core subjects who do not meet state qualifications in their chosen fields will be replaced at 21 Prince George's County schools... Teachers who are replaced can apply to teach in other subjects for which they are qualified. Others could work to earn the state's "highly qualified" designation, which can require graduate-level work or passing an examination in a subject area.
    
    
    
    
• The Melbourne Herald Sun
  
  
  • Op Ed
    Hands off Catholic schools
    by Kevin Donnelly
    
    "Education Minister Bronwyn Pike's call for increased government ties with Victoria's Catholic schools has been described as radical.

    "One Melbourne-based academic, Brian Caldwell, calls it the boldest education idea he has heard for some time.

    "On first appearance, the idea looks OK. Getting government and Catholic schools to work in partnership - sharing facilities and curriculum programs - has the potential to make the education dollar go a lot further.

    "Both systems deal with refugee children and kids doing it hard from low socio-economic communities so, as argued by Minister Pike, it makes sense if the government makes the two systems work together instead of being in competition.

    "But is it really such a good idea? It's no secret that the government system is losing students to non-government schools, especially Catholic schools.

    "Between 1997 to 2007, across Australia, the number of government school students grew by only 1.7 per cent, while enrolments in non-government schools grew by 21.9 per cent.

    "No wonder there are now 94 Catholic secondary schools and 382 primary schools teaching some 184,000 Victorian children as parents search for schools that teach clear moral values, have disciplined classrooms and achieve strong academic results.

    "The reason why non-government schools are so successful, compared to government schools, is that they have the freedom to hire, fire and reward better staff and to develop a curriculum that best suits the needs of their local communities. [emphasis added]

    "Catholic schools are unique with their commitment to teaching the faith and giving students a strong grounding in the religious attitudes and values central to the Catholic tradition.

    "The danger in drawing Catholic schools into the state system is that their special character will be lost and parents will find them less attractive.

    "The same with sport and the business world, there is also the point that competition is a good thing.

    "It's no secret that government schools, because of the competition from private schools, have had to lift their game by better delivering what parents want.

    "Schools like Melbourne High, Balwyn High and Melbourne Girls' College prove that state schools can deliver.

    "Victoria's non-government schools teach more than 30 per cent of our students, with the figure growing to 40 per cent at years 11 and 12. Parents want choice in education.

    "The last thing they want is a one-size fits all approach where all schools are run by government.

    "ALP state and federal governments nominate education as the best way to overcome disadvantage.

    "All the evidence shows that this is an area where Catholic schools do better than what might be expected.

    "When it comes to literacy and numeracy standards and year 12 VCE results, Catholic schools have a proven track record.

    "It's also the case that such schools are under-funded by the Brumby Government.

    "Based on the 2004 figures, the Victorian Government provides 15.8 per cent of the total funding Catholic schools need to operate, about $1265 per student.

    "The figure per student is $288 less than the national average and $454 less than what NSW students receive.

    "If the Brumby Government is committed to overcoming disadvantage, instead of drawing Catholic schools into the state system, the best option is to fund them more and give them the freedom to get on with the job."

    Dr Kevin Donnelly is director of Melbourne-based Education Strategies.

    From The Melbourne Herald Sun at link
    
    
    
    
• The Age
  
  
  • Want a word? Here are 307 of the best, according to youngsters
    by Bridie Smith
    
    "Today's children use less formal language than their peers 30 years ago, with a list of the top 300 words used by prep to grade 2 students revealing mum and dad has replaced mother and father, while use of Mr and Mrs has virtually disappeared.

    "The list of 307 words, launched yesterday by Children and Early Childhood Development Minister Maxine Morand, was compiled by Oxford University Press from the writing of 1000 Victorian and South Australian students. The data was then analysed by researchers at Melbourne University..."
    
    Here is the list, from Oxford University Press
    
    Full story in The Age at link
    
    
    

  • Letters to the Editor
    

    • Education for all, not ideology

      "The findings of the review into the Steiner stream at Footscray City Primary School (The Age, 29/4) come as no surprise to those of us who have been trying to engage the Victorian Government and its bureaucracy in this travesty for eight years. Fortunately, the review's recommendations extend beyond this school.

      "One key point from the report for these schools with specialised curriculums to consider is transparent provision of curriculum detail to the whole school community. To date this has been impossible to obtain. The report has also confirmed the obligation of curriculum streams whose development predated the current departmental guidelines, to comply with those guidelines.

      "The state education system was developed to allow education to be accessed without fear or favour. Provision of state education should be on the terms of universal and equitable access to learning in an environment free of religious or political overtones and based on educational need, not personal lifestyle choices.

      "I hope that the new Education Minister will provide the necessary leadership and accept responsibility for reigning in specialised pedagogical streams in our state schools."

      Julianne Barclay, convener, People For State Education, Castlemaine
      
      

    • In defence of Steiner

      "As a parent I believe that the Education Department's scrutiny of Steiner streams is to be welcomed. Literacy and numeracy are thoroughly taught in Steiner education by building up a background of understanding for the child about what each letter and number means, using stories, illustrations and even plays. While this delays early results, the benefit is a deeper relationship with literacy and numeracy beyond utilitarianism.

      "Steiner education does not teach a religion. Many of us feel little connection with the organised religion of our upbringing, and yet are equally uneasy with the notion of atheism. Steiner classes study Norse, Aboriginal, Greek, Roman, Indian, Arabic, Renaissance and many other cultures and belief systems, including atheism and the development of humanism.

      "The Steiner curriculum, with its emphasis on understanding the history of the world, the cultures of others, the wonder and beauty of nature, the wellbeing of the planet and the holistic development of each student, is an exciting option in a state system that is improving and diversifying to prepare students for the challenges of our time. The department should be congratulated for supporting it."

      Simon Thornton, Alphington

Friday 2 May

• The West Australian
  
  
  • Editorial
    Teachers tax the public's sympathy (page 20)

    "Schoolteachers deserve at least some level of sympathy from the community. Over the years, the status of the profession has dwindled and its comparative level of pay has dropped. Disruptive students and increasing workloads have added to teachers' woes.

    "As a result, far fewer people are being attracted to teaching, despite it being a career of immense social importance.

    "But teachers, led by their unions, have a way of diminishing their respect in the community. The State School Teachers Union has banned its members from implementing the first national literacy and numeracy tests and the Independent Education Union, which represents Catholic and private schools, has not ruled out doing the same.

    "The SSTU is transferring the ban from the State-based WA Literacy and Numeracy Assessment tests to the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy.

    "The unions say they fear that results of the tests will invite unfair comparison between schools, narrow the curriculum and could be used to set performance pay for teachers.

    "But they must also understand that parents have a right to know how their child's level of learning compares with their peers in other schools and other States. The object of the testing, after all, is to identify areas of concern, where they exist, and to find ways of improving standards.

    "It is the quality of education of Australia's children which is at stake, not the easily dented pride of the teaching profession.

    "The SSTU has in place, as part of its campaign for better pay, a ban on unpaid overtime which could result in the cancellation of the year's biggest school sporting event, Country Week.

    "Country Week has an 81-year old history. Last year 3000 students from 39 country schools took part. The event is much anticipated by country students as a rare opportunity for them to come to Perth to compete in various sports and for other activities.

    "If the union's ban on extracurricular activities results in the carnival being scrapped, the public image of teachers will take another hit, regardless of any sympathy there might be for the teachers' pay claims. Doubt about the future of this year's Country Week already has seen some schools abandon plans to attend.

    "This kind of action by the union produces no winners and plenty of losers. The children lose their chance to participate in Country Week, with all the social and physical benefits which attend it, and the teachers inflict yet more damage on their already-shaky public image."

    From The West Australian
    
    
    

• ABC News
  
  
  • Teacher union fined over stop work meeting
    
    "The Industrial Relations Commission has fined the State School Teachers Union $1,500 for what it described as a very serious breach of an order to call off a stop work meeting.

    "Thousands of teachers walked off the job in February to demand better pay and conditions.

    "The commission had ordered the union to abandon the meeting.

    "The union faced a maximum penalty of $2,000 or possible deregistration."
    
    From ABC News at link
    
    
    

• The Australian
  
  
  • Schools minister warns parents
    by Natasha Robinson
    
    "The Northern Territory's Deputy Chief Minister is under fire after shifting blame for the crisis in remote education to alcoholic, drug-addicted parents who fail to send their children to school.

    "Marion Scrymgour, who also holds the Education portfolio, yesterday warned parents that failing to send their children to school was illegal and that she would enforce penalties for those who failed to do so.

    "Ms Scrymgour, one of the most senior Aboriginal politicians in the country, will establish, "subject to negotiations", two community partnership education boards, to be located in the Walpiri triangle in central Australia and selected communities in East Arnhem Land.

    "Ms Scrymgour's plan to tackle what she admits is a crisis in remote education was delivered to Northern Territory parliament this week, with parental responsibility at the core of the Government's attempts to improve the shocking literacy and numeracy outcomes among Aboriginal children in the Territory.

    "The community education partnership boards would place "core responsibility" for education on the shoulders of parents, encouraging "community ownership and management" of education and training services.

    "The boards would also be aimed at ensuring that all four-year-olds had access to 15 hours' preschooling each week, and would increase enrolment and attendance, and literacy and numeracy competency, Ms Scrymgour said.

    "Announcing new budget funds of $11.2million for remote school upgrades, $2.6million for 26 additional teachers, $1.5million for remote preschools and $650,000 for a "school attendance team", Ms Scrymgour also said that early development family centres, community-based residential hostels, and health support services would form part of the Territory Government's policy platform to deal with the remote education crisis.

    "She told ABC radio yesterday that the failure of parents in remote communities to send their children to school was "a form of child abuse". "It is an indictment on every parent out there that denies their child the right to an education," Ms Scrymgour said. "It is a form of child abuse.

    "Substance abuse plays a major factor in this, and it's not just the grog and the ganja; there's also gambling, which is a major issue in communities ... and it's about saying to (parents), well, you know, it is illegal. You must send your kids to school."

    "Ms Scrymgour said she would investigate the possibility of having authorised officers who would enforce the compulsory education component of the Territory's Education Act.

    "But the Council of Government School Organisations has hit out at suggestions that parents are partly to blame for the Territory's remote education crisis, labelling it a cop-out.

    "Harping on attendance is to talk about a symptom," council vice-president Michael Duffy told The Australian. "It's not the cause of the crisis. The cause of the crisis is that remote education delivery has failed."

    From The Australian at link
    
    
    
  • Op Ed
    Press freedom bordering on ridiculous
    by Tony Barrass
    
    "Believe it or not, Perth has become the toughest environment in the country in which to practise the public service of journalism. The boom state has become the goon state, where standover and intimidation against the media is the Labor Government's weapon of choice.

    "Police raids by armed officers on busy newsrooms, secret telephone tapping, grilling of reporters by Corruption and Crime Commission investigators that can't be reported - or even whispered to wives, husbands or, incredibly, bosses and employers - are becoming commonplace.

    "The days of the cabinet leak are over. Clarification: the days of the leak not organised by the Government Media Office are over, particularly those that have the potential to cause electoral pain to a Government led, ironically, by the former journalist Alan Carpenter.

    "It is a sign of the times that many senior working journalists in WA take it as a given that their mobile phones are being, or have been, bugged. Evidence given to the CCC over the past two years confirms that what would have been a silly, paranoid suggestion only a matter of years ago is now an undeniable possibility.

    "Wednesday's raid on The Sunday Times newsroom by armed officers was overkill bordering on the ridiculous.

    "The Department of Premier and Cabinet wants the CCC and police to catch those responsible for leaking a relatively innocuous yarn about Treasurer Eric Ripper wanting more taxpayers' money for advertising should the Government go to the polls early.

    "Several other senior journalists at the paper - and at least three at The West Australian, two at commercial television stations and one at the ABC - have over the past two years been dragged into the CCC's St George's Terrace HQ or confronted at home and told to answer questions under the 2003 CCC Act.

    "If they refuse, they can be arrested."

    From The Australian at link
    
    
    
    • Newspaper raid 'like in Malaysia' [The Australian]
      
      Major media organisations yesterday unanimously condemned a government-instigated raid on The Sunday Times newspaper in Perth and leading media academics likened it to oppressive tactics used in Malaysia.
      
      
    • Newspaper raid slated as political [The Age]
      
      A raid on a Perth newspaper that published articles embarrassing the WA Government has been slammed by the paper's editor, media proprietors and the journalists' union as politically motivated.
      
      
      
      
      
• The Washington Post
  
  
  • Study Questions 'No Child' Act's Reading Plan
    by Maria Glod
    
    Lauded Program Fails To Improve Test Scores
    
    "Students enrolled in a $6 billion federal reading program that is at the heart of the No Child Left Behind law are not reading any better than those who don't participate, according to a U.S. government report.

    "The study released yesterday by the Department of Education's research arm found that students in schools that use Reading First, which provides grants to improve elementary school reading, scored about the same on comprehension tests as their peers who attended schools that did not receive program money.

    "The conclusion is likely to reignite the longstanding "reading wars." Critics say that Reading First places too much emphasis on explicit phonics instruction and doesn't do enough to foster understanding..."
    
    "Teachers in Reading First classrooms spent about 10 minutes more each day on instruction in the five areas emphasized by the program -- awareness of individual sounds, phonics, vocabulary, reading fluency and comprehension -- than colleagues in schools that didn't receive program grants, the study concluded. There was no difference when children were tested on how well they could read and understand material on a widely used exam. [emphasis added]
    
    "There was no statistically significant impact on reading comprehension scores in grades one, two or three," Grover J. "Russ" Whitehurst, director of the Institute of Education Sciences, the Education Department's research arm, said in a briefing with reporters. He said students in both groups made gains.

    "It's possible that, in implementing Reading First, there is a greater emphasis on decoding skills and not enough emphasis, or maybe not correctly structured emphasis, on reading comprehension," he said. "It's one possibility." ...
    
    "Yesterday's report focused on Reading First instruction and didn't address controversy over management of the program.

    "A 2006 report from the Education Department's inspector general, John P. Higgins Jr., found that some program officials steered states to certain tests and textbooks. Congressional testimony last year revealed that some of those officials benefited financially because of ties to companies that produced those products. Higgins said last year that he had referred his findings to the Justice Department. A spokesman for federal prosecutors said yesterday that an inquiry is pending..." [emphasis added]
    
    Full story in The Washington Post at link
    
    
    

  • Agnes Meyer Awards: Recognizing Teachers Who Inspire
    
    From All Sorts of Disciplines, From All Over the Region, They Share a Spark
    
    
    

• The Age
  
  
  • Abbott wants welfare quarantine extended
    
    Half of all welfare payments should be quarantined to pay for necessities, according to Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott... Families Minister Jenny Macklin said the Government was committed to ensuring welfare payments were spent in the interests of children and would "quarantine income in instances where there is evidence of neglect, child abuse or problem behaviours including drug and alcohol abuse and problem gambling."
    
    Similar story in The Sydney Morning Herald
    
    
    
  • Letters to the Editor
    
    
    • Haven for humanity
      
      "It was disappointing to read the headline "Warning on state Steiner schools" (The Age, 29/4). As a parent of teenagers and an experienced primary teacher, I moved to an independent Steiner school due to the astounding failure of the state system to value the knowledge, skills, wisdom and experience of it's teachers. I have found the Steiner system a joyous haven of humanity and educational commonsense. It is not a religion, but it is based on a comprehensive philosophy of human development with the view that we are beings of body, mind, soul and spirit.

      "We do not begin formal literacy until our children are about seven, but why is this seen as a problem? We do discourage excessive computer use as we do not believe developing brains should be frazzled with garish un-natural stimuli. We teach the child in a way that cares for the development of each precious body, mind, soul and spirit entrusted to our care."

      Pamela Bjork-Billings, Connewarre
      
      

    • Hippy psychobabble
      
      "Simon Thornton's defence of Steiner (Letters, 1/5) spouts yet more ridiculous and unsubstantiated psychobabble typical of the deluded Steiner hippies. He asserts that the Steiner curriculum places emphasis on understanding the history of the world. What he doesn't say is that the story of Atlantis is presented to Steiner pupils as fact.

      "All very nice but there is absolutely no place for this airy-fairy, New-Age twaddle in our public school system and it should be removed permanently and immediately. If this is the kind of choice and diversity that some parents want for their special little rainbow children, they can send them to an established private Steiner school and stop bludging off the rest of us."

      Arturo Larizza, West Footscray
      
      

    • Taxi drivers

      "Teachers take note, taxi drivers' negotiating skills are A+."

      Karyn Myers, Diamond Creek
      
      
      

• The Sydney Morning Herald
  
  
  • Op Ed
    Art or noise? Sex, death and Grand Theft Auto IV
    by Tim Rutten, The Los Angeles Times
    
    "One of the hallmarks of a healthy consumer society is that its older generation habitually despises and decries the entertainments of the young..."
    
    "What Grand Theft Auto IV affirms is the pleasure of eschewing decency for obnoxious violence. That is why Australia and New Zealand are forcing the game's makers to distribute edited copies, and a spokesman for the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, reacted with horror over the use of that city as a backdrop. The mayor, he said, "does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers".

    "An interesting thing about the game is that it is the product of a global youth culture whose frame of reference has been shaped by American action films, post-apocalyptic Euro-American fantasy fiction and Japanese graphic novels. Its "authors" are a pair of Englishmen, and the technical crew that put it together is in Scotland. They've thrust their Balkan protagonist into an America of the imagination that exists nowhere and, in a virtual sense, everywhere.

    "Censorship will not avail against this kind of compelling cultural shift - nor should it. Grand Theft Auto IV is a work of genius - but it is genius in the service of nothing more than sensation and profit."
    
    Full story in The Sydney Morning Herald at link
    

Saturday – Sunday, 3 – 4 May

• The West Australian
  
  
  • Sacked teacher wins case and $83,000 back pay (page 59)
    by Bethany Hiatt

    "A Catholic school teacher who was sacked after claims he used force to discipline an unruly student has won his case against the Bishop of Broome in the WA Industrial Relations Commission.

    "The commission found that Timothy Casey, 54, was unfairly dismissed from his teaching job at Sacred Heart School in the remote community of Beagle Bay and awarded him nearly $83,000 in lost wages.

    "Mr. Casey vowed to press ahead with plans to sue the Bishop of Broome, Christopher Saunders, for compensation because he claims he was unable to teach after he was stripped of his accreditation with the WA College of Teaching. After months without income he had a nervous breakdown.

    "Many teachers in the State school system have complained that students are getting away with unacceptable behaviour because they are hamstrung by bureaucratic procedures.

    "But the Catholic Education Office said the case was more complex than an attempt to control a disruptive student.

    "The school's principal and two teacher aides accused Mr. Casey of yelling at a student, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off the ground before dropping him in September, 2006.

    "Neither the principal nor the aides were present during the incident.

    "They claimed that Mr. Casey had been involved in similar incidents at the school.

    "Mr. Casey, who had been teaching for more than 20 years and is also a qualified psychologist, said the student had been skylarking around on a wet floor and he had grabbed him to stop him falling.

    "Commissioner Stephanie Mayman sad she was more inclined to accept evidence of Mr. Casey over his accusers because of its consistency.

    "Catholic Education Office director Ron Dullard conceded that the process should have been handled better by the school.

    "He said teachers did not have the right to "manhandle" a student. "You can protect them for their own safety and you can take measures in certain situations to restrain them," he said.

    "Mr. Dullard said Mr. Casey had been offered another job at a school in Warmun as directed by the commission, but he had failed to take it up. Mr. Casey said he had chosen not to take the job because of poor health."

    From The West Australian

    
    

  • Teachers fined $1500 over stop-work day 'may strike again' (page 7)
    by Bethany Hiatt

    "The teachers' union has refused to rule out more strike action after it was fined $1500 yesterday for refusing to call off a stop-work meeting which forced 35 schools to close for a day in February.

    "The full bench of the WA Industrial Relations Commission described the breach as "very serious" when handing down its decision.

    "Commission acting president Mark Ritter said the union could have appealed if it had not agreed with the commission's order to call off industrial action.

    "In this instance though, the respondent participated in a hearing, did not like the outcome, walked away and, in a very planned fashion, thumbed its nose at the commission and did the opposite of what it was ordered to do," he said. "The full bench can not in any condone the respondent's behaviour."

    "Mr. Ritter said there was a "chasm" between the harshest penalty, deregistration, and the next option, which was a maximum of $2000 fine.

    "The full bench decided that a $1500 fine was appropriate because the union had admitted it defied the order and had given an undertaking to comply with future orders.

    "Despite saying outside the commission that the union accepted the commission's decision, State School Teachers Union president Anne Gisborne refused to rule out more strikes.

    "We will always have consideration of industrial action," she said.

    "We never rule out any choices or actions that we may need to consider or take."

    "The union still has a ban in place on activities outside school hours such as school camps and excursions.

    "Teachers are also targeting politicians in marginal electorates."

    From The West Australian at link

    
    

  • MP kicks up stink on sewerage (page 54)
    by Giovanni Torre

    "MP Janet Woollard has savaged the State Government's handling of the sewerage problems at Booragoon Primary School.

    "Pre-primary students and staff have been evacuated to the school's library on at east three occasions over the past year because of "a strong smell" coming from the toilet block.

    "Dr. Woollard, the MP for Alfred Cove, called on Education Minister Mark McGowan to act rather than making "a half-hearted promise" to look into the feasibility of connecting the school, which is in her constituency, to the mains sewer. "If the Minister stopped fobbing the community off and went for the western boundary connection proposal, the school could qualify for a financial contribution from the Water Corporation of around $10,000," she said. [emphasis added]

    "She added that a plumbing consultant hired by the Water Corporation had identified two solutions and it had been estimated the sewerage extension to the school boundary cost around $15,000 to $20,000.

    "Education Department director of infrastructure Mal Farr said the department was not aware of a plumbing consultant being hired and the cost would more likely be $168,000.

    "He said the Department of Housing and Works had found the only practical option was to use the existing mains sewer connection point at Hallam Close. The cost of this would have to be looked at "as part of a future budgeting process."

    From The West Australian

    
    

  • School canteens feel the bite of rising costs and fewer helpers (page 54)
    by Joseph Catanzaro

    "Soaring food prices, shrinking disposable incomes and a declining number of volunteers are driving WA school canteens to the wall.

    "In the past year, several around the State have been forced to close.

    "In the past year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has recorded a 13 per cent rise in the price of vegetables, cheese and milk, with fruit up 11 per cent and bread 9 per cent..."

    "Under the State Government's traffic light programme, 60 per cent of every school canteen menu must comprise green foods, such as fruit and salads. While canteen managers agree that the programme is helping in the fight to combat child obesity, it does leave them very vulnerable to increases in the costs of fresh foods..."

    "A spokesman for the Department of Education and Training could not rule out rising fresh food prices as a contributing factor to the recent school canteen closures. However, difficulty in recruiting and retaining volunteers was primarily to blame..."

    Full story in The West Australian
    
    
    

• The New York Times
  
  
  • I Know What You Did Last Math Class
    
    Programs that let parents track grades in real time are popular but can raise stress.
    
    [This has been common in many US private schools (including Brewster Academy) for many years; parents can access their child's homework / test / attendance / etc. results online.  Web]
    
    
    
    
• The Times
  
  
  • Row over GTCE plans to recycle 24,000 failing teachers [2 May]
    
    Up to 24,000 incompetent teachers should be removed from their classrooms and put to work in neighbouring schools, according to the body responsible for upholding teaching standards. [Lucky "neighbouring schools". Do they get to return the favour with their "incompetent teachers"? Sounds like a "DET solution".  Web]
    
    
    • Teachers: constantly scrutinised but among the hardest to dismiss
      
      A reluctance to speak up against colleagues means the inadequate may stay in a job
      
      
      
    • Incompetent teachers: problems should be dealt with, not passed on
      
      Schools – whether state or independent – have never been good at dealing with incompetent teachers. The procedures are tortuous and time-consuming and the personal nature of the process often divides staff rooms and damages morale. It is easier for head teachers to encourage the miscreant to resign with a reference that allows him or her to transfer the problem to another unsuspecting school.
      
      
      
  • ‘Technology for toddlers’ scheme risks creating a screen-addict generation [3 May]
    
    Targets for “toddler technology” skills laid down by the Government, which will require children to master basic computer skills by the age of 4 and understand how to use a television remote control, pose serious risks to child development, experts have said.
    
    
    
    
• The Independent
  
  
  • Pressure of work forced 1,000 headteachers to quit last year [3 May]
    
    More than a thousand headteachers quit their jobs early last year because of the pressure they were under, according to figures released yesterday. Senior officials of the National Association of Head Teachers said their members were treated like football managers, with school governors demanding "results, results, results".
    
    
    
    
• The Weekend Australian
  
  
  • Editorial
    A desert success story [late pickup from 2 May]
    

    Good sense in the classroom brings results
    
    "Mitchell Drage, a Pinikura-Thudgara man and one of Australia's few indigenous school principals - pictured on Page 1 of this newspaper yesterday - is an Australia hero. With support from the Western Australian Government's Aboriginal literacy strategy, he is giving the children of Kiwirrkurra in the Gibson Desert, 1800km north of Kalgoorlie, a precious gift that will last a lifetime. Literacy.

    "Progress is gradual, but impressive. From 2005 to last year, the percentage of remote Year 3 Aboriginal children in Western Australia achieving the national reading benchmark lifted from 48 per cent to 66 per cent. In Year 5, it improved from 31 per cent to 42 per cent. The children are discovering the joys of reading, enjoying library books.

    "Each morning, the children of Kiwirrkurra and other remote communities in the west spend two hours reading and writing. It is a compulsory part of the literacy strategy, rolled out to 42 remote schools in 2006. As Mr Drage says: "I call that common sense." And it would be worth adopting in mainstream city and provincial schools, where thousands of white children also fail, year in and year out, to achieve benchmarks that are the foundation of all learning.

    "Being highly structured, with sufficient repetition for the children to grasp the basics, the literacy strategy is also helping guide many newly graduated teachers in how to teach. At Kiwirrkurra, the support of an enthusiastic parent body, in an officially "dry" community, has also boosted the chances of success.

    "While many of the children speak their own languages at home, an important feature of the school is that teaching is in English. As Helen Hughes showed in her recent Centre for Independent Studies paper, 40 years of dismal failure have left remote community parents in the Northern Territory desperate for mainstream education for their children. This includes learning in English from kindergarten onwards. The Western Australian model is succeeding where many others have failed. It is the way of the future." [emphasis added]
    

    From The [Friday] Australian at link
    
    
    
  • Letter to the Editor
    
    
    • First Byte
      
      "The successful West Australian program to teach Aboriginal children the joys of reading ("Literacy plan works, take it as read’’, 1/5) is going to be wiped out as soon as some bureaucrat in the education department realises that it works because it’s whole-language teaching."
      
      Brenton Groves, Toorak, Vic
      
      
      
      
• The Age
  
  
  • Letter to the Editor
    
    
    • Learning the lingo
      
      "As a private employment consultant who works with a large number of skilled migrants, I can assure you that the lack of basic English skills, rather than someone's religion (Letters, 2/5) is a significant barrier to employment. The basic verbal and written English skills of some masters graduates leaves me wondering about the academic standards at certain tertiary institutions. Strong written and verbal communication skills are a reasonable expectation of any employer — these graduates simply cannot meet this requirement and this isevident in the wording of their cover letters and resumes, then reinforced by pre-screen phone interviews.

      "It is also clear that these tertiary institutions are prepared to take students' money for courses, then provide them with no real understanding of Australian workplace culture and no real idea how to apply for work in Australia."

      Sam Harrison, Newport

All Alston cartoons are © The West Australian Newspaper
All media quotations, photographs and cartoons © their respective publishers

This page last updated 11 August, 2008 11:48 PM