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Breaking
News: Week of 16 February 2009
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Saturday – Sunday, 21 – 22 February
- The West Australian
State blocks no school, no welfare program
by Alana Buckley-Carr
“The Federal Government's controversial no school, no welfare trial will not go ahead in WA after Child Protection Minister Robyn McSweeney said it could increase crime and leave children hungry.
“The trial, which would have seen family welfare payments quarantined for un to 13 weeks if a child was a chronic truant, was due to start in Cannington at the beginning of the school year.
“But Ms McSweeney said yesterday she had told the Federal Government she would not support the concept and would instead like to see children put on a “parental responsibility” program where children would be ordered to by a court to attend school, with welfare payments managed but not quarantined.
“A spokesman for Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said she had not received any formal advice from the WA Government that it would not take part in the tiral.
“Ms McSweeney said the quarantining of welfare payments meant children could be left as a “State problem”. But she supported the concept of income management where welfare payments were managed by the Government.
“She said Education Minister Liz Constable agreed but Dr Constable refused to say yesterday whether the trial should go ahead in WA.
“I wouldn't under any circumstances expect that somebody's welfare would be quarantined for 13 weeks because a child didn't go to schools. That penalises the child further and I expect they'll be out committing crimes and doing more because they'd be hungry,” Ms McSweeney said.
“Instead of quarantining the welfare, these kids (should) go on to the parental responsibility program which will then put a court order on them to make them go to school.
“The effect is the same without the quarantining of welfare. This is completely stopping parents' welfare, which leaves it a State problem.”
“She said in its current form, the trial would not go ahead in WA but she would consider a sliding scale of quarantining payments as opposite to cutting them off completely.
“I would take no part in income quarantining. I'll work with the Education Minister as well to see if Jenny Macklin will accept parental responsibility,” she said. “I have discussed it with (Dr Constable) and I have put it very strongly in a letter to Jenny Macklin that I will take not part in quarantining of welfare payments.”
From The West Australian
High school locked down after attack fears [5 pm update: online only]
by Gabrielle Knowles
"A Forrestfield high school was locked down this morning after a gang of people allegedly threatened to bash a student.
"Police intercepted a group near Darling Range Sports College about 11am after a friend of the student apparently warned of the coming attack.
"It was claimed the group wanted revenge against students from the Forrestfield school who gatecrashed a party on the weekend.
"Principal Peter Noack confirmed students were locked in classes for about 20 minutes, before police gave the school the all-clear.
"Police and Education Department security staff guarded the school until the end of the day to prevent any trouble."Police inquiries are continuing."
From The West Australian at link
Efficiency drive puts WorkSafe library in doubt
The State Government has confirmed its demand for 3 per cent budget cuts across all agencies could force the closure of a specialist library dedicated to workplace health and safety.
Full story in The West Australian
- ABC News
- Former school principal set to sue NT Govt
"The former principal of a remote Northern Territory school says he's worried about the future of children in the bush.
"George Hewitson is suing the Northern Territory Education Department for constructive dismissal, saying he was forced out of his job at Shepardson College on Elcho Island.
"Mr Hewitson says he uncovered a number of issues at his former school.
""English was not used hardly at all by any of the children at the school, right up into year 12.
"I did a check, which all principals should do of people's drivers licenses, because you have to have a Northern Territory license to use Northern Territory vehicles. The person they said has been the bus driver for years, doesn't have and he couldn't tell me he ever had a bus license." Mr Hewitson said.
"George Hewitson was praised for his work at the Kalkarindji community before taking up a position on Elcho Island.
"But he says he's now been forced out of his job at Saint Shepardson College on Elcho Island.
"I never really got a good reason I don't believe. There was a series of events of reports coming out about the school, an audit report was coming out about the school, and I sought clarification on that, and basically it went from there," Mr Hewitson said.
"The Education Department says it's unable to comment on the issue because the matter is before the courts."
From ABC News at link
- The Australian
- Children's literature seeks its laureate
A children's laureate to champion reading among kids will be appointed from next year under a program established by an alliance of authors, teachers, librarians, publishers, booksellers and arts administrators.
- The Age
- Liberal students seek fee block
Liberal students will pressure crossbench senators to block the reintroduction of compulsory fees to pay for services on university campuses.
- The West Australian
- Budget cuts will hurt us, says TAFE
by Jessica Strutt
"Perth's smallest TAFE college has warned of increased staff workloads, cancelled courses and cuts in student services to meet the Government's mandatory 3 per cent budget cuts.
"In further evidence that the funding cuts will affect frontline services, despite repeated Government denials, West Coast TAFE has told parliamentary inquiry that the hours of its library and student administration would be reduced.
"In a submission to the estimates and financial operations subcommittee, college training and business services general manager Russell Coad said the impact of the cuts on services and staff would be more pronounced because of its small size.
“Some students will not receive the same amount of one-to-one support from lecturers, however the quality of the training received should not be significantly impacted,” the submission said.
“Courses that traditionally have lower numbers will have to be removed from those on offer resulting in some students having to travel further to access the course of their choice on not engage in training.”
“Operating hours of the library and student administration will be reduced resulting in fewer hours for students to access services.”
"The submission was sent to the subcommittee on January 14, which is understood to be before the Government blocked its departments from handing over to the inquiry details of how they would achieve the cuts.
"The West Australian revealed yesterday that the Upper house subcommittee and the Government were in a stand-off over whether departments could be forced to hand over submissions on where the cuts will be made.
"Shadow training minister Ljiljanna Ravlich said the submission was a major embarrassment for the Government because it again showed that its promise that cuts would not affect frontline services was a sham.
"Ms Ravlich said it was unbelievable that at a time when the Government should be increasing training opportunities during the financial crisis, its cuts were reducing courses and staff.
"Training Minister Peter Collier said information in the submission was preliminary and only formed part of the final report."
From The West Australian
- ABC News
- Education a fundamental right of every child: Dodson
Australia has let its education system "slide miserably" and must do more to increase standards and quality, Indigenous activist Professor Mick Dodson says. Speaking at the National Press Club, the Australian of the Year says the country should be striving to ensure that by next year every school-aged child in the country is in the classroom.
- The Age
- Hilmer attacks uni 'lack of vision' (also in The Sydney Morning Herald)
by Heath Gilmore
"The Bradley review of higher education lacks vision and has set unrealistic and unaffordable goals, says University of NSW vice-chancellor Fred Hilmer.
"In a stinging speech last night, on the eve of a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Professor Hilmer said the review failed to provide a vital blueprint for the sector's future.
"He highlighted the proposed increase in undergraduates as being a huge and uncosted financial burden, saying an extra six or seven new universities the size of UNSW would be required by 2020..."
Full story in The Age at link
- Town's children return to school (also in The Sydney Morning Herald)
Chum Creek Primary School was ringed by blackened trees and the smell of smoke still hung heavily in the air yesterday. But it was open, offering local children their first slice of normality since last week's fires.
- The Australian
- Canberra green light for bonus funding [late 16 Feb update]
The Commonwealth government is to speed additional infrastructure spending to higher education. An announcement is expected later today approving a "bonus" funding round from the $8.7 billion Education Investment Fund.
- The Guardian
- Students need to know Bible's 'great stories', poet laureate says
Children should be taught the Bible throughout their education because it is an "essential piece of cultural luggage" without which they will struggle to fully understand literature, according to the poet laureate, Andrew Motion.
- The New York Times
- For Education Chief, Power and Risk in Stimulus
by Sam Dillon
Washington: "The $100 billion in emergency aid for public schools and colleges in the economic stimulus bill could transform Arne Duncan into an exceptional figure in the history of federal education policy: a secretary of education loaded with money and the power to spend large chunks of it as he sees fit.
"But the money also poses challenges and risks for Mr. Duncan, the 44-year-old former Chicago schools chief who now heads the Department of Education.
"Mr. Duncan must develop procedures on the fly for disbursing a budget that has, overnight, more than doubled, and communicate the rules quickly to all 50 states and the nation’s 14,000 school districts. And he faces thousands of tricky decisions about how much money to give to whom and for what..."
Full story in The New York Times at link
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Letter to the Editor
- Asian language plan doesn't make sense
"The Federal Government's plan to increase the number of students fluent in Asian languages is laudable but unrealistic unless the NSW Board of Studies amends the syllabuses ("$62m to teach Asian languages", smh.com.au, February 15).
"Currently there are "background speaker" courses in Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean. Students who have studied beyond year 1 in one of those languages, or speak or write the language at home, must take the BS course.
"Those who are illiterate in that language are potentially pitted against those who arrived in Australia during senior high school and possess advanced written skills. This inequitable policy is a serious disincentive to anyone who was born in Australia or arrived here at an early age.
"That there are no BS courses for European languages makes the system almost discriminatory. Students born in Australia to Asian parents have to compete against native speakers in languages such as French, German or Italian as well as in their background language, when they are native speakers of none of these languages.
"No amount of funding will convince students to take a BS course that is way beyond their capabilities, meaning a large number of people with a good chance of becoming fluent miss out."
Jennifer Cheng, North Sydney
- The Australian
- Poverty focus a failure for education
by Justine Ferrari, Education writer
"The federal Government's focus on social disadvantage to improve students' education is misguided, a leading education researcher argues.
"Instead, funding should be directed at low-performing students, the Australian Council for Educational Research's Steve Dinham said.
"With the Government handing over more than $1 billion to schools with low socio-economic status, the biggest leveller in education was a quality teacher in every classroom, he said.
"Asked if the Government's investment in socially disadvantaged schools was a waste of money, Professor Dinham said socio-economic status (SES) was a "red herring" and the funds should be put into "low-performing schools and low-performing students".
"Across the SES spectrum, there are low-performing kids in all schools," he said. Professor Dinham - ACER research director in teaching, learning and leadership - said low socio-economic status was often used as an excuse to dumb down curriculum. Many teachers wrongly believed that students' backgrounds determined their potential at school.
"There are too many fads, fashions and ideologies in education - postmodernist claptrap, things like learning styles and categorising students in various ways," he said.
"There's a mountain of research, and teachers still rely on routine, past experience, hunches and superstition." In seminars for school leaders next week, Professor Dinham will say many people, including practising teachers, "still subscribe, consciously or subconsciously, to various forms of biological social determinism, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary".
"What students can achieve in their education is not predetermined by heredity, where they live, their socio-economic background or family circumstances. "All students can benefit from quality education, but people see a group of kids who are indigenous, come from non-English-speaking backgrounds, or poor" and assume the best they can do for those kids is to "keep them off the streets, give them social skills and boost self esteem". Professor Dinham said low expectations of students were common in disadvantaged areas, starting a self-fulfilling prophecy. [emphasis added]
"We shouldn't put all low-SES schools in one basket. We should be looking at low-SES schools that are doing well and the lessons from them," he said.
"Professor Dinham said attaching a low SES to a school was often used as an excuse for not doing things, and for dumbing down courses.
"The minute you start dumbing down, you're limiting people's horizons," he said."He said teacher quality was the key to overcoming differences."
From The Australian at link
- A disturbing set of numbers
by Nalini Joshi
"Mathematics is critical to modern life and it will be essential for formulating a response to the present economic crisis. Yet Australian school children are coming out of schools not knowing that doing a calculation with pencil and paper is the way to learn mathematics. While the federal Government is ploughing money into infrastructure, we are staring at the vista of shiny new classrooms and rows of laptops with no mathematics teachers.
"The international table of mathematics skills, the four-yearly Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, shows that our achievement scores in Year 8 mathematics have steadily declined since 1995. In the latest results in 2007, Britain and even the US, countries we used to beat, significantly outperformed Australian Year 8 students in mathematics. Unless we can stop the decline of well-trained mathematics teachers in our schools, this will continue.
"The deepening tragedy of our education system is that this vicious cycle propagates itself. For years the numbers taking advanced or intermediate courses in Year 12 mathematics in Australian schools have steadily dwindled, and the students completing a major in mathematics at university has declined. As a proportion of total graduates, our universities now produce fewer than half as many graduates with qualifications in mathematics or statistics as other developed nations. The result is a decline in qualified maths teachers.
"I now hear worrying stories of schools that have had to turn students away from mathematics classes due to a lack of qualified teachers. When jobs for mathematics teachers are advertised in Australia, surprisingly large numbers of candidates with no background or training in mathematics apply. This makes it difficult for a school to offer advanced mathematics courses, or hold enrichment classes that show students the wonderful variety, utility and beauty of mathematics.
"Students also face rising inequity in the current system. There are almost certainly differences in the public and private education systems. There has been a dramatic expansion in private mathematics coaching in Australia in recent years. Businesses offering tutoring or software for school students have proliferated across shopping centres over the past decade as parents have moved to supplement school education increasingly with private tuition in mathematics. The looming economic downturn means that a much smaller proportion of families will be able to afford this.
"As a mathematician and a parent, I do not understand why Australians must tolerate an education system that is inferior to that in America or Britain. Nor do I understand why we should accept a growing disparity in access to mathematics education across our school system. All Australian children deserve qualified mathematics teachers. Yet in Australia, policy-makers have either ignored the problems or taken only fragmented steps and half-measures to address them. [emphasis added]
"Consider this disturbing scenario. Over many years, consecutive Australian governments underfunded the teaching of mathematics in universities compared with other disciplines. This encouraged universities to think of their mathematics departments as a low strategic priority. As a consequence, many universities no longer have an identifiable department of mathematics. A disturbing number, particularly regional universities, no longer have a single appointment at the professorial level, or offer a three-year sequence of mathematics and statistics courses.
"In 2007 the previous Australian government finally changed the higher education funding model for mathematics with apparent support from the ALP in opposition. Universities now receive a more appropriate level of commonwealth support for the teaching of mathematics and statistics. The only hiccup is that many institutions are choosing to horde their new funding within general revenue, rather than pass the benefits directly on to mathematics departments. Unfortunately our politicians appear to be too scared to tell Australia's vice-chancellors to spend this money as it is intended.
"A more recent change has been the halving of HECS fees for students enrolled in science and mathematics courses. Many university students did not even notice that this had happened in the last budget. HECS debts all come later in life. It has very little effect on current life choices. In the meantime, the TIMSS results decline, students believe their new computers will be able to do the mathematics for them, good teachers leave, and Australia's next generation of workers stop being able to understand, or reason, in mathematics.
"In 2004 when Britain was faced with the same problems, the Government embraced a visionary reform of mathematics education from primary through to tertiary education. Already there has been a significant rise in the numbers of students taking up advanced-level mathematics courses and a significant improvement in the performance of British students in international tests. Investment by the Higher Education Funding Council for England over just three years has seen an increase of 7 per cent in students entering mathematics degree programs.
"But perhaps our prime minister has his own, even better, ideas.
"Mathematics ought to be front-of-mind for him. Visit the website of his old high school, Nambour High School, open the curriculum pages for "Maths" and click on the link to "Senior Mathematics" and you will find the page is blank: there is no content. Without clear and decisive action this may eventually become a symbolic omen of the future of mathematics teaching in all but the most advantaged parts of Australia."
Nalini Joshi is the president of the Australian Mathematics Society.
From The Australian at link
- Students do badly in study of civics
Students' knowledge of Australia's system of government is lower than expected, with only one in three Year 10 students knowing what the Constitution is. The national assessment of civics and citizenship in Years 6 and 10 found about 54 per cent of primary students and 41 per cent of high school students met the proficiency standards for their year. But about one in five Year 10 students failed to meet the Year 6 standard.
- Bradley review prompts Go8 ire
The Group of Eight ['sandstone universities'] has savaged the Bradley review, describing it as a "road map to mediocrity", foolish and deeply flawed, in a confrontation likely to fuel political tensions ahead of the federal Government's promised education overhaul.
- Astronomer Brian Boyle starry-eyed over telescope vision
Five million million million (bytes); that's the amount of information that's been spoken by humanity over its entire history. It's also the amount of information that will be generated by the [Square Kilometre Array radio telescope] in its first full day of operation.
- The West Australian
- Year 9 tests reveal city, country gulf
by Bethany Hiatt
"Results of national reading, writing and maths assessments for Year 9 students have highlighted the gulf between city and country high schools.
"Figures released by the Department of Education and Training also contrast the performance of schools in disadvantaged areas with those with a higher socioeconomic status.
"While more than 90 per cent of Year 9 students in metropolitan schools such as Ocean Reef Senior High School achieved minimum standards in all five categories, only 82 per cent of students at Kununurra reached the benchmark in numeracy and 58 per cent in punctuation and grammar.
"This is the first time the department has released Year 9 performance information. It has released the data from State-based tests of primary school students in Years 3, 5 and 7 for the past two years but has previously refused to divulge results of Year 9 tests.
"The high school results follow a similar pattern to primary school national literacy and numeracy results published by The West Australian last month.
"Schools with high indigenous populations, such as Kununurra, struggled to get students to achieve the minimum benchmarks.
"Swan View Senior High School, an eastern suburbs school which also has a big indigenous population, recorded 80 per cent reaching the standard in numeracy and 63 per cent attaining the minimum in punctuation and grammar.
"It is also the first time that any information has been publicly available on the performance of students at Perth Modern School since it became WA’s only academically select school.
"The results show that 100 per cent of the program’s first intake, now in Year 10, achieved the benchmarks in each of the five tests last year.
"Principal Robyn White said the results were strong, as was expected.
“That reflected the quality of support the students have received over their first nine years of schooling and also the capacity of the individual students,” she said.
"Private school results are not made public, but Hale School has revealed that 99 per cent of its Year 9s bettered the minimum standard in four categories and 98 per cent achieved the minimum in spelling.
"The national tests will be held again in May."
From The West Australian at link
- The Age
- Dodson focuses on education's missing 20,000
Australian of the Year Mick Dodson has committed to focusing on education in his role, saying he will aim to ensure that the estimated 20,000 children who do not attend school regularly have the desire and the opportunity to go.
Related story in The Sydney Morning Herald
- BBC News
- Trials of French teacher training
More top-flight graduates must be attracted into teaching in England, the Tories say, and the status of the profession must be raised. They would consider moves to accept only the brightest. But would it work? Hugh Schofield examines the French system, where a gruelling state-controlled test awaits those wanting to teach.
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Jobs at the top, but nobody wants to work for the state
by Andrew Clennell, State Political Editor
WANTED: People willing to work in senior positions for the NSW Government.
"... Log on to the NSW Board of Studies website and the "president's message" comes as an announcement of the retirement of Gordon Stanley as president of the board in March last year.
"For a year, the Government has not been able to fill the position, with education organisations speculating that a combination of incompetence, the scandal involving the Iguanas eatery, the suspension of the former education minister John Della Bosca, and a reluctance by people to come from interstate to take on the job is responsible for the delay.
"The executive director of the Catholic Education Commission, Brian Croke, said the "Government's dropped the ball on this particular issue".
"The Board of Studies is a statutory authority which has very clear responsibilities under the act. It needs to be properly led and we shouldn't get a hiatus [with its] leadership," he said..."
Full story in The Sydney Morning Herald at link
- The Daily Mail (UK)
- Now tanning courses are 'equal' to maths A-level
Courses in tanning are worth the same in school league tables as A-level maths papers, it emerged yesterday. Ministers have relaxed the rules to allow schools and colleges to count a host of practical qualifications towards their league rankings, alongside GCSEs and A-levels. It has led to courses in cake decoration, pottery and flower-arranging also being given an equivalent value to traditional qualifications.
- The Australian
- Catholic students lead exodus to public high schools
by Justine Ferrari, Education writer
"As parents feel the economic crunch enrolments in public high schools have risen this year with principals claiming a large proportion of the increase was due to students leaving Catholic and independent schools.
"Between 40 and 50 per cent of schools reported a rise in enrolments, with about 10 per cent saying the rise was significant, according to a survey conducted by the Australian Secondary Principals Association.
"Almost half the principals said most of their new students had left Catholic schools, 28 per cent said most students had come from low-fee independent schools and 14 per cent said students had left high-fee independent schools..."
"The ASPA's survey results are based on the responses of almost one-third of public high schools across the nation, representing 453 schools. The ASPA represents government high schools.
"The rise in public school enrolments is highest in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, with about 50 per cent of principals reporting growth.
"The average number of extra students per school is 14, but the range varies widely to more than 100 in some cases. For 80 per cent of schools, the student population rose by up to 5 per cent. [Is a 5 per cent increase really an "exodus"? Web]
"The biggest rise is in enrolments of students entering Year 11, reported by 45 per cent of principals. In times of economic downturn, student numbers in Years 11 and 12 tend to rise, encouraged by the shrinking job market.
"About 36 per cent of schools reported no change in enrolments, and 17 per cent said their enrolments were falling.
"The survey says the "pull factor" of the school is the main reason for increases, with parents attracted by the school's reputation and academic record, cited by 30 per cent of principals.
"Financial considerations were cited as the reason for changing schools by 17 per cent of principals. But some Catholic systems are reporting large increases in enrolments and the independent sector said there was no indication of a fall..."
Full story in The Australian at link
Similar story in The West Australian
See the article in today's Age for a somewhat more balanced view
- ASPA Media Release: Enrolment boost for public secondary schools [has more details]
- Letters to the Editor
"Justine Ferrari’s article ("Poverty focus a failure for education”, 18/2), citing research showing that a focus on social disadvantage to improve students’ education is misguided, could not be more timely.
"To improve education for all students we need to know their potential, which means reliable IQ testing and/or achievement records available to parents and teachers at the beginning of each school year.
"Grouping students into ability streams would make it easier to gauge the teachers’ success and guide the apportionment of students per class. Every teacher in a mixed classroom knows that underachieving and low-ability students take up more time in the classroom and in preparation of lessons. These students need to be in smaller classes.
"Numbers per class should gradually rise with the ability of the students, placing the most able in the largest classes. However, teachers of the most able should be properly trained, just as teachers of the least able need special training.
"Multi-age classes, which require more teacher effort but offer a healthier social environment, should be smaller also.
"Better teachers are the only answer for all students—certainly not better buildings."
Beth Johnson, Auchenflower, Qld
- First Byte
"The claim that social disadvantage isn’t a major barrier to educational success ("Poverty focus a failure for education”, 18/2) would be more impressive if it came from people who were from disadvantaged communities."
Norm Neill, Darlinghurst, NSW
- The Age
- Op Ed
Our schooling shame
by Mick Dodson
"That every child deserves a good education, and that a country as prosperous as this one should be able to provide it, are things we have agreed on for a long time — and yet we still can't do it. The failure should be an offence to our pride, our benign self-image and our profession of faith in the "fair go" — and maybe it is. Maybe that's why we fob off the failure by blaming the kids or the parents or the teachers, or looking for one-size-fits-all solutions, silver bullets that just don't exist. Maybe these habits are symbols of our denial..."
"We need more investment in teachers and in their professional development so that we can reasonably expect them to be good teachers; so more good students will grow up wanting to be teachers; and more teachers will believe in the worth of their vocation and in the potential of every child they teach.
"We need investment in curriculum development. We need good minds and common sense brought to bear on it — not education theory or bureaucratic fashion — so that it fits students for fulfilling..." [emphasis added]
Well worth a look... Web
Full story in The Age at link
- The Independent
- Leap aboard the Bacc bandwagon
Last year saw the biggest annual rise in the number of independent schools offering the International Baccalaureate, with 16 more schools joining the long list of those who have decided that the IB offers a better – and broader – education than A-levels. The number of fee-paying schools laying on the qualification has now risen to 66.
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Baby boom to bust & parents learn the hard way
Kindergarten numbers are hitting levels unseen for a generation as cash-strapped parents seek relief from high child-care fees.
- ABC News
- Job fears for Qld teachers as students fall behind
"The Queensland Teachers Union says teachers are scared of losing their jobs because of results from a national test that ranked Queensland students second-last.
"The test known as the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is used to assess students' standards in each state.
"The union's Steve Ryan says Education Queensland's regional directors and principals have told teachers to deliver improved results in the tests or face redundancy.
"I think the Department of Education should leave the job of teaching to its teachers," he said.
"Teachers are professionals, they know what they've got to do in their classes and they know what it is they've got to do to assist their students."
"Mr Ryan says the test is not an accurate measure of student standards and should not be used to judge teachers' performance."The union believes that NAPLAN tests are not necessarily a valid test," he said.
"Unfortunately a lot of store is being placed on their value which is, in our opinion, quite unnecessarily placed."
From ABC News at link
- The Sydney Morning Herald
- Editorial
The boomlet doesn't rule
Suddenly, a whole lot of little children have started school. Hardly surprising at the start of the school year, you might think. But in fact, as the Herald has reported, the numbers seeking a place are at or near a record, and they are little children - younger on average than previously. A combination of factors has produced a big enrolment in kindergartens across the state, and the trend is likely to present problems for the State Government.
- BBC News
- Primary education 'too narrow'
"Children in England are getting a primary education that is too narrow, because schools focus too much on maths and English, claims a major report.
"The author of the Cambridge University report warns that too much emphasis on testing the basics could "impoverish" learning in areas such as the arts.
"Professor Robin Alexander says this could mean a "deficient" education.
"The government has rejected the claim as "insulting" and says it "flies in the face of international evidence"...
From BBC News at link
Similar story in The Independent
- The Australian
- Letters to the Editor
- Poverty and learning
"Justine Ferrari ("Poverty focus a failure for education”, 18/2) states that I’m critical of the Commonwealth’s targeted spending on low socio-economic status (SES) schools and areas. I wish to make my views clear.
"I spoke at length to your reporter about how low SES schools can turn themselves around through focusing on evidence, quality teaching and being both responsive and demanding towards their students, enabled by teachers’ professional learning and effective school leadership. I also pointed out that the differences in student achievement are greater within schools than between schools, and the low student achievement occurs across all SES areas.
"This is not, however, an argument to limit investment in low SES schools. SES does influence student achievement in the sense of advantage and disadvantage, but not in the sense of students’ ability or potential. Good teachers and schools help to overcome the disadvantages and obstacles that can come with low SES status. We are fortunate that in this country education can open so many doors of opportunity.
"Finally, the expression “postmodernist claptrap” attributed to me in the interview was, as I pointed out, that of our late esteemed colleague at the Australian Council for Educational Research, Ken Rowe."
Stephen Dinham, ACER Research Director (in) Teaching, Learning and Leadership, Camberwell, Vic
- Catholic enrolments are up
"Your article ("Catholics lead exodus to public high schools”, 19/2) was totally misleading. For a start, only one-third of government school principals responded to the survey by the Australian Secondary Principals Association. Moreover, the majority of government schools surveyed showed an enrolment decline or no increase at all.
"The facts contradict The Australian’s interpretation of the story. While 40 or 50 government schools across Australia may well have reported a rise in enrolments in 2009, the fact is many more non-government schools have also reported an increase.
"In 2009 Catholic secondary school enrolments across all Australian states have increased by an average of over 2 per cent, or more than 3000 students, over 2008.
"This enrolment trend is tremendous news for Catholic education and again shows that parents have confidence in our system of schools. It is all about parental choice and both state and commonwealth governments have consistently stated their support for this."
Therese Temby, Chair, National Catholic Education, Commission, Melbourne, Vic
- The Age
- Students angry over fee proposal
Student unions have reacted angrily to proposed laws that would allow universities to charge students compulsory fees for campus services but prevent the fee being spent on student representation.
- Letters to the Editor
- Right on the money
"The comments by Professor Mick Dodson (Comment & Debate, 19/2) should be read and endorsed by every Australian. The first building block for indigenous Australians is education. Let's not stint with the dollars, because every dollar spent thereafter will be far better spent than now and in the past."
Lionel Parrott, Croydon
- Some revolution
"The Federal Government removes $2.5 billion from future education spending (The Age, 18/2) so we can buy consumer goods, just as unemployment turns people to further education as a way out. Not the education revolution we expected!"
Julia Thornton, Surrey Hills
Saturday – Sunday, 21 – 22 February
- The West Australian
Op Ed
Disrespect of teaching an education in itself
by Zoltan Kovacs
“It seems that just about every group with a message to convey is intent on “educating” us these days. Governments run what they call education campaigns and many special interest groups like to characterize their messages to the public as educational.
“These can be worthwhile and necessary public information at best or downright propaganda at worst. The use of the word educati9on in association with publicity campaigns can give them an aura of respectability and high-minded intent.
“However, the word education and the ideals for which it should stand have been debased in the process. Here is the theory: The widespread misuse or abuse of the word education has contributed to a general lowering of regard for the teaching profession.
“If anyone with a message to peddle can be described as offering education, then there is a risk that the perceived value of people who are qualified and experienced in the profession of teaching can be diminished. The word education is hijacked too readily and perhaps in some cases thoughtlessly.
“A local council, in just one of countless examples, advertised for an environmental health officer. The duties included: “Education of individuals, business, community groups and the general public on a range of public and environmental health issues to achieve a safe and healthy community.”
“There was no specific requirement for an education qualification. In fact, the officer appointed will be more that likely to provide information to people, which is not the same as educating them.
“Every good teacher knows that the essence of his or her job is to bring out the best in students, academically, socially and so on – ideally in concert with parents as the prime teachers. (The word education is related to the Latin for “lead out”.) This is not only about providing information but also about nurturing young minds for lifetimes of learning.
“Many adults, perhaps most, can remember a moment in which a teacher awakened in them an understanding or a hunger for more knowledge that was to serve them well in their lives after school. Such moments can be treasures of fulfillment for teachers and students, going back to the time of Socrates and probably beyond.
“Older people can also remember when teachers generally were valued much more highly than they are now for their contribution to society. Paradoxically, it seems that parents respect and appreciate the work of good teachers of their children but the public standing of the profession has declined.
“This is reflected in, among other things, the lowering of university entrance scores for courses leading to teaching qualifications. Not enough bright students are attracted to teaching.
“Just last week the English Teachers Association of WA questioned the readiness of teachers to teach grammar. According to the association, many English teachers lack the basic literacy skills needed to teach a new national curriculum effectively.
“The evident reluctance of many bright students to choose teaching careers is surely not just about money but may well be part of what is emerging as a self-perpetuating cycle of decline in the public standing of the profession. This probably has something to do with the perception of teachers having to contend constantly with unruly students and indifferent parents.
“It almost certainly has to do with State schoolteachers being at the professional beck and call of the monolithic bureaucracy that is their employer.
“The anecdotal evidence is that classroom teachers battle to get civil responses to their queries of an authoritarian Education Department and that many are put through the anguish of protracted uncertainty in the annual allocation of teaching jobs.
“We are just numbers to the department,” is a common cry. This doesn’t change regardless of which side of politics is in government.
“The high hopes held of the well-regarded Education Minister Liz Constable seem to be fading. She could make a difference simply by insisting that classroom teachers should be treated by the department with respect as true professionals, not as fodder for transient education fads and fancies.
“She could also make a high priority of trying to restore the standing of the profession. However, it is sincerely to be hoped that she doesn’t succumb to any temptation to launch a “public education” campaign for this purpose.” [emphasis added]
From The West Australian
- The Weekend Australian
- Noel Pearson launches fight against truancy
by Patricia Karvelas and Paul Toohey
"Cape York indigenous leader Noel Pearson has called for radical laws to stamp out truancy, forcing education ministers to report to parliament every quarter on the reasons why cases of chronic non-attendance at school have not been prosecuted.
"Writing for The Weekend Australian today, Mr Pearson backs a call by fellow indigenous leader and Australian of the Year Mick Dodson for all children to be enrolled in school by January 26 next year, and challenges the Rudd Government to ensure the goal is achieved.
"Mr Dodson said the so-called Education Revolution was worth "bugger all" if investment was not poured into teacher quality, relevant curriculums and providing school reports parents could understand. But Mr Pearson has taken Mr Dodson's call a step further, calling on governments to overhaul the way truancy is dealt with and insisting on much more ambitious targets to improve indigenous education.
"Dodson is dead right to set 26 January, 2010, as the date for closing the gap on school attendance," he said. "If the governments led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his state and territory counterparts, and the leaders of indigenous Australia, cannot respond to the primary school participation gap and close it by the start of the next season, then we might as well forget about closing the gap on anything.
"It is not rocket science. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Australia can attend schools as well as anybody." ...
Full story in The Weekend Australian at link
- Op Ed
Countdown to close education gap
by Noel Pearson
"Mick Dodson launched a focus on the education of indigenous children in his address to the National Press Club this week.
"It was a moving and most important use of the bully pulpit of his tenure as Australian of the Year. Dodson set all Australians a challenge we now have 10 months to respond to: by the start of school after January 26 next year (Australia Day), every Aboriginal child must be attending school.
"This is the most ambitious yet quickly achievable goal in indigenous affairs that can be imagined. If the governments led by Kevin Rudd and his state and territory counterparts, and the leaders of indigenous Australia, cannot respond to the primary school participation gap and close it by start of the next season, then we may as well forget about closing the gap on anything.
"Closing the gap between the life expectancy of indigenous people and the Australian mainstream is a generational challenge. The life expectancy gap is the aggregation of a vast range of gaps in health, education, justice and infrastructure. Some of these gaps are not going to close in short order.
"However, the fact closing the gap on indigenous disadvantage requires a long-term effort - in the course of which extensive trials are necessary and setbacks are unavoidable - should not blind us to the fact some of the challenges are relatively simple. There are gaps that can be closed promptly.
"School attendance is one such gap. It is not rocket science. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Australia can attend schools as well as anybody. Dodson is dead right to set January 26, 2010, as the date for closing the gap on school attendance. It should not take us more than the 10 months leading up to it to put in place the measures needed to make it happen.
"In only a few places in the country is the problem genuinely one of the unavailability of schooling facilities. Where there are no such facilities in remote outstations, then the parents must be obliged to send their children to the nearest school or to avail themselves of distance education or other provisioning.
"The fact is that the great proportion of school absences are occurring where there are schools and classrooms available. Emergency infrastructure can readily be mobilised in the time we have, where there is a need for it.
"Dodson's call to this crusade - and the time frame he has set for it - is in stark contrast to the targets set by the Council of Australian Governments for closing the gap. COAG set the following goals: to halve the gap in literacy and numeracy achievement between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and other students within a decade; to at least halve the gap in attainment at Year 12 schooling (or equivalent level) by 2020; and to provide all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander four-year-olds in remote communities with access to a quality preschool program within five years.
"This is depressing in its lack of imagination and ambition. Fixing up literacy and numeracy are not generational problems. There are proven and effective programs available throughout the world (but not at present in public school classrooms in indigenous communities) that could do better than halve the gap in literacy and numeracy: it could close it in 10 years.
"The proper teaching of these foundational skills from preschool onwards, combined with catch-up strategies for older primary school children who have not had the benefit of effective teaching, means that the gap could and should be closed - not halved - within seven years; 10 years at the outside.
"So the COAG aim should instead be: Close the gap of primary school literacy and numeracy within 10 years.
"This is possible if those who have the power to make the relevant decisions understand that there are two things that are within their power to effect.
"First, they can get children into the classrooms and solve the attendance problem. Second, they can specifically mandate the implementation of effective approaches to the teaching of reading that meet the requirements of the reading inquiry chaired by the late Ken Rowe. And equivalent programs aimed at the effective teaching of numeracy should also be mandated.
"To hold public education bureaucrats and politicians to account for their role in ensuring parental compliance with their obligations concerning school attendance, I have the following proposal.
"All states and territories have laws that provide for prosecutions in the event of chronic school absences. The problem is that usually the head of the relevant education department has a discretion as to whether prosecutions are launched.
"As a result the law is rarely enforced. In Queensland, in any year, the numbers of chronic absences are counted in the thousands, yet the number of prosecutions can be counted on one hand.
"Of course education bureaucrats argue that prosecution is a last resort and their departments and principals in the schools have a host of other, less drastic, options to tackle attendance. But the numbers just don't stack up; chronic absences of indigenous children in particular remain outrageously high.
"I propose that these laws be amended to require in every case where a child has missed more than a minimum number of school days in a term - and there has not been a prosecution - that principals be required to provide a report to their chief executive on every case of chronic absence and the action taken to resolve it, and if the absence is not resolved the relevant minister should table a report to the parliament every quarter on the reasons any case of chronic non-attendance was not prosecuted. It's great if principals and other parties can take alternative actions to resolve chronic absence, but those in charge of education systems should not abandon their responsibilities to uphold the law by hiding behind an alibi.
"And don't tell me privacy considerations would prevent this kind of public reporting. Take the names off and stop making excuses as to why we can't account for not being able to stop an ongoing tragedy.
"In four communities in Cape York Peninsula the Queensland and federal governments have instituted a mechanism for obliging parents to send their children to school, through welfare reform legislation.
"The Queensland Family Responsibilities Commission process is in fact a much less drastic strategy aimed at fixing school attendance than enforcement of the education act because it does not involve prosecution of parents. Rather, attachment of obligations to the receipt of welfare payments by adults enables a panel of commissioners - comprised of a majority of elders from the community - to make appropriate decisions to support parents to fulfil their obligations and to send the message that school attendance is critical for all children.
"In Aurukun, the meetings of the FRC have been taken over by the strong women sitting on the commission, and their counselling of their community members is conducted in the local Wik Mungkan language.
"Those who have better ideas on how to get indigenous kids sitting in classrooms ready to learn should forthwith go and bang on the doors of their relevant education department and urge the adoption of their preferred approaches. I especially invite the academic critics of our welfare reform approach in Cape York to step forward with their strategies, and not just carp but help put them into practice.
"We've got 10 months before the next January 26."Noel Pearson is director of the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership.
From The Weekend Australian at link
- Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest's appeal ends training hiatus
Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest and the federal Government have resolved a disagreement over training methods that had delayed the start of the mining magnate's plan to get 50,000 Aborigines into jobs. Employment Participation Minister Brendan O'Connor pledged yesterday to link training funds for Aborigines participating in the Australian Employment Covenant to the trainer's ability to deliver jobs, when possible. [See the following Editorial]
- Editorial
Inert administrators
Public servants are denying Aborigines the right to work
According to Kevin Rudd, "the role of the state has once more been recognised as fundamental". In an essay published last month, the Prime Minister wrote that the challenge for social democratic governments is "harnessing the power of the market to increase innovation, investment and productivity growth". So Mr Rudd must be wondering why public servants are delaying the innovative, productivity-improving investment that entrepreneur Andrew Forrest is trying to establish. Mr Forrest has won widespread support from business and indigenous leaders, including Noel Pearson, for his Australian Employment Covenant, which aims to find jobs for 50,000 indigenous people. The scheme is already a success, with jobs lined up for 10,000 Aborigines, who need only employer-specific training to start. But they will not be starting soon because officials at the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations want everything to be done by their book - which is a very slow read. According to Mr Pearson, public servants say people who want to work for catering companies that have jobs waiting cannot be trained for five months.
- ABC News
- Increased enrolments at independent schools
"Tasmania's Catholic and independent schools have reported a strong start to the school year.
"Enrolment numbers are up by 400 students at Catholic schools and 200 students at other non-government schools.
"The increase comes as the Education department reveals state school enrolments are well down.
"There are 922 fewer students enrolled in first term this year than last year.
"The executive director of the association of independent schools, Tony Crehan, says some of their secondary schools still have large waiting lists.
"I think here in Tasmania the reason why were experiencing growth continuing in secondary is the fact that some families do value that independent schools their children can go through at the same school from Year 7 right through to Year 12," Mr Crehan said.
"And with our combined schools they can be from kinder right through to Year 12," he said."
From ABC News at link
- The Age
- Pupils subject to phone 'sexting' [Saturday]
by Farrah Tomazin
"Thousands of private school students have been asked to send naked pictures of themselves by mobile phone or the internet, and many more have been subjected to upsetting emails or online messages.
"Nearly every student has access to a computer or mobile phone, and schools admit they often struggle to tackle some of the unintended consequences of the technology.
"In what is believed to be the largest survey of student "cyber culture" in Australia, Victorian private school children have painted a detailed picture of their phone and internet use — in and out of the classroom.
"According to the survey, many students use technology responsibly, but more than half admit carrying a mobile phone to class — regardless of the school's policy — and checking messages during lessons.
"Sexting"— the practice of taking explicit photos and forwarding them to friends or "potential suitors" — is also an issue for some students, with about one in 10 saying they had been asked by others to post a nude photo of themselves in recent months..."
Full story in The Age at link
- Letter to the Editor [Sunday]
- Well meant, ill spent
"The Federal Government's big-dollar plan to boost Asian languages is commendable (15/2), but it won't fix the problem. Language student numbers will not increase unless there is a major cultural shift. Unfortunately, little has changed in this country since my multilingual parents migrated here more than 60 years ago. There is widespread ignorance about what it takes to learn a language, which means the dearth of multilingual Australians is self-perpetuating. Further, this problem is merely a subset of the basic problems besetting our education system. If a kid can get the VCE score they want by studying less rigorous subjects, who can blame them for not bothering with LOTE?
"I predict that this money will fund a whole lot more folk-dancing workshops, fried rice lunches and puppet show performances, but it won't change the status quo. It's like the laptop program: a meaningless, gimmicky gift without any serious philosophical underpinning."
Indra Liepins, Glenroy
- The Sydney Morning Herald [Sunday: online only]
- Preschool priced out of play
NSW preschools are facing a funding crisis that may lead to mass closures or fee hikes in the next few years.
- The Father, sun and the unholy shadecloth
Father John Walter wants the children at St Joseph's Primary School at Riverwood to bask in the glow of a Sydney summer. The parish priest is preventing parents from erecting a shadecloth at the Catholic school in Sydney's south-west, saying their children risk vitamin D deficiency.
All Alston cartoons are © The West Australian Newspaper
All media quotations, photographs and cartoons © their respective publishers
This page last updated 22 February, 2009 10:50 PM
