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Breaking
News: Week of 19 January 2009
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Saturday – Sunday, 24 – 25 January
- The Australian
- Classrooms need $2.2bn boost
by Andrew Trounson
"Spending on Australian public school buildings and equipment is about $1000 a student less than it is in Britain and the US, and an extra $2.2 billion a year would have to be spent to start closing the gap.
"That would represent an additional $1.5 million a year in funding for each Australian public school.
"Independent economist and researcher Adam Rorris said there was strong evidence from Britain that improved facilities boosted academic performance, especially in deprived areas. At the same time, such additional spending would be a timely boost to the economy as the Government sought to offset a looming recession.
"Policy-makers in this country need to get their head around this gap in a serious way ... and begin to explain how we have come to be in this situation where Australian public schools are so consistently and significantly under-invested in terms of facilities and equipment," Mr Rorris told the Australian Education Union conference in Melbourne.
"According to his research, while per student capital funding for Australian public schools has risen in the five years to 2005-06 from $461 a student to $659, it has consistently been about $1000 below what has been spent in Britain and the US. For Australian private schools, capital spending amounted to $1678 a student in 2006."
From The Australian at link
Similar stories in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald
- Results of school testing hidden
by Andrew Trounson
"National Curriculum Board head Barry McGaw yesterday called on Canberra to release suppressed international test data comparing the performance of Australian public and private schools.
"Australia is one of only three countries that suppress the results of OECD tests believed to show that a student's social background rather than their school is a better indicator of academic performance.
"Professor McGaw believes the results are likely to bear out the crucial role of social background, such as parental education and occupation.
"Of the 30 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, Australia, Belgium and France are the only members that don't reveal the breakdown of public and private school results in the OECD's regular testing of 15-year-olds.
"Australia shouldn't be suppressing that piece of information," Professor McGaw, a former head of education at the Paris-based OECD, told The Australian.
"The Government obviously know which are the government schools and which are the private schools in the data set, but that information is removed from the file sent to Paris."
"He said analysis of OECD test results internationally showed private schools tended to outperform state schools. However, he said that in all countries that outperformance directly reflected social background.
"How much of the difference between the schools is due to that and not due to what the school does but just due to whom they enrol? The answer is, in all countries, all of it," Professor McGaw said..."
Full story in The Australian at link
- Overseas students pull out
Foreign students have begun to pull out of Australia, in what could be the first sign of a softening in the $14.2 billion-a-year overseas student industry. Universities and other educators contacted by The Australian reported an increase in deferrals while forecasting a decline in lucrative international enrolments as prospective students struggle to finance overseas education.
- ABC News
- More school days, less truants: teachers' union
"The Northern Territory's education union says it's worth looking at a more flexible school year for Top End Aboriginal communities.
"The national arm of the union has raised has the idea of a 48 week school year in parts of the Northern Territory in order to improve results for remote Indigenous students with poor attendance.
"The union's secretary in the Northern Territory, Adam Lampe, says the idea is more about flexibility than extending the school year.
"[It's about] allowing the annual school calendar to be negotiated with various communities so that they achieve a better fit between the school needs and the community needs.
"The studies have shown one of reasons for attendance are out of school issues and one of those out of school issues is the mobility of indigenous groups."
From ABC News at link
- The Australian
- Editorial
All the information
Parents have a right to know how schools compare
"The education apparatchiks are at it again, restricting access to information on school performance. In this case, it appears Canberra's standard practice is to suppress data that shows how state and private schools perform on standard OECD tests. Apparently officials are concerned that the evidence might demonstrate a correlation between a school's results and the background of its students. And this would never do.
"Well yes it would. Suppressing information on school performance is the sort of stunt that enrages everybody who understands education statistics exist to measure, and show how to improve, student outcomes. And the best way of achieving this is to make the people who run schools accountable for their actions. There is no shame in the knowledge that some schools perform worse than others - the shame is in not doing everything possible to help children make the most of their abilities.
"There are many ways of doing this, and they all require information on how comparable schools rate against each other. Knowing how a school is performing allows parents to assess whether the one their child attends is the best place for him or her. It allows parents to ask administrators hard questions. And it should, but in the public system rarely does, allow parents to place a child in the school that will best suit their abilities and interests. Information on how a school rates also makes it harder for administrators to ignore poor-performing teachers. While family circumstance has the major impact on pupil performance, schools can make a difference. In 2004, then Victorian education minister Lynne Kosky surveyed the performance of state schools in similar areas that had very different external exam outcomes. The reason for this was the quality of teaching. And the way to improve teaching is to identify and reward the teachers who are doing well, if only to encourage the others.
"Education Minister Julia Gillard understands the importance of making as much information as possible publicly available, demonstrated by her enthusiasm for the achievements of New York school boss Joel Klein, who rates schools and rewards teachers accordingly. The more information about individual schools and how they compare the better for their students, regardless of how much it bothers bureaucrats who do not like the education system's clients knowing what is going on. "In God we trust but all others must bring data" is an ancient administrators' aphorism - and it applies in education."
From The Australian at link
- Universities are already showing signs of struggle in coping with increased demand
Getting a bachelor degree will increase your pay by 31 per cent; an apprenticeship by 23 per cent and a TAFE diploma by 14 per cent. But some TAFE certificates are not delivering regular pay rises, and young women still earn about 20 per cent less than young men.
These are the findings of a 10-year survey by the Australian Council for Educational Research, which tracked 4200 people aged 14 in 1995 until the age of 24. But just as the slowing economy has more people seeking to boost their prospects with degrees and diplomas, there are early signs universities may struggle to keep pace with demand.
Related stories in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald
- Universities are remaining optimistic despite a decline in international student numbers
Universities are hopeful of maintaining their international student numbers, despite signs of a softening in the $14.2 billion-a-year overseas student industry.
- The Age
- Trainee teachers' placement battle
by Farrah Tomazin
"Universities are struggling to find schools willing to offer work experience to students in teaching courses, prompting calls for schools to get financial incentives to encourage more placements.
"First-round university offers released last night show that education degrees are becoming more popular, with first-preference applications increasing by more than 7 per cent this year and the number of students being offered a place up by 8.4 per cent.
"But university chiefs have raised concerns that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find schools willing to offer students a work placement to get classroom experience.
"Teacher education institutions are finding it increasingly difficult to place all of their students in schools," said Sue Willis, president of the Australian Council of Deans of Education.
"Universities are required to provide practical places for their students, but there is no obligation on employing authorities or schools to offer places."
"Professor Willis, who is also the dean of education at Monash University, said her institution alone had to find 5000 work placements every year.
"But with students doing 80-100 hours a year by their fourth year, some schools were reluctant to offer a work placement because of the time and resources involved.
"Asked how the problem could be resolved, Professor Willis said future industrial agreements between teacher unions and governments could include incentives to encourage more schools to take on students.
"A spokeswoman for Education Minister Julia Gillard said the Government was working with the states and territories to support university teacher training courses through a new agreement to improve teaching quality, which was signed off by the Council of Australian Governments last year."
From The Age at link
- ABC News
- Qld teachers prepare to be election 'pawns'
"Queensland teachers say they expect to again be used as political footballs as this year's state election approaches.
"The Liberal National Party (LNP) has yet to release its full policy, but says it will increase spending on teacher accommodation and develop a points system for teacher promotion.
"The Government says there is nothing significant in the policy and Queensland Teachers Union president Steve Ryan agrees.
"At this point in time it would appear to the union that the LNP has missed the point in terms of the much needed resourcing for education," he said.
"There's been no mention of putting additional funding into much needed resources in schools and that seems to be the major issue at the moment."
"Mr Ryan says both sides of politics need to do better.
"The lack of detail in them has shown that teachers are being used as a football," he said.
"I think it's about time that politicians got away from using teachers and students as pawns in a political game and looked after real education funding."
From ABC News at link
- The Guardian
- Exam boards accused of spin to hide A-level grade inflation
The three national exam boards have been accused of spinning last summer's A-level results in a "desperate" attempt to convince the public that it is not becoming easier to get a top grade, after the Guardian obtained figures that raise new questions about grade inflation.
- BBC News
- Call for more male nursery staff
Men are being urged to take jobs in nurseries after a survey suggested many parents want their toddlers to have more contact with male role models.
Related story in The Guardian
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Children to get their own TV channel
A dedicated television channel for children will be among the recommendations from the 2020 summit to be adopted by the Federal Government.
- The Age
- Editorial
When students miss out, Australia will pay the price
"How much does Australia value education? The short answer is less than almost any comparable nation. The annual high-stakes jostle for university places offers a stark reminder of how chronic underfunding by federal and state governments has crippled the liberating power of education and turned schools and universities into perpetuators of social and economic inequality.
"In Victoria, about 13,000 of 57,300 applicants for Commonwealth-supported places missed out on first-round offers. Many students from disadvantaged backgrounds do not even apply. These students are as underrepresented in tertiary education as they were 20 years ago. Students from the top 25 per cent of postcodes ranked by income and education get 37 per cent of places. Students from the bottom quartile get 15 per cent of places, and only 11 per cent at the most prestigious universities. That is a damning disparity for a "fair go" society.
"University admissions simply reinforce the inequality created by the school system. Few would take issue with private schools if public schools were adequately funded. A 2004 study by Monash University's Centre for Population and Urban Research found students from private or independent schools achieved a median ENTER score of 83.55. The figure for Catholic schools was 68.45 and for government schools it was a lowly 61.05. [emphasis added]
"There can be little argument that Australian governments do not invest enough in all levels of education. Education economist Adam Rorris has found Australian governments have consistently spent about $1000 less per student on school infrastructure than the US and Britain — that amounts to a funding gap of about $11.2 billion since 2002. Investment in private school buildings is about three times that of public schools. Mr Rorris said there was strong evidence from Britain that better facilities improved academic performance, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
"It is probably no accident that Australia is one of only three countries that does not release OECD data that give a breakdown of the performance of public and private school students in reading, maths and science. The suppression of this information presents an early test of federal Education Minister Julia Gillard's commitment to greater transparency in school reporting. Yet one expects it would only confirm what is already known: that social background unduly determines school and university outcomes and that the Australian education system rates poorly for improving the performance of disadvantaged students.
"The proportion of year 7 students who go on to complete year 12 has levelled off at around 75 per cent, far below retention rates in the top OECD nations. The proportion of people aged 25 to 34 who completed school in the OECD's top six is 92 per cent; in Australia it is about 75 per cent. Ms Gillard has spelt out the consequences. "Economically, our nation will be the poorer if we do not make the most of the talents and potentials of all our people. Morally, our nation will be the weaker if we leave unanswered for another 60 years Robert Menzies' challenge to provide educational equity," she said in last year's Menzies oration at Melbourne University.
"The immediate problem is finding the money to match the rhetoric. The Rudd Government's commitments to date, while welcome, are not enough to reverse decades of decline in education funding. For universities, government funding has shrunk from 77 per cent of revenue in 1989 to 44 per cent. The recently released Bradley review of higher education lent considerable weight to the university sector's call to make up what it believes is a funding shortfall of about $2 billion a year. In addition to its proposals to shake up tertiary education, the estimated price tag of reform over four years is an eye-watering $5.7 billion, but the Bradley review spells out the unacceptable impact on the future wealth and wellbeing of this country that deferring funding increases would have.
"The report carries a real sense of urgency about the need to "act, and act now", given the pace at which Australia's performance in education is falling behind its competitors. Indeed, the summary states: "The recommendations in this report, if fully implemented, are likely to do no more than maintain the relative international performance and position of the Australian higher education sector." There is more to education reform than money, but unless the missing billions are restored to schools and universities the Government will not deliver an education revolution worthy of the name."
From The Age at link
- Parents brace for pain of higher school fees
by Farrah Tomazin
"The financial crisis has led to nearly one in three Australian families feeling ill-prepared to cope with rising education costs, with some considering moving house or taking out loans to help them pay.
"A day after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd warned that the economic downturn was going to get worse before it got better, new figures show parents will have to fork out thousands of dollars this year to educate their children, regardless of whether they are in a public or private kindergarten, primary school or secondary school.
"Estimates from the Australian Scholarships Group released yesterday show the average cost of tuition fees, study materials, uniforms, travel and excursions for a secondary school child will range between $5938 for public schools and $22,500 for private schools this year.
"Sending a child to primary school is expected to cost between $5536 for public schools and $13,130 for private schools, while preschool costs will range between $2779 (public) and $7195 (private). [emphasis added]
"And as the price of education continues to rise, a survey commissioned by the same group has also found almost 50 per cent of families with a child under 10 worry that they will be unable to afford it, while 34 per cent say the economic crisis has compounded their fears.
"Parents are really bracing themselves for tougher times ahead," said Australian Scholarships Group general manager Michelle Hunder.
"Education is a top priority for parents," she said. "They don't want their children to go without (and) they're prepared to find ways to do it."
"The nationwide survey of 1201 people found that most families do not have a long-term savings plan to deal with rising costs, opting instead for the "short-term pain" of changing their lifestyles.
It found:
■About 15 per cent of parents said they would consider moving house or taking out a loan to help pay for their child's schooling.
■Almost 50 per cent of people would be prepared to go without luxuries or cut back on everyday expenses.
■More than 40 per cent said they would forfeit a holiday, or devise a weekly savings plan.
■One in three said they would get another job or return to the workforce to cope with education costs.
The survey was taken in November.
"The proportion of parents who said they would be willing to change their lifestyles in each of the areas surveyed increased since a similar survey was taken a year earlier."
From The Age at link
- The West Australian
- Letters to the Editor (page 22)
I disagree
“Your report (16/1) on the continued use of the discredited "levels" in assessment and reporting up to Year 10 included a comment that is a common fallacy. Levels were not "abandoned in Years 11 and 12 in early 2007" despite the fact that they are no longer used in reporting.
"Levels" are still part of every upper school Course of Study syllabus and we are required, by the Curriculum Council, to supply the descriptions of these meaningless items to students in our documentation.
“This ridiculous clinging to the "levels" is evidence that authority and planning has been in the hands of a powerful and deluded minority who will never admit that the OBE and CoS experiment is a disaster.”
B. A. Lee, Ardross
Why I was force to quit teaching
“Two years ago I was appointed by the Education Department to teach in a small WA country town. Now, a little more that a week before the school year begins, despite wishing to remain in the country, I am still waiting to hear if I have a job. I was moved out and told to wait.
“I graduated with the highest possible marks from my final teaching practicum looking forward to having a class of my own and, in my own small way, to making a difference. Although our lives were in Perth, my husband ant I decided to move to the country so I could teach. We moved into Government Regional Officers' Housing accommodation that came complete with 20cm holes in the walls and roof (which are still there).
“The public perception of teachers is appalling. While studying for a postgraduate degree I was told it was "a waste of my brain".
“Why teach? For me it comes down to the students and the knowledge you are doing something good. However, if I am appointed to another position we have less than a week to move our lives. That is not enough time for my husband to secure another job. And then, what about next year?
“Last week, when I rang the department to get some information, I was told there were no vacancies in Karratha (one of the towns I had applied for). You can imagine my surprise when I watched ABC news that night and saw an interview with two teachers who had been recruited from England and were placed in Karratha.
“The system is broken. Public respect, if not already lost, is disappearing. My optimism is gone. Thus, I resign.”
Kate O'Toole, Shenton Park
- ABC News
- Educators gain 'significant improvements', morale boost
"The New South Wales Teachers' Federation says it is pleased with a new three-year pay and staffing agreement for its members.
"The teachers reached an agreement with the Education Department today that gives them a 4.4 per cent pay rise and an additional 3.8 per cent for the next two years.
"The agreement also retains a teacher transfer system.
"Federation president Bob Lipscombe says it is a good outcome.
"I think it's a significant moment for teachers, one of which they've gained real incomes where we've been able to avoid industrial action that would disrupt the beginning of the school year and also gain improvements for morale working conditions," he said."
From ABC News at link
- The Australian
- Tougher times push up demand for university places
At least 29,300 applicants - the equivalent of a medium-sized campus - appear to have missed out on university places this year, according to early admission figures. The release of first-round offers for 2009 has raised doubts about the university system's capacity to absorb a sharp rise in demand, prompted in part by the recession.
- Trevor Gale raises equity fears as Bradley recommendations could concentrate disadvantage
Disadvantaged students could be further concentrated in younger and regional universities if Bradley review recommendations on entitlements are implemented without stringent controls, derailing a major objective of the review, according to National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education director Trevor Gale.
[Is this really anything more than: If you have a TER of 65, don't bother applying to Harvard? Web]
- BBC News
- Obama's blueprint for education
The quality of teaching is on the agenda - with promises of better pay, recruitment incentives and targets for finding staff in particular subject areas, including maths and science.
Worth a look
- The West Australian
- State pushes single-sex classes (page 3)
by Bethany Hiatt
"Education Minister Liz Constable is encouraging State schools to consider offering separate classes for boys and girls to cater for their different learning needs.
"Dr Constable said separating students for some subjects had merit.
“Research over the last 20 to 30 years suggests that there may be benefits in single-sex classrooms for both girls and boys,” she said. “We should encourage schools to think of this as one way that they can organise their classes and their timetables if it’s appropriate.” A former deputy principal of a prestigious private girls’ school, Dr Constable said schools already had the option to set up single-sex classes if they believed it was in the best interests of students.
“But I see it as something we need to keep looking at,” she said.
"Single-sex private schools dominated recent TEE rankings, taking out nine of the 10 top spots on last year’s academic league table. Six of those were girls’ schools.
"The WA Secondary School Executives Association said yesterday the State Government should offer parents more choice by providing the option of single-sex public high schools, as was the case in other States. “If it provides choice and it’s educationally sound, then we would support that,” president Rob Nairn said.
"The Catholic Education Office recently announced it would open two new single-sex schools in Joondalup in 2011, its first in 70 years, in response to an expanding body of research indicating that single-gender education could be the best educational option for some children.
"But Dr Constable has ruled out establishing separate single-gender public high schools, even if a recentlyconcluded three-year trial of singlesex classes is deemed successful.
"The $1.5 million trial in five public high schools started in 2006 and finished at the end of last year but the Department of Education and Training says it is still analysing the data collected. An interim report should be finished in April.
"When the former Gallop government began the trial it said overseas research showed that splitting students into single-sex classes had resulted in a dramatic drop in suspensions and better social interaction.
"But Dr Constable said she did not believe the trial would provide effective research evidence for establishing segregated schools and that was not on the Government’s agenda.
"WA Council of State School Organisations president Rob Fry said it had no policy on single-sex classes but principals should be able to set them up if they had parental support."
From The West Australian at link [plus post / view reader comments at that link]
- Letter to the Editor (page 22)
- Still no job for me
"I am a second-year teacher and like many of my friends, I'm still waiting for the Department of Education to offer me a posting for this year.
"I was furious and frustrated to read in the papers and see on television the panic about a teacher shortage. Here I am, Department of Education, I'm a country girl who wants to teach and live in the country and I am still waiting desperately for news of a job. Each time I contact the staffing department I get the same response: “You'll know when you get a letter in the post mid-week.” Have they not heard of telephones?
"As the start of a new school year edges closer, the anxiety grows. Without being told whether a job will be available for me I've not been able to make any plans to relocate and apply for relief positions."
Gemma O'Donnell, Beverly
- Computer program helps unis catch 1300 cheating students (page 7)
by Bethany Hiatt
"Hundreds of WA university students have been caught cheating in exams and plagiarising course work.
"More than 1300 students have been nabbed trying to pass off other people’s work as their own since January 2006, documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws show.
"Academics say it is impossible to know how many other students may be cheating on assignments — ghostwritten ones were the hardest to detect.
"Penalties for plagiarism can include suspension, loss of marks, failure of a unit or expulsion.
"During the past three years, 545 students have been picked up for plagiarism at Curtin University, 304 at Murdoch, 270 at the University of WA and 182 at Edith Cowan University.
"Eighteen students were reported for cheating in exams at ECU, 50 at Murdoch, 155 at Curtin and 44 at UWA.
"Curtin, Murdoch and ECU said plagiarism detection software Turnitin was a useful tool. Students could check their work for plagiarised text and staff could check students’ work.
"ECU said the number of students caught cheating had risen since 2006.
"This was partly due to the prevalence of online information sources which increased the potential for plagiarism but also reflected the university’s vigilance in identifying it. “All universities are becoming more vigilant on the issue,” deputy vice-chancellor (academic) Arshad Omari said.
"Curtin deputy vice-chancellor (academic) Jane den Hollander said the trend had stabilised over the past three years as the university worked at raising student awareness of the consequences of cheating. “The penalties for plagiarism are now so draconian that people tend to really think about it before they do it,” she said.
"Murdoch deputy vice-chancellor (academic) Jan Thomas said the number of students caught plagiarising fell 10 per cent since 2006, due to plagiarism detection software and students knowing the penalties.
"UWA requires all first-year students to complete a course on ethical academic conduct."
From The West Australian at link
- The Australian
- Teachers win pay rise and new transfer deal
NSW teachers are celebrating a double win after they were yesterday awarded a significant pay increase and peace of mind over transfers after threatening to strike on the first two days of the school term. The state's education department will boost the salaries of public school teachers and permanent TAFE teachers by an accumulative 12.48 per cent over the next three years.
Similar story in The Sydney Morning Herald
- The Age
- Letter to the Editor
- Funding the future
"Your editorial (The Age, 21/1) is correct when stating that fewer Australians would take issue with private schools if public schools were adequately funded. Sadly though, students in government schools are being underresourced. Disadvantaged students in particular are missing out.
"Along with better facilities, public schools urgently need more teachers, smaller class sizes and higher numbers of literacy and numeracy staff. They also require increased numbers of integration aides, youth workers, counsellors, psychologists, chaplains and other support staff.
"Government schools would also benefit greatly from access to a larger number of alternative education programs to assist students who are not reaching their full potential in more traditional school settings.
"Increased government spending on both infrastructure and human resources in the public education system would be a huge step forward in helping our public schools with the incredibly important task they have of educating the majority of Australia's children and young people."
Robert Van Zetten, Highton
- WA Today
- WA parents scoop school prize [21 January]
A Karrinyup school's two year fight to get its rundown buildings replaced has been further rewarded with its P&C Association judged Australia's best.
- The West Australian
- Letters to the Editor (page 22)
[still on DET: The Caring Employer]
Education system a joke
“Kate O'Toole's letter (Why I was forced to quit teaching, 21/1) highlights a very serious problems in the educations placements system, one which is likely at the heart of the so-called teacher shortage. I graduated as a teacher last year after a 20-year career as a senior manager in an IT business. I came out of my degree with great optimism and the belief that I had a lot to offer as a teacher.
“I gave the Education Department my preferences in September. These included some country schools and one metro school. I still have not been given a placement. I contacted the department in November and raised concerns about the delay. I have a family, so a move to the country means my husband would need time to find a job and I would have to enrol my son at a new school.
“I was told placements would be sent out from November 15. I contacted it again recently and asked why I hadn't heard anything. I was told that my application was “limited” and that might be the reason. I still hadn't been allocated a school.
“Given they had been sitting on my application for so long, why hadn't I been told this before? I pointed out that as I had a family, I could not move to the country at such short notice, therefore I had to withdraw my application to work in the country.
“After reading Kate O'Toole's letter I am very relieved that I did not receive a country placement. Imagine moving my family to a new town, enrolling my son in a new school, only to be told 12 months later that I have no job there.
“The actions of the department are indefensible in this regard. My only option now is to find a job in the metro area. In order to get a permanent job, I would have to do nine continuous years contract work for the department as a metro-based teacher. What a joke. How is it that no other employer in Australia can get away with offering such draconian employment conditions?
“Looks like I'll be staying in IT for some time to come.”
C Bowles, Hillarys
Please explain
“I sympathise with Kate O'Toole and the issues she raised. I returned to university to complete a degree in education and quit after three years of study for many of the reasons she has cited. What is the point in starting a career in which your job is not guaranteed, where you deal with little to no support or respect from parents in some cases, and where you don't have the support of the department that is supposed to be looking after you?
“I am passionate about my subject and enjoyed the teaching experiences I had because of the positive attitudes of the students, but it wasn't enough to keep my interested in becoming reliant on this “system”.
“I have read other comments in the past from people who say that we shouldn't complain, that they had to deal with this so why shouldn't we? But why should we? Why should we put up with a system that is clearly in dire need of change? Why should we put up with a system that gives you a number, not a name, and that denies its employees courteous treatment?
“Is it too much to ask that you know where you're going to be teaching for longer that a week before you are due to be there? I am ashamed that so many teachers feel in fear of speaking out in case they don't get another job – the same teachers who may be served within this system for many years and still haven't been granted permanency. I'm just glad I got out before I, too, felt this way.”
Erin Hutchinson, Cottesloe
I've had enough
“I am a forth-year teacher and like Gemma O'Donnell (Letters, 22/1) I am still waiting for a job from the Education Department. It really frustrates me that I, too, have been told repeatedly “wait for the letter in the mail” when every year for the last four years I've not been allocated a position until halfway through the first term.
“I have decided this year enough is enough and I have started looking for other stable, secure, but obviously not as rewarding as teaching, employment positions. I have a family that I need to help support and my income is needed to help maintain the living standards in our household.
“When is the Education Department going to learn that it need to offer more permanent positions to teachers to encourage them to stay in the profession? It needs to restructure the placement process. We put in out placement requests in July of the year before it allocates positions and it still takes until February or March to fully allocate staff. What other employer can get away with this treatment of its employees? Until the Education department changes the job allocation procedure more and more teachers will walk into other professions and give up on teaching.
“My suggestion to all the school leavers out there is not to be taken in by all the glorious advertising features circling the media to get into teaching as a career. Think twice – do you really want to end up with a HECS debt for a career which cannot deliver you a job every year?”
Benita Sweeney, Dalyellup
- The Australian
- Teachers offer apple a day for pay rise
Flying in the face of Kevin Rudd's calls for wage restraint, the Australian Education Union is ramping up pressure on the Rann Government in its fight for an 18 per cent pay rise for South Australian teachers. As part of its campaign, the union will today deliver an apple to every serving South Australian politician, before bombarding the Premier, Treasurer and education and industrial relations ministers with an apple a day from next week. The apples will carry a daily education-related message and symbolise the health of education.
- The Adelaide Advertiser
- It's not about our pay, say South Australia's teachers
The teachers union says its ongoing industrial dispute will "shift the focus from the Government's narrow obsession with pay" to the need for more funding.
- Problem students on the rise in SA
Public schools are suspending or excluding more students from class as teachers become increasingly intolerant of violent and abusive behaviour.
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Editorial
Teachers are due higher pay
"Some teachers in NSW have irritating habits. Too many act more like preachers than teachers, offering too many ideological viewpoints. The NSW Teachers Federation has a track record of truculent behaviour that has often done more harm than good to the cause and the image of the public school system. The threat to begin this school year with a strike was typical of this self-defeating narrowness. It sent a terrible signal to students, was an insult to their parents, and was yet another stupid propaganda exercise that damaged the reputation of school system.
"Now public school teachers and TAFE teachers have won a 12.48 per cent salary increase over the next three years. That is a large increase for an economy on the cusp of recession, in a contracting job market, with business confidence plunging. Many in the workforce are anxious about keeping their jobs, let alone receiving a healthy 4 per cent increase each year for the next three years. Even the Teachers Federation described the increase as "significant, especially in the current economic climate".
"Despite these reservations, we support the pay increase. Teachers have been underpaid, and thus undervalued, for years. This is not healthy for society. The cycle of relatively low pay, low morale and high turnover needed to be broken. Money was at the core of this vicious cycle.
"Recession or not, an investment in teachers is an investment in the public education system, which in turn is an investment in children. [emphasis added] This pay increase, brokered by the NSW Industrial Commission and accepted by the NSW Teachers Federation on Tuesday, is a fair result. The pay increases will be 4.4 per cent this year and 3.8 per cent in 2010 and 2011. The Teachers Federation had to make some modest concessions, such as giving up its demand for a 15 per cent rise over three years, and sick leave entitlement has been reduced from 33 days to 15 days a year. School principals will have limited but increased flexibility in hiring teachers.
"What this agreement must not be, however, is a benchmark for every other public sector union. Public sector teaching salaries was a special case. They were lagging behind and needed to be increased relative to other professions. This should not be a signal for a similar push by public sector unions - that would guarantee the NSW Labor Government received a death warrant from the electorate."
From The Sydney Morning Herald at link
- ABC News
- Private school enrolments flourish despite economic trouble
Independent Schools Queensland says it expects enrolments will grow at private schools this year despite the economic downturn.
- The Guardian
- Academy run by non-teacher branded a disaster
One of Labour's flagship academy schools – the first to be headed by someone without classroom experience – was branded a disaster yesterday, four months after it opened.
Saturday – Sunday, 24 – 25 January
- The Sunday Times
- Op Ed
Mark McGowan refutes Liam Bartlett's views on 'WA's wasted boom'
by Mark McGowan
"I abolished OBE", claims McGowan !
"Contrary to the views of Liam Bartlett ("Our very sorry state of affairs", TST, January 18), the Gallop and Carpenter governments made the most of the boom..."
"Outcomes-based education? This was created by former education minister Colin Barnett and I abolished it, but I didn't say it like that and I should have..." [emphasis added]
The full (self-serving) story in The Sunday Times at link
- The West Australian
- Private school pupils see TEE concessions (page 3)
by Bethany Hiatt
“Private school students are claiming special tertiary entrance exam allowances because of disabilities at twice the rate of State school pupils, raising questions about whether potentially eligible students from government schools are failing to apply.
“The Curriculum Council grants special exam provisions to students with learning and physical disabilities or conditions such as diabetes, Tourettes syndrome or sweaty palms.
“Students can apply for special arrangements, such as an extra half an hour of exam time, rest breaks, access to scribe or computer, food and drink for diabetics or seating near a door to stave off panic attacks.
“Figures show that just 96 students from State Schools applied for special concessions last year, compared with 212 from Catholic and Independent schools.
“There were 148 applications from independent schools, more than one-and-a-half times the rate from State Schools, even though only 27 per cent of last year's 13,614 students were from the independent sector compared with 45 per cent from Government schools.
“More than four times as many students from private schools applied for special dispensation in the category of “specific learning disabilities” such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, with 111 applications compared with 25 from State Schools. Ninety-eight schools put in applications, with eight schools submitting 10 or more applications.
“Of the 309 total applications, 21 were not approved and 12 were withdrawn.
"Every student receives a Year 12 information guide outlining how to apply for special concessions. Schools must complete the application and lodge it with the Curriculum Council by the end of June each year.
“Evidence such as a medical certificate, psychologist's report, timed essay samples or reading test results must be provided.
“If there are students missing out, there needs to be a better awareness campaign to make the TEE kids well aware of their rights and what's available to them,” WA Council of State School Organisations president Rob Fry said.
“Education Department school support programs executive director David Axworthy said schools passed on advice, but it was up to students and carers to ask for special arrangements.
“Catholic Education Office director Ron Dullard said the disparity in number indicated there was a greater level of awareness among parents of students at private schools that special arrangements were available.
“Association of Independent Schools of WA executive director Valerie Gould said the Curriculum Council had worked hard to make sure all school were aware of the arrangements.”
From The West Australian
- The Sunday Age
- Government scores F over 'super principal' flop
by Peter Munro
"The State Government has failed to recruit its promised squad of "super" principals to turn around the fortunes of Victoria's most challenging schools.
"Only days before the new school year starts, the Government's initial recruit — Glenn Proctor, who was lured from the eastern suburbs to head up the new Hume Central Secondary College in Broadmeadows — remains the only principal appointed under the "executive contract" scheme.
"When contacted by The Sunday Age, the Education Department cited the need for new legislation as the reason why it had failed to lure recruits to the lucrative scheme, believed to carry a base salary of about $150,000. But senior government sources said new legislation was not necessary, and Mr Proctor's appointment last August illustrated that.
"When pressed, the department failed to give even basic details of the scheme, announced last May, including its cost, the numbers of principals to be appointed or the schools they would be expected to run.
"The department also declined to say whether it had received any expressions of interest or had approached any other principals to take up executive contracts..."
Full story in The Sunday Age at link
- Editorial
Attracting great principals requires more than money
"They were supposed to sweep into the state's most troubled schools, bringing with them the expertise and unshakeable enthusiasm to improve literacy and numeracy skills, boost VCE results, even reform the behaviour of students almost everyone else had given up on. They were to be the "super principals".
"Popular culture is rich with the romantic idea of the heroic educator — the unconventional outsider who comes into a disadvantaged school and, despite a few setbacks, unlocks the talents of its unruly students and teaches them to believe in themselves. Of course, the reality of taking charge of a dysfunctional, poorly performing school is much tougher and, say many educators, a job suited only to the most resilient.
"But nine months after state Education Minister Bronwyn Pike announced the Government's innovative plan to headhunt highly skilled principals from private and public schools, both in Australia and abroad, to help struggling state schools, only one such head has been recruited. As the job offers a base salary of about $150,000, and the promise of bonuses if a school's academic results improve, you would think more principals would have been signed to the executive contract deals by now.
"The reasons why only one principal — Glenn Proctor, who will head up the new Hume Central Secondary College in Broadmeadows — has been appointed are unclear, as the Government has refused to answer specific questions on the scheme and its lack of progress. What is clear is that many Melbourne — and regional — schools could blossom with experienced, inspiring principals leading a team of dedicated, talented teaching staff, backed by a supportive parent body. But attracting and keeping such talented teachers and principals continues to be a challenge. Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard has signalled her preference for a performance-pay system that would reward outstanding government school teachers on merit. Victoria's "super principal" scheme is also aimed at rewarding exceptional professionals."But as several school principals tell The Sunday Age today, money is not their motivation. Their jobs are often so onerous and so draining that no amount of money could compensate them. Perhaps this is why none have taken the monetary lure to tackle the state's most challenging schools. They say they find satisfaction in creating and working with a like-minded team of teachers. Their reward is seeing students achieving beyond their expectations. What they need is more support.
"We ask a great deal of our schools and those who work in them. The changing nature of society means that often the school is the focal point of a neighbourhood. Schools now have the responsibility not only of teaching the three Rs but also of dealing with fractured families, drug and alcohol abuse, aggressive parents, and a range of issues that affect families. To take a leadership position at a school is a vital, yet onerous job — one that many teachers are reluctant to assume. [emphasis added]
"It may be that the Government needs to think beyond a monetary lure to inspire more of our best teachers to step into the educational hot seat. Perhaps alternative leadership structures need to be considered — co-principals or more deputy principals to share the workload. With a new school year about to start, the matter needs urgent attention. Clearly money alone is not enough."
From The Sunday Age at link
- ABC News
- TAFE applications up
"The number of applications for TAFE courses in Western Australia has increased by 14 per cent.
"Last year about 12,000 people applied for TAFE courses in WA.
"That number increased to about 13,500 this year.
"The Minister for Training Peter Collier says the slowing economy means people are looking more carefully at training options available to them.
"For too long positions in training were seen as second cousins to a degree through university and that was a misnomer," he said.
"What people are really finding now is that a career in training is a treasured possession."
From ABC News at link
[Similar story in The Sunday Times but not available online]
- The Sunday Sydney Morning Herald [online only]
- Country teacher homes to be sold
The State Government is selling 100 houses earmarked to accommodate country schoolteachers while retaining a three-bedroom apartment for bureaucrats in Sydney's CBD.
- The Washington Post
- Feature
Challenging Assumptions About Online Predators
by Mike Musgrove
"Are your kids safe online? A recent report about this sensitive subject is stirring up controversy.
"The study, released by Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, finds that it's far more likely that children will be bullied by their peers than approached by an adult predator online.
"The 278-page document cites studies showing that sexual solicitation of minors by adults via the Web appears to be on the decline. "The image presented by the media of an older male deceiving and preying on a young child does not paint an accurate picture," reads one of document's conclusions. "The risks minors face online are complex and multifaceted and are in most cases not significantly different than those they face offline."
"In other words, children are about as savvy online as they are offline, said Ernie Allen, president of the Alexandria-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which contributed to the report.
"The vast majority of kids in this country have heard the messages about the risks online and are basically dealing with them as a nuisance, as a fact of life, and aren't particularly vulnerable," he said. "This report should not be read as saying there are not adults out there doing this." ...
Full story in The Washington Post at link
- The New York Times
- Study Sees an Obama Effect as Lifting Black Test-Takers
by Sam Dillon
"Educators and policy makers, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, have said in recent days that they hope President Obama’s example as a model student could inspire millions of American students, especially blacks, to higher academic performance.
"Now researchers have documented what they call an Obama effect, showing that a performance gap between African-Americans and whites on a 20-question test administered before Mr. Obama’s nomination all but disappeared when the exam was administered after his acceptance speech and again after the presidential election. [emphasis added]
"The inspiring role model that Mr. Obama projected helped blacks overcome anxieties about racial stereotypes that had been shown, in earlier research, to lower the test-taking proficiency of African-Americans, the researchers conclude in a report summarizing their results..."
Full story in The New York Times at link
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This page last updated 25 January, 2009 10:46 PM
