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Breaking
News: Week of 4 August 2008
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Saturday – Sunday, 9 – 10 August
- The Age
- Teachers switch on performance pay
by Farrah Tomazin
"Half the nation's public school teachers would be eligible for an annual salary of $100,000 under a contentious plan by the powerful education union to revamp wages based on performance.
"In a departure from the union's previous opposition to merit-based pay — an idea pushed heavily by the Howard government leading up to the election — teachers are now calling for a career structure that would pay staff on the basis of performance and skills and not just years of service.
"Under the scheme, classroom teachers could earn at least $100,000 a year if they were "accomplished" teachers. Teachers who volunteer for the program would be measured by an independent panel and required to prove exceptional classroom practice and lesson planning, knowledge of the curriculum, professional development, participation in the broader school community, and the extent to which they have improved student achievement.
"Australian Education Union federal president Angelo Gavrielatos said the proposal was designed to keep the best teachers in the classroom.
"In Victoria, teachers are paid between $51,184 and $75,500, but to earn more they must undertake extra roles such as VCE co-ordination or school management jobs.
"We need to ensure that we have a competitive professional salary to attract teachers in the numbers required," Mr Gavrielatos said.
"Beyond that (we need) a framework that would further recognise and reward demonstrated quality teaching, skills, knowledge and practice."
"The union's model was developed by the University of NSW, where researchers devised a set of national standards to measure whether teachers were "accomplished" and deserving of higher pay.
"A survey found that half the government school sector — around 100,000 teachers — could be classified as "accomplished" teachers under the proposed checklist.
"The model, which the union calls "professional pay" rather than performance-based pay, is likely to prove contentious.
"Last year, when then education minister Julie Bishop suggested rewarding high-performing teachers by looking at a combination of student results and peer-based assessments, the states and teachers described the idea as unworkable and ideologically driven.
"Mr Gavrielatos stood by his earlier criticisms, saying the Coalition's plan was never backed by the necessary funding.
"But federal Opposition education spokesman Tony Smith yesterday said it was about time the union had "come out of the stone ages".
"We would want to make sure this model is rigorous and competitive and doesn't simply mean more pay for the majority of teachers without improved outcomes."
"Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard welcomed the union's proposal but refused to be drawn on whether the Government would provide funding to back it up. The Government is spending $400,000 on research to find ways of rewarding teachers for "quality teaching".
"The proposal comes after the Business Council of Australia called for governments to invest $4 billion to pay teachers on the basis of merit, and also proposed a $100,000 salary for the nation's best.
"Earlier this year a survey of 1700 teachers found that nearly half planned to leave within 10 years, with workload, pay and class sizes among their concerns."
From The Age at link
Similar story in The Australian
- Literacy chairman sees red on uni 'claptrap'
by Caroline Milburn
"The chairman of the national literacy inquiry has accused university teacher training faculties of "puddling around in postmodernist claptrap" and ignoring the inquiry's main finding on how reading should be taught in schools.
"Dr Ken Rowe said education faculties had refused to adopt the 2005 inquiry's recommendation that phonics - the explicit teaching of letter sound combinations that make up the English language - should be the central method used to teach children to read.
"Nothing has actually happened since the inquiry because higher education providers of education and those who provide ongoing professional development of teachers, with a few exceptions, are still puddling around in postmodernist claptrap about how children learn to read," Dr Rowe told The Age.
"As part of the national inquiry we surveyed the 34 providers of higher education and held focus groups with them, and we, myself and members of the board, were appalled at the ideological pathology that is endemic in these universities - the whole language, constructivist, inquiry-based approach to learning to read."
"The "whole language method" uses a mainly activity-based approach, with teachers reading to children and using the stories to guide them to recognise common words and some basic letter-sound blends.
"Dr Rowe warned that the Federal Government's $577 million Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan, announced in the May budget, could be a waste of money if it relied on teacher education bodies to advise it on reading methods. Under the plan, the Government will provide $10 million to research the best literacy and numeracy programs and teacher professional development.
"Who is going to gather the data? The universities?" Dr Rowe said. "Both the local and international evidence base is unequivocal about the role of phonics in teaching reading. We know what actually works. It's not so much about having to gather baseline evidence again. The evidence is there in the UK, the US and it's here, but our teachers don't know about it."
"The president of the Australian Council of Deans of Education, Professor Sue Willis, rejected Dr Rowe's criticisms and said all education faculties were committed to evidence-based teaching practices. She said there had been a shift of emphasis in teacher training institutions in recent years to reflect the inquiry's recommendations.
"She said Dr Rowe's view that phonics should be the central method was not backed by the inquiry's recommendation that phonics should be taught systematically but equally with other approaches to reading.
"Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard said the Government reforms, including the creation of a national curriculum from kindergarten to year 12, would ensure proven methods were used in classrooms to teach reading.
"It is my firm view that as a nation we need to get back to basics," she said. "The teaching of phonics, grammar and punctuation are all an important part of the learning process . . . We have a responsibility to ensure we are teaching young people the right things in the right way." [emphasis added]
From The Age at link
Similar article in The Australian
- Op Ed
Suspicious minds make being a man no longer child's play
by Steve Waldon
"Nearly 20 years ago, I was working nights. That made me an oddity at my children's primary school: a lone male parent among the dozens of mums available to take part in school programs during the day.
"A grade 2 teacher approached me as I dropped the kids off one morning. Could I spare time once a week to do sporting things with her class? You know, be a male role model while their own dads (and some mums) were at work?
"The first session was outside, because the weather was fine, and we mucked about with tunnelball, a few footy basics, and the monkey bars.
"It was drizzling the following week, so I gathered the pupils in a hallway and had them doing forward rolls in relays. There was no third week. I'm truly sorry, the teacher said, but some mums have complained about you taking the kids for sporting activities.
"It seemed that I had been spotted lifting the little girls on to the monkey bars, which meant I was touching them..."
Full story in The Age at link
- ABC News
- Buswell announces resignation
Western Australian Opposition Leader Troy Buswell has announced his resignation at a press conference at Parliament House in Perth.
- The Sunday Times online / PerthNow
- Teachers to continue strike action
The Australian Education Union says it will continue with industrial action this week, after starting rolling strikes in Adelaide's north this morning.
- Student numbers buck national trends at WA private schools
West Australian private schools say their student numbers are growing despite parents facing higher household costs.
- Parental swing back to public schools
The New South Wales Education Department says it is pleased with figures that show there has been a swing away from private schools back to public schools.
- The West Australian
- Letter to the Editor (page 22)
- Teacher crunch
“A crisis is looming. Poor remuneration and working conditions has meant teaching is not a career of choice for high school graduates and those that have toiled for years at the blackboard are choosing greener pastures.
“As Mark McGowan tries to shaft teachers in the latest pay dispute, his boss Alan Carpenter appears to have got a severe case of amnesia. Was it not him who said in Parliament while in opposition back in June 2000 the “We need to attract more people into teaching because a crisis is looming...We must pay them more...What teachers expect and would like is a commitment that the Minister understands or accepts that they are underpaid...”?
“Mr McGowan’s response is to make a paltry offer that will barely keep up with inflation and yet expects hardworking teachers to trade off even more conditions.
“Why is it the Government only understands the needs of its people when in opposition?”
Eugene de Gouw, Lesmurdie
- Dismay at derelict and dangerous TAFE ruins (page 7)
by Joseph Catanzaro
"Broken shards of glass and jagged bits of metal litter the ground. Almost every building features smashed windows and kicked-on doors.
"In one room, what appear to be human faeces are smeared on the wall. In another, bottles of poison are on the floor. Obscene graffiti seems to cover every surface.
"Once known as Carine TAFE, this derelict collection of buildings had become a deadly playground for local children. The TAFE was shut in 2005 and on Saturday local residents invited to the grounds by LandCorp discussed redevelopment proposals – and they were shocked at the derelict state of the buildings.
"Teacher Vivien Boulder, who runs a sewing class in one of the few functional buildings at the TAFE, said local youngsters had done the damage. “They’re getting in through the fence and it is dangerous,” she said.
"Endorsed Liberal party candidate for Carine Tony Krsticevic said he was appalled when he received photos from concerned residents. “It’s surrounded by bushland,” he said. “If a child was to injure themselves after going in there on their own, it could be days before anyone found them.”
"He said power, gas and water were still connected to many of the abandoned buildings. “No one seems to be taking an interest in consumption,” Mr Krsticevic said. “The venue should be cleaned out. In particular, they should remove the toxic materials. It should have the utilities disconnected. There is no-one monitoring the site and there should be.”
"Residents and Mr Krsticevic also raised questions about why equipment paid for by taxpayers had been left to rot. Mr Krsticevic said redevelopment ideas discussed included aged-care facilities, retirement villas and high-rise buildings.
"A spokesman for the Department of Education and Training said buildings on the Carine site were scheduled for demolition and negotiations were under way with the developer. There would be an urgent inspection of the site this morning."
From The West Australian
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Letters to the Editor
"The celebration of one Aboriginal boy rescued from the plight of disadvantage certainly encourages a feel-good sense of victory against all odds. It is the stuff of so many great tales sold via the silver screen. ("One teenage boy says it all", August 2-3).
"But outside of the cinema there is reality. Miranda Devine's feel-good article suggests that schools such as Riverview hold the solution to improving the lives of young Aborigines such as Cyril Johnson across the board.
"A new generation of indigenous boys and girls attending elite secondary boarding schools on scholarships around Australia hold the key to turning around entrenched disadvantage," she says.
"To date, only a handful of Aboriginal youth have been given an opportunity to attend such elite secondary boarding schools. Good luck to those few who get these chances.
"For the rest, only a better resourced and strategically focused public education system can provide the opportunities to overcome the cycle of entrenched poverty experienced by many young Aborigines and others.
"To address disadvantage we would do better to consider the question of how governments fund schools. Every dollar that goes to elite schools is a dollar not going to funding genuine programs to assist students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds."Bob Fawcett, Alexandria
- "Kincoppal-Rose Bay's principal comments on how indigenous students at the school have "added to the diversity of our school community," and how it "challenges stereotypes and changes your thinking" to know students from backgrounds unlike your own. Public schools have always had this rich array of students in the school community. They also have talented and caring teachers. Would it not make more sense to pour resources into our public schools and our community services, so that local communities are strengthened? Would it not be better for fine young people such as Cyril Johnson to achieve their potential among their families, being role models for the other indigenous students?
"Instead of shipping Aboriginal children to rich private schools, I think our country would be a better place if we shipped many of those private school students to public schools around the state. They would be on a guaranteed steep learning curve."Stefanie Foster, Moruya Heads
- "It is uplifting to read about the educational success of young indigenous people from remote areas being invited to attend highly resourced, private, city boarding schools.
"These reports made me think about the achievements of all those in this state who have contributed to raising the apparent retention rate for Aboriginal students from year 10 to year 12 to around 40 per cent.
"It is an achievement that has involved taking opportunities to Aboriginal students in their local schools and working with Aboriginal families and communities.
"It reflects the effort and determination of Aboriginal students, families and communities, as well as Aboriginal educators and assistants in schools. It also attests to the dedication of many teachers and principals, working in schools ranging from the inner city to remote areas. It is an achievement that has come largely through the public school system supported by numbers of the oft-maligned officers working in the education department and by teachers.
"These are people who have gone about their daily work, often in difficult circumstances and without adequate and appropriate resources. They would be the first to acknowledge how much more remains to be done.
"It is important that their dedication and successes not be overshadowed by the opportunities being offered through private boarding schools."Lyndsay Connors, Edgecliff
"The challenge now must be to ensure that hope for the future generated by better education is extended to as many indigenous youth as possible. The examples of Riverview, St Joseph's and several other colleges show that disadvantage can be overcome, that change is possible and that with intelligent commitment from a range of interests, not least from indigenous communities, the future for their youth can and will be more promising."
Robert McKenna, Elizabeth Bay
- The West Australian
School heads the ‘losers’ in teachers’ deal (page 15)
by Bethany Hiatt
“The teachers’ proposed pay deal has suffered another blow, with principals’ groups assaying school leaders would be among the losers in the agreement struck with the State Government.
“WA Primary Principals Association president Stephen Breen said many principals were concerned the proposed offer gave 90 minutes a week of clerical support to high school department heads, but nothing to principals or their deputies.
“We’ve got some concerns about it,” he said. “It’s a relativity thing. Primary administrators seem to be left out.”
“The State School Teachers Union executive endorsed the proposed pay deal when it was announced by the Government two weeks ago, though seven of its 17 members broke ranks last week to reveal they would not support it.
“The deal, which offers teachers increases between 15 and 21 per cent over three years, would give administrators rises of 17 per cent.
“Mr Breen said he could not comment on whether principals should accept the pay offer because WAPPA was a professional association, not an industrial body.
“But he said feedback from school leaders showed they were concerned about inequities in the amount of support time offered to primary school administrators compared with those in high schools.
“School leaders have got a concern that primary education seems to be viewed by the negotiating people that we do not require the same amount of support time,” he said.
“In an email to principals last week Mr Breen said: “The offer has a number of additions that colleagues would applaud and a few that could be debated by the membership.”
“WA secondary School Executives Association president Rob Nairn said he shared Mr Breen’s concerns. “The role of the principal has increased significantly and there’s no clerical support come through for principals or deputy principals,” he said.
“Mr Nairn said he could not comment further until he had seen details of the proposed offer and received feedback from members.
“Union president Anne Gisborne said administrators would also benefit from the clerical support because it would bring extra resourcing into schools. “It’s about helping the schools,” she said.
“Ms Gisborne said the members’ vote on whether to accept the pay deal would go ahead despite some executive members discrediting it.”
From The West Australian
- Students dump traditional TEE subjects (page 15)
by Bethany Hiatt
“High school students are flocking to new subjects such as media production and analysis, physical education studies and outdoor education instead of the more traditional science and humanities subjects, according to new figures.
“Curriculum Council figures show that this year’s enrolment of 6723 students in physical education was more than three times the number of students who selected biology.
“The number of Year 11 students who chose outdoor education leapt 39 per cent, from 2004 last year to 2784 this year.
“Almost 2500 students enrolled in media this year, more than double the number who chose the subject two years ago before it became eligible for tertiary entrance.
“Humanities were the hardest hit, with geography, history and economics still struggling to claw back students after their numbers plummeted last year. Factors affecting enrolment patter changes include the availability of new subjects which were not previously eligible for tertiary entrance and the scrapping of a requirement for students to include at least one humanities and one maths or science subject in university entrance calculations. Under the new system, results from students’ best four subjects will be used to calculate tertiary entrance scores.
“The Curriculum Council said enrolments in history, geography and economics had declined significantly, despite more schools offering those subjects. Numbers in biology had also declined, though the number studying other science subjects had remained constant.
“Curriculum Council chief executive David Wood said the council would continue to monitor subject enrolments. “Decline in some social science subjects, and to a lesser degree languages, has been occurring over a number of years now and is most likely caused by changes to university entry requirement which allow students to study English as their only humanities subject,” he said.”
From The West Australian
- Inside Cover
Labor flush with good ideas to make friends in Morley (page 2)
“The toilets of Morley Senior High School are something of a social institution, where many a youth had their first cigarette, sorted out disputes and even had their ears pierced.
“The boys loos in the social studies block are also fondly remembered as the home of hanger contests, where virus-augmented spitballs would be propelled onto the ceiling and left to dry and form a community of skeletal stalactites.
“But, with a State election probably only weeks away, 36 years of Morley moments are set to be demolished in the name of progress and a political hopeful who shares his first name with a prominent plumbing supplier.
“The bloke is Reece Whitby, a long-time television journalist and Cottesloe resident recruited by Premier Alan Carpenter to wrest Morley away from former Labor-turned-Independent incumbent John D’Orazio.
“Even though the election date has not been announced, Carpenter moved to shore up support in Morley at the weekend by unveiling plans to spend $72 million building an overpass for Reid Highway at Alexander Drive.
“Whitby was one of the backdrops to Carpenter’s announcement of what is a long overdue upgrade of the State’s worst accident blackspot which sits on the northern boundary of a potential electoral blackspot for Labor.
“The ministerial cavalcade continued yesterday when Education Minister Mark “Sneakers” McGowan, with Whitby in tow, visited Morley High to again roll out the pork barrel. The Government is to spend $1.5 million upgrading the toilet blocks at Morley High that, by all accounts, have changed very little in the 30 years since this column’s editor had a brief by failed career as an assistant piercer. Also, worryingly, they are apparently an asbestos hazard.
“When queried about the $1.5 million plumbing bill, Whitby pointed out there were nine toilet blocks and they were in serious need of replacement. “I am sure you are probably the reason they are the worse for wear,” he said.
“The big coincidence is that D’Orazio said in a flyer circulated at the weekend that the school needed an urgent upgrade of its toilets.
“D’Orazio said he had been campaigning with the school’s parent body for the past four years for the toilets to be fixed and had been told the money was not available. “It is amazing how you can find the money when the election is so close,” said the sitting member.”
From The West Australian
- ABC News
- Barnett announces intention to lead the Liberal party
- Best principals get higher salaries for worst schools
"The Victorian Government has begun appointing principals on executive contracts to try to improve poor performing schools.
"The new system allows the Government to give the best principals higher salaries to lure them to schools in lower socio-economic areas.
"The Government will also spend $10 million setting up an institute for the professional development of principals.
"The Education Minister, Bronwyn Pike, says principals will be given executive contracts on a case-by-case basis.
"We believe that it is important to provide incentives for our high performing leaders," she said.
"To reinvigorate education in those areas where in some cases [they] have been struggling and so this is a very important initiative."
From ABC News at link
- PhD students face increasing financial stress, inquiry told
Universities have told a federal inquiry that Australia will lose standing in the academic world if scholarships for PhD students are not substantially increased.
- The Age
- Reading: Case for a change [4 August: not available online]
by Kerry Hempenstall
"After more than 50 years, empirical researchers of alphabetic languages have reached agreement about what is required to teach children to read.
"The most reliable approach begins with teaching students about how the written word is simply a visual code for the spoken word. It is often called phonics teaching and a child’s understanding of how the code works is considered a necessary, though not sufficient condition, for skilled reading to develop.
"When children are beginning to learn to read, they know the meanings of many more of the words they hear and say than of the words they can read on a page.
"The big advantage of knowing how phonics works is that it enables the reading of words a child hasn’t seen before. The meaning is understood once it has been pronounced, as long as it’s a word in the child’s vocabulary.
"This strategy relieves children of the daunting task of trying to remember every new word as a new shape.
"There are countless studies supportive of the phonics approach, including one conducted in Clackmannanshire, Scotland.
"Children were taught reading using synthetic phonics and in the national reading testing at age 11, the Clackmannanshire students were three years ahead of the national average.
"This method of teaching will now be available to students across Britain.
"Phonics teaching needs to be systematic to have an impact on all children. Some grasp phonics principles readily, and can then self-teach many of the associated skills through large amounts of reading. Others need far more assistance, both in intensity and time.
"Synthetic phonics involves first teaching the letter sounds, and how to blend them together to make words. This sequence covers the alphabet systematically, and offers sufficient practice to ensure the vital associations are firmly established.
"These activities are scheduled separately to other language activities such as listening to a teacher read a story. The alternative, sometimes promoted as phonics within a balanced literacy program, has been shown to be too hit and miss. When the cues to phonics principles are presented informally while reading stories, too many children fail to establish the connections that systematic teaching achieves.
"Phonics is only one necessary element, and other components such as comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary also need to be addressed if reading is to progress to skilled levels.
"A model known as “whole language” has dominated the teaching of reading for 25 years.
"The name may now have been jettisoned by its adherents, but its practices remain. They include a belief that reading is as natural as learning to speak, and is best learned in a similar fashion - by exposure to books. It also argued that students should be taught to predict or guess words rather than be taught phonics to decode them.
"Research has not supported either of these assertions.
"Unfortunately, the many studies that have so galvanised educators in Great Britain and the US are yet to have an impact on Australia’s support for the failed, but still favoured, whole language model."Dr Kerry Hempenstall is senior lecturer in psychology at RMIT University’s school of health sciences.
From The Age
- $10m centre to help school principals
[Victorian] school principals are expected to get a $10 million leadership centre as fears persist that future shortages could harm schools.
- Universities fail state's strugglers
The Federal Government has been urged to dramatically increase the number of disadvantaged students attending university, as new figures show Victoria has some of the lowest rates of participation by poor and indigenous groups.
- Letter to the Editor
- "Ken Rowe, chair of the 2005 national literacy inquiry, needs to refer to the findings of the Teaching Reading Report, rather than airing his personal opinions, when accusing teacher education institutions of "puddling around in postmodern claptrap" and ignoring the inquiry's findings (The Age, 4/8).
"Nowhere in the final report is the claim made that phonics is the only method of teaching. Rather the report states that teacher educators agreed that it "is essential for student teachers to undertake explicit teaching of phonological awareness and phonics". For Dr Rowe to further claim that "education faculties had refused to adopt the 2005 inquiry's recommendations" demonstrates his lack of research into current teacher education.
"Teacher education faculties' adoption of the report's recommendations have seen many programs being rewritten, new subjects introduced, all with explicit focus on teaching and assessing the basic skills of phonemic awareness, phonics and grammar."Dr Jan Turbill, president, Australian Literacy Educators' Association, Shoalhaven Heads
- The Australian
- Rann: Teacher pay request ludicrous
"Protests won't make South Australia cave in to a "ludicrous" pay bid by teachers, Premier Mike Rann said today.
"Teachers rallied outside state Treasurer Kevin Foley's Port Adelaide office today after a similar protest outside Mr Rann's electoral office yesterday.
"The action is in support of a 21 per cent pay claim over three years which has prompted an offer of just under 10 per cent from the State Government.
"Teachers also want more money to reduce class sizes and to attract and retain staff.
"Australian Education Union (AEU) state president Correna Haythorpe says the State Government is clearly reluctant to deliver a fair and generous enterprise agreement that properly funded schools and ensured South Australia had a nationally competitive system of teacher employment.
"If we don't foster talent, we're condemning the state to a bleak future," Ms Haythorpe said.
"Until teachers struck a deal that delivered on that potential, they would remain committed to maintaining industrial action, she said.
"Mr Rann said the teachers' bid for more money and a reduction in teaching hours was "unaffordable" and the union should come back to the table to negotiate.
"Ultimately it is about a fair outcome as opposed to a ludicrous bid," Mr Rann said.
"What their bid is about is $2.8 billion more over three years, the whole education budget is $2 billion so it is totally unaffordable - it is sort of Magic Pudding meets Wizard of Oz.
"I am happy to have people protest outside my electoral office but it is not going to change the situation at all."
From The Australian at link
- Quartet tops new Guide [late 4 August update]
The University of NSW, the University of Western Australia, Wollongong University and Bond University have emerged as top performers on the crucial criteria of graduate employment and salaries, according to the The Good Universities Guide 2009 released today.
- The Independent
- Tories offer 'vouchers' to buy school place
Parents will be given a "voucher" so they can shop around to buy their children a school place under a Conservative government, the party's schools spokesman has said.
- Primary pupils fail to master the 3 Rs
Around 220,000 11-year-olds are still failing to master at least one of the three basic subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic, tests results published today show.
- EBA-3 "Details"
- The Sunday Times online / PerthNow
- Teachers see Barnett as lever in pay push
by Paul Lampathakis, education reporter
"The return of Colin Barnett to the Liberal leadership has given teachers valuable leverage to re-negotiate a pay deal, unionist Marko Vojkovic says.
"Teachers should not settle for the deal agreed upon "in-principle'' last month by the Government and the union executive, he said.
"Mr Vojkovic, a member of a group which led the charge against Outcomes-Based Education in WA schools, said the State Government would now be under pressure at the coming state election with new Opposition Leader Colin Barnett.
"So they (the Government) do not want to go to an election with hostile teachers, dragging us through arbitration, trying to strip us of all conditions and entitlements,'' said Mr Vojkovic, a member of People Lobbying Against Teaching Outcomes.
"The teachers' union has never had as much leverage before in negotiations. I call on the union president (Anne Gisborne) to exercise that leverage to the maximum.''
"Mr Vojkovic also said details of the latest agreement, on which teachers will vote within five weeks, that were put on the Education Department web site today were just "selective highlights'', not the full package.
"All I see there is a very hard sell from the department and the union to accept the offer,'' he said.
"And it's extremely disappointing that our union has decided to sell this package on the minister's behalf.''
"Mr Vojkovic did not agree with information in today's release from the department, that refusal to accept the agreement would lead to a long arbitration process.
"He said the Government could decide to come to a better agreement and now was the time to pressure it to do so.
"Salary rises backdated to February, which was the end of the last enterprise bargaining agreement, rather than starting from July, as currently proposed, was among conditions that needed to be addressed, he said.
"He said improving primary teachers' duties other than teaching time, and country allowances were also big steps in the right direction.
"Provisions in the latest deal should just be the starting point, he said.
"The Education Department today announced that long-awaited details of the latest proposed deal, which includes wage rises for teachers of 15.85 per cent to 21.67 per cent over the next three years, would be put on its website.
"The information that had been available before today raised threats of strikes and resignations from some teachers who said the raises would only amount to covering cost of living increases for many.
"The extra details were placed on the Education Department website at 5pm today.
"An Education Department email said that the department website would include details of all salary structures.
"It would also have the list of 260 schools in the new and expanded allowances program and other conditions of employment agreed to last month.
"The information on the website (go to Teaching WA at det.wa.edu.au) will be updated as needed,'' the email said.
"The in-principle agreement will be considered by a ballot of union members.
"The Industrial Relations Commission's arbitration process, which was set down for September 2008, has been deferred pending the outcome of the ballot.
"If the agreement is endorsed by the Union membership, it will be registered by the IRC and salary increases will be back-paid to the first pay period of July 2008.''
"The email also said that if the agreement was not endorsed, "then the process automatically reverts back to the IRC to formally arbitrate and determine appropriate salaries and conditions.
"Any resulting salary increases will apply from the date the IRC finally determines the outcome.''
"Education Minister Mark McGowan has said the deal, which was last week backed by former teacher shortage task force chairman Lance Twomey, would make WA teachers the best paid in Australia."Ms Gisborne could not be contacted for comment." [emphasis added]
From The Sunday Times online / PerthNow at link
- The West Australian
- Part-qualified teachers to be used in schools
by Bethany Hiatt
"The number of unqualified trainee teachers working in schools will increase under plans announced yesterday by Education Minister Mark McGowan.
"From next year, 10 final year teaching students at Edith Cowan University’s South-West campus will be able to combine theory with practical lessons by working in a local primary school under the supervision of mentors.
“What’s wonderful about this program is that the interns can undertake relief teaching in term two, as long as they receive a ‘limited authority to teach’ from the WA College of Teaching,” Mr McGowan said. “This idea has been generated by educators who see it as an alternative way to providing wellskilled teachers.”
"The pilot program goes a step further than an internship scheme used by some WA universities for years, in which finalyear students can begin teaching before they complete all their course work.
"ECU education head Greg Robson said internships were another way to plug gaps caused by the teacher shortage and the South-West model should be considered for use elsewhere.
"ECU’s Perth campuses had nine finalyear students working as interns in primary schools and seven in early childhood programs. “I expect that initiatives similar to the Bunbury one will increase the demand and increase the numbers,” he said. “In the context of trying to improve the connection between what we do and what schools do and in terms of trying to ensure that pre-service teachers have a smooth transition, I do think it’s an area we need to continue to explore carefully.”
"University of WA teaching director Di Gardiner said she regularly got requests for students to teach towards the end of the year, after they had finished their final teaching practicum. Last year, about 15 students took up internships.
"Ms Gardiner said an increase in city schools requesting interns reflected the lack of relief teachers. “I think (schools) think of it as getting the most qualified person available in front of their students,” she said.
"Murdoch University education dean Barry Kissane said people who taught should be fully qualified. “It’s difficult enough being a student without trying to be a teacher at the same time,” he said.
"Notre Dame University said it rarely had requests for interns and did not encourage the practice. Curtin University said its students graduated early enough to work as qualified teachers in the fourth term. WA College of Teaching director Suzanne Parry said internships were consistent with recommendations in a Federal Government report."
From The West Australian at link
- Editorial
Education needs to keep basics in mind (page 20)
“In a community changing as rapidly as ours, the education system needs to keep up with the pace of change and the cultural, social and employment challenges and opportunities that come with it.
“So it is no surprise that new subjects of study are being offered and enthusiastically taken up in the State’s high schools, including in TEE course.
“But in the rush to embrace the new, a disturbing trend appears to be emerging with students moving away from the core subjects towards softer options.
“The latest figures from the Curriculum Council show that subjects such as media production and analysis, physical education and outdoor education are overtaking traditional science and humanities subjects.
“The trend is being helped by new subjects being made eligible for university entrance and the scrapping of a requirement for at least one humanities and one maths or science subject to be included in entrance calculations.
“The council says that enrolments in history, geography and economics have declined significantly, despite more schools offering these subjects.
“And the number of students in biology courses was outstripped by this year’s enrolment of 6723 in physical education – more than triple those who opted for biology.
“Outdoor education – which, according to the council’s curriculum guide “allows students to develop an appropriate understanding of the environment so that they may develop an intimate relationship with it” and includes activities such as paddling, snorkelling, fishing and surfing – is, unsurprisingly, proving popular.
“The number of Year 11 students who chose outdoor education this year leapt 39 per cent, from 2004 last year to 2784 this year.
“Though interest in biology has slumped, there is some comfort in the fact that the number of students studying other science subjects, has remained constant.
“But the overall trend raises the question of how well society – and the students themselves – are being served by making the basics of a well-rounded education appear almost to be optional extras.
“While fields of learning need to be included in the educational mainstream, it would be unfortunate if feelgood faddism took precedence over the hard slog of learning the basics.”
From The West Australian
- Letters to the Editor (page 23)
We pay too much tax
“May I highlight further the strength of the argument our teachers, nurses and police have in trying to secure a decent future? We live in a country that taxes its pay-as-you-earn workers to such an extent that their generally paltry pay rises leave them trailing further and further behind those who have chosen not to be carers in our society.
“Despite the fact that the resources fuelling our latest boom come from soil upon which we all tread, only those in the right positions are gaining, -- and gaining enormously. If we look at Finland, it taxes all its people a flat rate of 50 cents on every dollar. That’s it. No GST and no Medicare levy. They don’t have to then shell out more for education and health. Their government uses their money wisely and provides systems that are world class.
“Here, we face an average of 30-35 per cent income tax, 3-10 per cent health insurance and levies, 10 per cent GST and at least 4 per cent on other Government charges in the form of stamp duty, registration insurance and surcharges.
“This can mean that those of us unable to rort the system through tax avoidance, face taxes approaching 60 per cent. Then we still have to pay for medical gaps, much of our education and the many excises and duties on products. If you also factor in recent inflation levels over 4 per cent, it’s no wonder we are all struggling and putting our hands up for some serious pay negotiations.
“I am not crying poor. I am just going in to bat for the people in our society who hold our social fabric together and yet are treated with such disdain by governments and the very public they serve.”
Michael Armstrong, Ballingup
Cushy conditions
“To teachers out there who are struggling with a 20 per cent pay rise for their Monday-to-Friday job (with no pre-dawn starts, evening shift or night duty), consider those who care for your sick children in WA.
“A day’s work starts at 7am, but to ensure a carpark space with less than a kilometre walk in the dark you have to arrive by 6.30 am. No free parking at a school, steps away from the classroom, but streetside coin-metered parking – and of course a mandatory $40 fine if you happen to have run short by even 20c out of the $9 in coins you will need every day (or a $60 fine for that half hour you stayed back due to an emergency).
“Public transport that doesn’t take you near your workplace is not an option at 5.45 am – or 10pm really. There is such limited parking for evening shift that I was told I would have to arrive by midday to have any chance to get a spot, and after driving around for 30 minutes trying to find a spot, I was berated for being late for work.
“There are two issues here. We nurse because we love it and are good at it. Teacher should start looking at who they are attracting by offering such cushy conditions. Second, it is a disgrace and disgusting that nurses are not offered safe and accessible parking at PMH.
“Will it take another Anita Cobby for the WA Government and readers to be outraged? Seems it will.”
W. Carter, Kingsley
- The Age
- Stressed teachers get $17m payout
by Farrah Tomazin
"Principals and teachers have been paid out more than $17 million over three years for workplace stress, abuse and violence.
"State Government figures paint a grim picture of the challenges faced in public schools, with more than 600 teachers and principals forced to take stress leave between 2004 and June 2007, unable to cope with the pressures of their job.
"Workplace stress was the most common problem, with 234 WorkCover claims paid out over that time.
"But the figures — obtained by The Age under freedom-of-information laws — also show more than 26 cases of assault from parents or students, 40 cases in which teachers and principals were exposed to workplace violence, and 163 cases of harassment. [emphasis added]
"The data emerged as Premier John Brumby announced two new measures designed to lift standards in public education: executive contracts for top principals to take on jobs in underperforming schools, and the creation of a new $10 million "leadership institute" to help train principals and aspiring school leaders.
"As revealed by The Age in May, the Government will headhunt principals from private and public schools and offer them lucrative packages worth between $127,000 and $200,000 a year to take on roles in poorly performing schools.
"But pay bonuses and contract renewal prospects will depend on the principals' ability to meet targets such as lifting VCE results, improving literacy and numeracy skills, and boosting staff morale..."
Full story in The Age at link
- Victoria gets first 'super principal'
by Farrah Tomazin
"It's one thing to head a high-performing school in Melbourne's affluent east, quite another to boost struggling students in the socially disadvantaged northern suburbs.
"That's the challenge Glenn Proctor faces, and despite 11 years at the helm of one of Victoria's leading public schools — Mount Waverley Secondary College — he admits it will not be easy.
"To some extent, it will be about redressing some of the comparative disadvantage that these areas may have suffered in the past," he said. "There will be a whole range of challenges, in terms of the socioeconomics, the student population, the ethnicity — but it's also an opportunity to do something in a very positive way." ...
"The project aims to lift struggling schools in the north where half of all the secondary schools are in the bottom 20% of the state in VCE achievement, and almost 40% of primary schools fall in the bottom 20% of the standard reading benchmarks..."
Full story in The Age at link
- Stop exploitation, student union tells tertiary review
One of Melbourne's key student bodies has urged the Federal Government to abolish full fees for international students, in what would be a dramatic reshaping of the multibillion-dollar international student industry.
- The Australian
- Rann refuses to bow to South Australian teachers on 21 per cent pay rise
by Jamie Walker
"With South Australia facing a third day of state school disruption because of rolling teacher strikes, Premier Mike Rann has flatly rejected their union's demand for a 21 per cent pay rise.
"Bowing to the industrial pressure would bankrupt the state, he warned.
"Teachers will proceed with a third wave of half-day strikes today, affecting schools in Adelaide's east, central districts and in regional areas in the Riverland and Eyre Peninsula.
"But Mr Rann, digging in yesterday after his electorate office was the focus of a rally by striking teachers from Adelaide's north, said their demands for a 21per cent pay hike over three years would cost the state $2.8 billion.
"The Premier warned this could blow the state budget, which sets a target for public sector pay rises in 2008-09 of 4.4per cent. The Government would be irresponsible to meet the teachers' demands, he said. "It is totally unafforable ... it's the Magic Pudding meets the Wizard of Oz."
"But Australian Education Union state president Correna Haythorpe vowed the rolling strikes would continue, with teachers working in state schools in Adelaide's south to go out tomorrow.
"State Industrial Relations Minister Paul Caica said negotiations with the union had stalled.
"As striking teachers picketed the electorate office of State Treasurer Kevin Foley, Ms Haythorpe called on him to divert proceeds of the mining boom to the school sector."
From The Australian at link
Rating system planned for childcare
Childcare centres will be rated from A to E, and those that perform will get bonuses while those that don't measure up will be punished, under a plan being considered by the Rudd Government.
- Boom in private sector revealed
Private higher education carries a student load as big as a large metropolitan university.
- Teaching goes beyond the classroom
The decision, three years ago, to recognise that it takes more than the work of academics and conventional teaching to produce well-rounded graduates ready for the workforce has paid off for the Australian Teaching and Learning Council, according to executive director Richard Johnstone.
- The West Australian
Threat to stop back pay if teachers reject deal (page 5)
by Bethany Hiatt
“The State Government is threatening to withhold hundreds of dollars in back pay to individual teachers if they do not accept the latest pay deal.
“In a memo to State schools yesterday, the Department of Education and Training warned that if teachers voted to reject the pay offer, then the matter would be sent to the WA Industrial Relations Commission for arbitration.
“Any pay rise would be payable from the date the IRC made its decision. However, if teachers accepted the deal, they would be back paid to the first pay period in July.
“Department director-general Sharyn O’Neill told The West Australian the arbitration process had been deferred pending the outcome of the teachers’ ballot, which should finish in September.
“If the agreement is not endorsed, then the process automatically reverts to the IRC to formally arbitrate and determine appropriate salaries and conditions,” she said.
“Any resulting salary increases will then apply from the date the IRC finally determines the outcome.” Details of salary and allowance increases for teachers were placed on department and union websites last night, more than two weeks after a pay deal was agreed in-principle with union leaders.
“Ms O’Neill said the DET website had salary comparisons with other States which showed how the agreement would make WA teachers the best paid in the nation.
“Pay rises ranged from 15.84 per cent to 21.67 per cent depending on classification. The average increase across the system would be more than 17.5 per cent in the first 32 months of the three-year agreement.
“State School Teachers Union leaders were unavailable for comment.
“Union activist Marko Vojkovic, who had led the campaign for a “no” vote, said the department could not predict what the IRC might do.
“I would imagine the first thing the union would do would be to put in a counter claim so back payment could be made, then the commissioner decides, not the department,” he said.” [emphasis added]
From The West Australian
Letter to the Editor (page 23)
“Zoltan Kovac’s opinion that our school system is in decay needs clarification (It’s time to address our decaying school system, 2/8). A recent parliamentary inquiry has found that 25 per cent of children start school with a learning difficulty or disability. As an experience teacher, I know that 33 per cent of children who enter high school are at educational risk. Even the education bureaucrats could not argue that is an 8 per cent improvement in seven years. Clearly these bureaucrats are asleep and now it seems that the union leadership is in bed with them. Time to wake up, I think.”
Terry Stanner, Bunbury
- The Australian
- Call for standards in testing Year 12
by Justine Ferrari, Education writer
"One of the nation's leading education researchers has called for national minimum standards in fundamental skills that all students must meet before qualifying for their Year 12 certificate.
"Australian Council for Educational Research chief executive Geoff Masters said Year 12 certificates should come with a guarantee that students had achieved minimum standards in some basic skills.
"At an ACER research conference next week, Professor Masters will propose minimum levels be set for fundamental skills including reading, writing, numeracy, science, civics and citizenship, and information technology.
"Most students can complete 13 years of school and be awarded a senior certificate without having to demonstrate minimally acceptable levels of proficiency across a range of fundamental areas," he said yesterday. "Some things are so fundamental we should expect all students to achieve at least a minimum standard by the time they leave school."
"Professor Masters said the available evidence suggested that many students leave high school without possessing these fundamental skills.
"He said the results from international tests run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed that 13 per cent of Australian 15-year-olds perform at a minimum baseline, below which students are considered atrisk of not having the basic skills to work or participate in thecommunity.
"While there is no data on how many Year 12 students graduate without those basic skills, Professor Masters said there was no evidence suggesting that proportion would decrease between Year 9 and Year 12.
"In fact, it was unlikely struggling students of that age had received the assistance they required to meet such benchmarks. Professor Masters said a national debate was required about the level at which the standards should be set and how the assessment should be conducted.
"He envisaged a system under which students could demonstrate they had reached the minimum standards earlier than Year 12 if they felt ready.
"The assessment could take the form of a national or state-based external exam or an online exam or use teachers' regular assessments where appropriate.
"Professor Masters said the current certificates were based on assessing students' knowledge in subjects.
"If someone is doing maths in Years 11 and 12, then you can be pretty confident they're going to pass a numeracy test," he said.
"But not all students study maths or science, for example, in those years and there's no way of knowing what they understand."
"Professor Masters said the standards should be set as part of a national consultation, but outline a minimum level of skill required in everyday life, such as reading and filling out job applications. The system should also report a range of proficiencies in the basic skills to give employers and others a sense of what students could achieve.
"We should set the standard at the level we hope everyone should reach by the time they finish school," he said.
"There's always a risk that standards are set too low and that the focus is then just on achieving low standards so there needs to be levels beyond a minimally acceptable standard."
"Other skills that could be considered were employability skills nominated by employers, such as planning, organisation and teamwork. But Professor Masters said assessing these skills was more complicated than the straightforward tests used in literacy and numeracy."
From The Australian at link
- The Sydney Morning
- The futile 13 years: lid lifted on HSC
by Anna Patty, Education Editor
"Most students can complete 13 years of school without having to demonstrate basic literacy and numeracy skills, says a leading educational assessment expert.
"The chief executive officer for the Australian Council for Educational Research, Geoff Masters, says minimum standards of reading, writing and maths should be met by all students before they are awarded an HSC or equivalent qualification.
"In his address to the council's annual research conference in Brisbane next week, Professor Masters will raise concerns about Australia's failure to ensure all students have reached basic standards when they finish school.
"Professor Masters, who investigated for the Howard government options for a national year 12 qualification, said that while some states, including South Australia and Victoria, were introducing basic literacy and numeracy requirements, NSW had not established specific standards that students had to meet before gaining the HSC.
"Most students can complete 13 years of school and be awarded a senior certificate without having to demonstrate minimally acceptable standards of proficiency across a range of fundamental domains such as reading, writing, numeracy, science, civics and citizenship," he said.
"There were, he added, no nationally agreed statements of "what every child should know and be able to do".
"International student assessments by the OECD in 2006 showed 13 per cent of Australians aged 15 were below the standard at which students were considered to be at risk of not having the basic skills.
"A spokeswoman for the NSW Board of Studies said the year 10 School Certificate - which included students being tested in literacy and numeracy - was a prerequisite for the HSC."
From The Sydney Morning Herald at link
- Second inquiry to look at uni's plagiarism case
by Harriet Alexander Higher Education Reporter
"The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is the subject of two inquiries and has come to the attention of the corruption watchdog following a year of turmoil over allegations of plagiarism and complaints about the dean's management style.
"The NSW Ombudsman's office confirmed yesterday it was investigating the way the University of Sydney handled a complaint last year about plagiarism and management by its high-profile dean, Kim Walker..."Full story in The Sydney Morning Herald at link.
- ABC News
- Teachers protest outside Henderson's office
Around 150 teachers set up a picket opposite the Chief Minister's electoral office this morning demanding a better pay deal before Saturday's election.
- Goodwill gone: Teachers plan more strikes
Schools in the New South Wales Hunter Valley are planning more industrial action over the State Government's new staff transfer system.
- Outrage over school's gambling classes
Anti-gambling campaigners are outraged that secondary students in Brisbane are being taught how to place bets at the races and the casino as part of their maths classes.
- The Guardian
- Ofsted: Fairer league tables 'no help to pupils'
The government's efforts to make school league tables fairer by taking into account pupils' socio-economic backgrounds can be misleading, a study by the schools inspectorate has found.
- BBC News
- Bad spelling 'should be accepted'
Common spelling mistakes should be accepted into everyday use, not corrected, a professor has said.
- The Age
- Letter to the Editor
Hoping for a miracle
"In 1982, the Cain Labor government launched its education reform agenda by replacing the Education Department's entire leadership group, expecting that a new broom of its choosing would produce a more successful school system. Obviously, that grand plan did not achieve the desired result because under-performing schools continue to underperform.
"Now the Brumby Government is following the same line of reasoning, this time offering executive contracts to top principals to take on jobs in underperforming schools (The Age, 6/8). However, I hope Glen Proctor and his secondary peers are prepared for a rude awakening, for they will find it is virtually impossible to meet the targets imposed upon them by their contracts.
"Children fail and misbehave because of the developmental deficiencies they bring with them into their classroom. Only when the primary school curriculum is adapted to compensate for those deficiencies will the failure and misbehaviour cease. Teaching, as everyone expects it to be carried out, simply cannot achieve this."Tim Mirabella, retired principal, Somerville
- The Australian
- Overhaul plea for primary schools (page 16)
"Primary school principals have called for the writing of a national curriculum to start at the primary level and specify only the minimum essential content, to insure against an overcrowded syllabus.
"In a position paper released yesterday, the Australian Primary Principals Association also called on governments to overhaul school funding and immediately double the funding given to schools in low socio-economic areas.
"The association, which represents primary principals in state, Catholic and independent schools, calls for a moratorium on any changes to the primary curriculum until the key parameters are set nationally.
"The APPA is calling on federal, state and territory education ministers to establish an advisory group on a national primary curriculum and assessment, with the majority of its members being practising primary teachers and principals.
"Decisions about the form and content of the primary curriculum are the result of a political process in which governments consult with a large number of interest groups," the paper says.
"This process, unless carefully managed, encourages the crowding of the curriculum as well as its fragmentation."
"The paper says the past decade has shown that curriculum designers consistently overestimate what can be covered in a week in a typical primary school, and so a national curriculum must only specify the minimum essential content.
"The discussion of a national curriculum has begun with a consideration of what is appropriate for the senior secondary years," it says.
"The needs of primary students, rather than secondary students, must provide the starting point for designing a national curriculum."
"The APPA also calls on the Rudd Government to eliminate the penalty on primary schools in the calculation of commonwealth funding. It says primary schools are hit twice by government funding calculations.
"State governments allocate less for every primary student than a high school student. Commonwealth funding of government schools is then based on a proportion of what state governments spend per student.
"Primary schools receive commonwealth funding of 8.9 per cent of what the states spend per primary student, whereas secondary students are allocated commonwealth funding of 10 per cent of state spending per high school student.
"The APPA says that last year this was $643 per primary student compared with $932 for every high school student.
"In addition, schools with a large number of students from low socio-economic backgrounds require twice the level of funding than the average student.
"APPA is aware of commentary in which it is claimed that more resources will not address the challenges faced by schools," the paper says.
"Such claims are typically made by commentators who have had little contact with schools, especially schools struggling under difficult circumstances."
From The Australian
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Don't create failures at HSC, principals warn
by Anna Patty, Education Editor
"Up to 15 per cent of students would fail to gain a higher school certificate and be branded as failures if minimum standards of literacy and numeracy were introduced for year 12 students, NSW high school principals say.
"The president of the NSW Secondary Principals Council, Jim McAlpine, said he opposed the introduction of minimum standards as it could result in many students receiving no record of their completion of high school.
"If we have researchers that think we should establish a benchmark to fail the bottom 15 per cent of children, that would be a pretty cruel way to treat people," he said.
"As reported in the Herald yesterday, the chief executive of the Australian Council for Educational Research, Geoff Masters, said it was possible for students to do 13 years of school without demonstrating basic reading, writing and numeracy. He said national benchmarks should be set for year 12 students for literacy, numeracy, science, civics and citizenship before they qualified for their final certificate.
"Professor George Cooney, from Macquarie University, who devised the HSC scaling process and the university admissions index, said in most states the award of a senior certificate did not depend on the demonstration of minimally acceptable levels of proficiency in courses studied.
"It is hard to disagree with [Professor Masters's] proposition that students should be required to demonstrate a minimum standard in at least some of their courses," he said. "Because of the existing structure of senior secondary schooling and the choice available to students, the standards would have to be discipline-specific rather than generic, unless a separate examination were to be introduced."
"Jenny Allum, the principal of SCEGGS Darlinghurst, said students were assessed in numeracy and literacy in primary school and early high school. "I don't think that year 11 and 12 or the HSC is the place to start worrying about literacy and numeracy," she said.
"Dorothy Hoddinott, the principal of Holroyd High School, which has many refugee students, said she saw no point in having benchmarking tests in year 12. "It is closing the gate after the horse has bolted," she said.
"Ms Hoddinott, who has worked for the NSW Board of Studies and campaigned for vocational courses for the HSC, said it was a vital end-of-school qualification that should stay available to all. She said refugee children often improved their English literacy as they moved through TAFE or university.
"The aim is not to have a totally alienated underclass in society," she said. "The aim is to increase the education levels for everybody."
"The general manager of the Office of the Board of Studies, John Bennett, said the year 10 certificate tested foundation skills in English, maths, science, history and geography, civics and citizenship, and computing, and was a prerequisite for the HSC.
"Every level of achievement is clearly described in the HSC reports, no matter how well or how poorly students perform."
From The Sydney Morning Herald at link
- ABC News
- Teachers to receive 22 per cent pay rise
"Details of the teachers' pay deal have been posted on the internet with salaries to be increased between 15 and 22 per cent.
"Under the in-principle agreement teachers will receive an extra 10 minutes preparation time and secondary schools will get another one-and-a-half hours of clerical support for heads of departments.
"For the first time, teachers would be able to cash out long service leave and class sizes will be audited to take into account students with disabilities.
"Teachers in remote areas would get increased bereavement leave, travel entitlements and satellite dishes for their accommodation.
"Ballot papers will be posted out next week and teachers will have until mid September to vote.
"If the agreement is rejected, the matter will go back to the Industrial Relations Commission for arbitration."
From The ABC Online at link.
- The West Australian
- Aboriginal affairs seen as failings
by Jessica Strutt
"Independent MP Liz Constable intends to remind West Australians during the election campaign of what she says are the Carpenter Government's appalling failings in Aboriginal Affairs and its mismanagement of education over the last eight years.
"Dr Constable, who has ruled out joining the Liberal Party but has said she intends to team up with the Liberals in the lead-up to the election, said Alan Carpenter has been an indigenous affairs and education minister - both areas in which the Government had failed.
"The MP for the blue-ribbon seat of Churchlands said the Premier had shown extremely poor judgment when he lifted the ban placed by former Premier Geoff Gallop on WA ministers talking to lobbyist Brian Burke.
"Dr Constable, who has been outspoken on public accountability, said the Government's decision to put in place a lobbyist register run out of the Department of Premier and Cabinet did not protect the community or lobbyists. She intends to pressure the Liberals, if they won government, to put in place legislation to monitor lobbyists in WA.
"She said the Government has presided over a "dumbing down" of the education system, with more students that ever flocking to new subjects such as physical education studies and outdoor education instead of the more traditional sciences and humanities subjects.
"At the same time, the education system had become more complicated for teachers.
"The whole OBE (outcomes based education) state of affairs has caused so many problems in schools," she said.
"It's cost a lot of money, it's cost them teachers, it's weakened the delivery of subjects in schools and it's undermined morale."
"Dr Constable said the Government had also been slow to act on the issues of child sex abuse in remote Aboriginal communities and abuse of children in State care.
"Instead of immediately meeting the issue head-on when the evidence was there, they were skirting around it for so long until they actually had to take some action," she said.
"When I look at the eight years, these things come to my mind immediately... why would you give them another four years?"
"Dr Constable, who has not always voted with the Liberals during her 17 years as an Independent MP, said she would still cross the floor of Parliament if the Liberals won the election if she felt it was necessary.
"But she would be less likely to cross the floor, if as predicted, she became part of a Colin Barnett Cabinet.
"She had not given much thought to the possibility of being part of any Barnett Cabinet and was not pushing for that, but if the opportunity did arise she would be interested in a social issues portfolio.
"Dr Constable said she intended to remain and Independent MP because she had built up her identity and that was what her supporters wanted her to do.
"That's how the people that support me see me, you know this group of people that have worked with me and are going to work with me again... and it's just how I see myself," she said."
From The West Australian
- Letters to the Editor
- At last it is our chance
"I can't wait for September 6. it's like an early Christmas present and I am already relishing the opportunity to give Alan Carpenter the boot as Premier.
"It's not every day that the WA public has the opportunity to sack the Premier and his motley group of court jesters, but God knows, if you are like me you would have wished you could have sacked him many times over since he became Premier.
"Well, now is our chance to really get rid of the bully and his gang. It's our one-in-four-year chance, so let's not stuff it up.
"You can bet Mr Carpenter will sing sweetly in the coming weeks. He'll tell us that he really only bullied us gently. He didn't really want to have the Sunday Times raided and he didn't rally want to screw education into the dirt and the hospital system can only get get better if you elect him and that teachers are just pretending that they are being pushed around on their wage deal.
"He will tell us that Mr Ripper isn't what his name implies when it come to tax and he will tell us that it has all been for our own good etc, etc, blah, blah.
"Let's no kid ourselves. A bully is a bully and when the bully is a politician, the only lesson he will learn from is when the public kicks him out of office and lowers his salary to Opposition leader.
"I think it's time Mr Carpenter felt the humiliation and valuable lesson that a few terms in the opposition benches can provide. Roll on September 6."
David Sargent, Joondalup
- We must unite
"In response to two issues raised by W. Carter (Cushy conditions, Letters 6/8,) I had two choices."I could have written a sarcastic letter hoping that W. Carter's patients are treated wit h the same care and compassion he or she displays towards teachers en masse. Or I could commend nurses for continuing in a job they love and are good at, despite being at the mercy of an uncaring and unscrupulous employer.
"I chose the latter. All of us in the caring professions should be uniting against an uncaring Government, not taking pot-shots at each other."
Natalie Douglas, Cardiff
Saturday – Sunday, 9 – 10 August
- The Sunday Times
News Review - Education Policies (page 40)
by Paul Lampathakis
“WA’s major parties have fired the opening salvos on the political hot potato of education – with teacher shortages, unresolved pay deals, discipline and the drift to private schools set to dominate the election.
“The Liberals say the Carpenter Government has allowed conditions in public schools to deteriorate so much that their student numbers are now lower than they were in 2001 – despite population growth.
“This is an unambiguous message that parents aren’t satisfied with what they are getting,” said Opposition education spokesman Peter Collier, referring to figures showing there are now 131,685 public primary students, compared with 144,049 in 2001.
“Public secondary student numbers had also declined from 85,694 in 2001 to 83,613 in 2008.
“Mr. Collier said this was the result of education and conditions for teachers in public schools not having improved during the past seven years of Labor.
“But Education Minister Mark McGowan said Labor was doing much more for public schools than the previous Court government.
“Labor is spending $12,755 per student in government schools – 50 per cent more than when Colin Barnett was education minister,” he said.
“Labor in spending $3.9 billion on education and training, 70 per cent more than when Colin Barnett was education minister.”
“Mr. McGowan said if teachers voted for the latest in-principle pay agreement about half of them would effectively get between 19.37 and 21.67 per cent more pay, making WA’s teachers the best paid in Australia. He also said WA’s economy was now successful, so people had more disposable income, whereas when Mr. Barnett was in Government the economy was shrinking.
“But Mr. Collier said pay increases had to be above the cost of living rises and a variety of career opportunities were needed so teachers would stay in the profession.LABOR
Teachers’ Pay
“Education and Training Minister Mark McGowan said if teachers voted for the latest in-principle pay agreement about half of them would effectively get between 19.37 and 21.67 per cent.
“Primary teachers would receive extra preparation time and secondary schools would receive extra clerical support for heads of departments.
“Those prepared to work in a remote school would be entitled to allowances of up to $19,000 on top of their normal salary.
“With allowances, a Level 2.4 teacher at Girrawheen Senior High School would go from $69,132 to $87,114 – a 24.25 per cent increase.
“Over the life of the three year agreement, a graduate teacher will go from $46,533 to $57,696 (inclusive of graduate allowances).
Teacher shortages
“Labor said it had recruited an additional 2200 teachers and increased the number of teaching aides and education assistants by 80 per cent since coming into office.
“It had launched attraction and retention strategies including scholarships and transition to retirement – allowing teachers aged over 55 to access their superannuation while still working – and greater permanency for fixed term contracts.
Behaviour Management and Discipline
“Labor said it spent more than $100 million dealing with behaviour management in schools since coming into office.
“The Government had established three secondary and five primary behaviour centres to remove highly disruptive students from the classroom.
“Suspension and expulsion rules had also been streamlined to make it easier to deal with students with bad behaviour.
“Labor had contributed $400,000 to a world-first study into cyber-bullying.
“The Government was using after-school counselling as a viable and effective alternative to suspension and 17 schools from the Fremantle-Peel, Canning and West Coast education districts were taking part in the trial.
Growing Trend for Children to go to Private Rather than Public Schools
“Labor said it was spending $12,755 for each student in government schools, which was 50 per cent more than when Colin Barnett was education minister.
“Labor also said it was spending $3.9 billion on education and training, 70 per cent more than when Colin Barnett was education minister.
Building Infrastructure Such as New Schools
“The Government said it had opened more than 60 schools since 2001 and 25 more were due to open. Next year, 15 new schools would be opened which, according to Mr. McGowan, was a 30-year record. The Carpenter Government was spending $1.41 billion on school infrastructure projects across WA.
Curriculum
“The Government said the new certificate of education, starting next year, would have the most comprehensive training courses and programmes offered in WA.
“There would be 52 courses in total, allowing student to align their choices with their aspirations.
“A new kindergarten to Year 10 syllabus had also been rolled out to reinstate structure into learning, providing resources and learning materials to guide teachers on what should be taught.
“The Government had also made it compulsory that a minimum of 50 per cent of school time in primary schools was spent on literacy and numeracy.
“Students were now required to read books in Year 11 and 12, and complete a portion of their final maths exam without a calculator.
LIBERAL
Teachers’ Pay
“Opposition education spokesman Peter Collier said to address both wages and shortages, teachers must be paid more, with increases above the cost -of- living increases.
“We don’t need stop-gap, Band-Aid solutions that the Labor Government has used, such as poaching teachers … from overseas and interstate. We must create teachers who see the profession as a career,” he said.
Shortages
“Mr. Collier said as well as getting more pay, teachers also had to be offered a variety of career opportunities so they remained in the profession.
Behaviour Management and Discipline
“Mr. Collier said public schools “desperately” needed a massive increase in resources to ensure that effective behaviour management and pastoral care strategies could be implemented.
“He said public schools were working on a formula of one school psychologist to 2000 students, which was inadequate. The Liberals would offer a “comprehensive raft of initiatives” to ensure early intervention strategies in all schools.
Growing Trend for Children to go to Private Rather than Public Schools
“Mr. Collier said the Liberal Party would ensure that the trend against public schools would be reversed, through making a commitment to significantly increase resources to improve behaviour management strategies and to empower local schools with fundamental decision-making responsibilities.
Building Infrastructure Such as Schools
“A Liberal government would build at least 10 new public schools through public-private partnerships.
Curriculum
“The Liberal Party would “return common sense to the key areas of curriculum and assessment – a back to basics approach”.
“Mr. Collier said the confused system of levelling to determine student progress would be removed and there would be a return to reports providing concise and meaningful information.
“The Liberal Party would also conduct an independent and comprehensive audit of the entire curriculum and assessment process, from kindergarten to Year 12, to ensure the education system provided an environment for learning excellence.”
From The Sunday Times
- Schools full of ‘junkies’ (page 25)
by Paul Lampathakis
“Children are defying a junk food ban in school canteens by smuggling in fattening snacks and selling them to classmates.
“Frustrated teachers reveal they are powerless to stop many children who bring unhealthy treats from home.
“I’ve even seen them selling chocolates to their classmates at school. It’s almost like they’re dealing drugs,” said a teacher from a prominent Perth southern suburbs public school..."
“Canteens have a “traffic light” system banning “red” items such as soft drinks, confectionary and chips...”
Full story in The Sunday Times at link
- Letter to the Editor (page 85)
“Raising WA teachers’ salaries, though long overdue, will not in itself make teaches return to the classrooms.
“Assaults, disrupted classes, constant insults and aggression from students, teacher burnout and low scholastic levels are symptomatic of something much more urgent and in need of reform. Teachers cannot be expected to teach and exercise crowd control at the same time.
“We therefore need to:
- “Install a time-out room with a full time supervisor in each school. Students disrupting a class would be sent immediately to time out. If they continued being disruptive, their parents would be phoned at work and asked to collect them.
- “Secondary education should no longer be compulsory. It is wrong that young men and women should not be allowed to work and earn a wage if they want.
- “All teachers should be recruited directly by the school. Since funds are allocated by the number of students attending a school, reforms will be fast and far-reaching.
“Do this and our schools will again attract the professionals we need so badly to educate the next generations of young Australians.”
Peter Gilet, Albany
- The Australian
- Training centres to compete
by David Uren, Economics correspondent
"Commonwealth funding for vocational training will be redirected from institutions to individual students under a voucher-like system that will force providers to compete with each other to fill their classes."The Rudd Government plans to use its reform of federalism to encourage the states to reverse a decade of Labor opposition to a voucher-type training system, at least in the vocational sector.
"The radical changes are expected to increase the number of private providers and force consolidation among government vocational education training institutions, such as TAFEs.
"Under the plans, eligible students would be given entitlements to a course that could be used at either public or private institutions. It is likely to be supported by a student loan system similar to the Higher Education Contribution Scheme used in universities.
"The Government's aim is to develop a national market for training by encouraging training providers to bid for students. The scheme is being developed as one of the incentive payments to states under the reforms to state funding agreed by the Council of Australian Governments in March.
"The policy thinking being developed for COAG goes well beyond anything Labor took to the election.
"Labor's major election promise on vocational education and training funding was to reverse a Coalition program of providing vouchers for low-level skills training, replacing it with the offer of an additional 450,000 training places over four years by a central planning agency, Skills Australia, for which TAFEs and private providers could bid.
"However, COAG's productivity working group, chaired by Education Minister Julia Gillard and Treasury secretary Ken Henry, is starting from the assumption that institutions should be responsive to consumers, providing choice and flexibility and that markets are the way in which this can be delivered.
"Under new funding arrangements for COAG, the number of special purpose payments under which the commonwealth funds state services such as health, education and social services is being whittled down from 92 to six. These are to be supplemented by "national partnership payments" that will provide incentives for reform. The incentive payment for vocational education and training will support states that change the funding base to support a competitive training market.
"The exact formula has not yet been finalised, but officials close to the process say it will reward states that direct funding to students, giving them the choice of where they take their courses.
"Victoria is likely to be the only state claiming the incentive payment next year, although the commonwealth is confident the other states will follow suit, with general support in the working group for funding reform.
"The Government believes that vocational training is fragmented into separate state markets, each dominated by government-provided TAFE colleges.
"It argues that business wants national training institutions, and that market competition would encourage the development of private-sector providers and some consolidation.
"John Roskam, executive director of private sector think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, said the reform had the potential to deliver a powerful boost to productivity if it could be rolled out nationally.
"It is a very significant reform and has the potential to bring TAFE and other non-tertiary education into the limelight," he said.
"The concern would be that Victoria supports it and that NSW is the blocker. If COAG waits for NSW, a good reform will come unstuck."
"He said it had been surprising to see Ms Gillard, as a member of Labor's Left, driving such pro-market reform.
"There have been many steps in the right direction (in the education portfolio)," he said. "Her focus on literacy and on teacher quality has been good."
"The COAG productivity working group is also developing incentive payments to reward states that take steps to raise the quality of secondary school education, including the introduction of a system of performance pay for teachers.
"Labor had opposed Coalition efforts to introduce performance pay under former education minister Julie Bishop, who had proposed teacher remuneration should reflect the scores achieved by their students. Labor argued that this would reward teachers in affluent schools and punish those working in disadvantaged areas.
"The commonwealth and the states are still discussing how the new scheme will operate. It is likely to resemble proposals advanced by the Business Council of Australia for a new national certification system for teachers that would introduce two new salary bands for "accomplished" and "leading" teachers.
"Under the BCA proposal, accomplished teachers should establish particular expertise in their fields, and could reach a pay level that is double the graduate starting salary.
"A leading teacher could earn up to 2.5 times the starting salary by demonstrating an ability to promote improved learning outcomes among teams of teachers.
"The Government is not considering introducing any form of voucher or entitlement funding change for secondary schooling.
"Mr Roskam said the existence of state funding for non-government schools meant there was already public support for student choice.
"It is, however, insisting on greater reporting of student and school performance.
"The review of universities being conducted by Denise Bradley is expected to examine funding models, and there is already debate among universities about the merit of moving to a voucher system.
"But this is not part of the COAG reform process because universities are a commonwealth spending responsibility."The productivity working group is one of seven set up to reform commonwealth-state relations, with others including health, indigenous reform, housing, climate change, infrastructure and regulation."
From the Australian at link
- The Age
- Young need computer lessons, say parents
by Anna Patty
"Parents believe primary schools should provide computer training as a core subject alongside English, maths and science."A survey of 600 Australian parents found that more than 83% said computer studies should be included as an essential subject in the upper primary school years. A similar proportion said the same of science, with 98% saying English and 97% maths. More than half the parents surveyed said physical education, history and geography should also be core subjects. Close to a quarter said physical education should be optional.
"Australian history and geography were ranked as essential subjects by 62% of parents. Fewer — 53% — said world history and geography should be included in the core curriculum.
"Most parents said learning a second language, competitive sports, art, religious study and camps should be optional.
"Study co-ordinator, Christina Landis, publisher of the online Australian Schools Directory, said less than half of year 6 students were proficient technology users according to the most recent (2005) data from the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs.
"The survey showed parents regard information technology as a critical area of learning, nearly as important as English, maths and science," she said.
"The president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, Leonie Trimper, said research by her organisation supported the need for an emphasis on computer studies in primary years. But many schools could not afford to buy enough computers or the associated costs of maintaining and updating them, she said.
"Terry Aulich, executive officer of the Australian Council of State School Organisations, which represents parents from 7000 public schools, said early computer education was vital."From The Age at link
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This page last updated 11 August, 2008 11:51 PM
