SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE SCHOOL ORGANISATIONS
Supporting schools, governing councils and state education through training, advice and advocacy
SAASSO Education Update - Archive
Listed below you can find information and links from previous editions of Education Update.
Articles are listed in chronological order.
If you can't find the article you're looking for, email info@saasso.asn.au
27 Jul 2010
Teaching Kids To Drive
Nearly half of respondents to a RAA survey believe parents do not have sufficient driving skills to teach their children how to drive properly – and should be banned from doing so.
1332 members were surveyed revealing:
· More than 49% said they did not have the skills required to teach a learner.
· More than 47% thought parents should be banned from teaching their children to drive.
However, RAA manager of mobility and safety, Wendy Bevan, said it was not practical to ban parents from instructing their children. "Instead, they should be supported to ensure they have the confidence and the skills required to teach a learner driver how to drive correctly."
The RAA supports the national keys2drive initiative, which offers a free driving lesson for learners and a parent or supervisor with a qualified, accredited driving instructor, and provides tips for parents about how to mentor their children and avoid passing on bad habits.
For the full story visit:
27 Jul 2010
Principals Outline ‘Wish list’ For Election
In the lead up to the federal election, the Australian Primary Principals Association has outlined what they want the next Government to deliver.
Last week, they sent a set of questions to the major political parties requesting their support for primary education and seeking resources for the following four areas:
· Specialist science training.
· Support for students with disabilities
· Greater transparency of school funding.
· A need for greater flexibility in handling the social & emotional learning needs of students through chaplaincies, counsellors, etc.
26 Jul 2010
Year 12 School Leavers
A new survey, the ‘2009 Sample Survey of SA Year 12 School Leavers’ paints a picture of what students who graduated in 2008 did in their first year out of school.
The Centre for Post Compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning conducted the survey, to better inform school sectors and the SACE Board about what directions students take on completing their senior secondary education.
Almost 2000 young people were surveyed revealing:
· 14% of school leavers (up 2% on 2008) deferred their study, and of that number 47% cited financial reasons for doing so.
· 1 in 10 mentioned wanting to work to qualify for Youth Allowance.
· More than 35% said they wanted a break from study, and about 24% said they wanted to travel.
· Almost 94% of school leavers were either studying, working or training in the following year.
· More than 4 in 10 school leavers had gone on to university, an increase from the previous year.
· Almost 29% were in full time or part-time work.
25 Jul 2010
Autism Students Suspended
Public schools are suspending autistic students at a rate of 3 a week, with figures in the 'Sunday Mail' revealing a growing number of violent confrontations involving disabled children.
Data from Autism SA, reveals 96 students with Aspergers syndrome or other autism-related disorders have been suspended since the start of this year, with 69 removed from campus last term. It comes as DECS figures shows schools are reporting an increasing number of violent episodes involving children with disabilities.
A register of ‘critical incidents’ obtained by Family First MLC Robert Brokenshire reveals there were 30 emergencies involving disabled students – including students hitting and threatening teachers and classmates – in the first 5 months of this year. This compares with 58 similar incidents in 2009 and 12 in 2008.
The State Government announced in March it would spend $17m over four years, including $9m on six specialist education units, to provide places for an extra 120 students with disabilities, and $4.25m in extra funds for early assessments and intervention services for children with ASD.
Mr Brokenshire said the funding was a ‘drop in the bucket’ and the increasing numbers of incidents showed the Government was not “looking after” disabled children. State Education Minister Jay Weatherill said, last year the State Government invested more than $200m in supporting students with disabilities in public schools.
21 Jul 2010
2010 Federal Election Promises
With the August 21 election looming, both Labor and Liberal have begun to release their policies. Although education does not appear to play a large role, both parties have announced some education-related promises.
Labor
A re-elected Labor Government will launch a new national trade cadetship where students will be able to participate in a new work experience program.
The $3m initiative would enable vocational education and training to be recognised at school and count towards future qualifications.
The program would start in 2012, with 50,000 work experience places in the first year.
Liberal
Meanwhile, the Federal Opposition has promised to raise the education tax refund rebate if they win government.
Mr. Abbot says the 50% rebate will be lifted to $500 for each primary school student and $1000 for each secondary student - raising the spending limit for the rebate to $1000 for primary school students and $2000 for high school students.
In addition parents will be able to claim the cost of school fees in the expanded rebate – which will start on January 1st 2011.
This comes after Ms Gillard announced she will extend the rebate to include school uniforms, starting July 1st 2011.
For more information about this years education tax refund visit: http://www.saasso.asn.au/educationrevolution/refund-revolution
21 Jul 2010
Principals Teacher Pay Concern
After an enterprise bargaining dispute lasting two years, and a new pay band created by the IRC, principals are now being advised not to sign teachers on to the highest available pay scale.
The SA Primary Principals Association has raised concerns that the Step 9 classification rewards length of service rather than quality of teaching – which has been an ongoing issue in relation to teacher / performance pay.
Association President, Steve Portlock, said principals supported teachers' hard work being recognised but they wanted greater clarity over the approval process for the new pay band.
For the full story visit:
21 Jul 2010
School Bus Contracts
The State Opposition says regional school bus operators are facing uncertainty because the SA Government will not offer long-term contracts – with only two-year rollover contracts being offered and 65 of these expire at the end of 2010.
Liberal MP Peter Treloar says short contracts mean many country operators may decide not to update their bus fleets – such as installing seatbelts and air conditioning.
SA Education Minister Jay Weatherill says decisions are yet to be made on school bus contracts up for renewal because some operators may want to expand their businesses.
For the full story visit:
20 Jul 2010
WA Independent Public Schools
Within the next year, almost 100 WA public schools will be operating independently.
WA Education Minister, Liz Constable, has announced 64 more public schools will take an independent status from 2011 – with this second round being almost double the initial 34 schools who became independent this year.
The Minister states “parents and school communities are embracing this new initiative and find it allows them to have a greater say in how their school is run”.
These schools will have the flexibility and autonomy to make decisions that meet the specific needs of their students, including recruitment and selection of teachers, education programs and management of their own budgets.
The second intake will also represent a number of schools from different socio-economic backgrounds - 25% from regional and 75% from the metro areas.
For the full story visit:
19 Jul 2010
Education Tax Refund
Its tax time again and the Education Tax Refund (ETR) is an opportunity to increase the size of that refund.
The ETR began last year and entitles eligible parents to claim up to 50% of their children’s education costs as tax deductions.
The amounts you can claim have increased since last year. For the 2009/2010 income year you can now get back up to $390 for each primary school student, and up to $779 for each secondary student.
15 Jul 2010
Solar Scheme
After it was abruptly suspended in October last year, the Federal Government has brought back its National Solar School Program – just in time for the election.
The scheme provides grants of up to $50,000 to schools for solar panels, solar hot water heaters and water tanks.
For more information visit:
13 Jul 2010
Youth Parliament
Last week, almost 100 young people aged 16-25 gathered at Parliament House to debate youth issues during the 15th annual Youth Parliament Forum.
The program aims to give young people the opportunity to express their views and develop leadership skills.
Participants were given a chance to debate and amend Bills and pass ‘legislation’. Some of the key youth issues covered were:
· Mental health
· Bullying prevention
· Driver education
· Counsellors in schools
· International student support.
Their legislation will be presented to the State Government with the hope government agencies will consider their recommendations..
12 Jul 2010
Sexual Assaults in WA
Also in WA, Education Dpt figures have revealed an alarming rise in sexual misconduct complaints against teachers – with more than one teacher a week being investigated.
Complaints range from sexual contact with students to grooming behaviour and students reporting inappropriate conduct that made them feel uncomfortable.
In the first 9 months of 09-10, the Education Dpt admitted 66 teachers and staff were accused of "inappropriate conduct, which may be sexually motivated" - up from 40 teachers in 08-09.
For the full story visit:
9 Jul 2010
Year 12 ‘Super School’ Concern
The new Gepps Cross ‘super school’ campus is due to open in Term 2 2011, but there are concerns that the opening will disrupt Year 12 students.
The school is set to amalgamate 4 current schools (including Enfield High) and some parents,including Chair of Enfield High governing council, Joann Wilkins, are worried about their children starting Year 12 at one school and completing it at another.
Principal of the new school Sandy Richardson says it is not an ideal situation, but students will be kept together as they tackle their subjects.
For the full story visit:
9 Jul 2010
Premiers Be Active Challenge
240 schools will receive a combined $100,000 to buy extra sports equipment to support students registering in the ‘Premiers Be Active Challenge’.
The number of students involved has now reached 35,000 – a far cry from the 7,500 who completed the challenge in 2007 when the program began.
A further $50,000 will be shared by 50 of the highest-achieving schools at the end of the school year.
8 Jul 2010
Liberals To Give Schools Say
Primary school principals have welcomed a Coalition plan to give them more say over federally funded projects.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott & Education Spokesman Christopher Pyne have announced how they would improve the $14.1 billion P21 element of the BER that has been plagued by claims of waste and rorting.
2 Jul 2010
School Funding Reform
A new report ‘Resourcing Schools in Australia: A proposal for the restructure of public funding’, released by the Education Foundation, argues that public and private schools should be funded under one system - making school resourcing fairer and more transparent.
Some aspects of the report's proposed model are:
· All schools would get a minimum "community rate" of government funding
· Extra government funding for all schools would then be calculated based on their private revenue (such as school fees)
· Schools with little or no private investment would receive support from two new major public sources - needs-based funding and the community guarantee fund
· The $2b community guarantee fund would be established to encourage and reward those schools in all sectors that offer open enrolments, and support closer integration of schools with their communities
For the full story visit:
29 Jun 2010
The State of School Canteens
A DECS survey has found many public school canteens are being outsourced to local delis, bakeries or other suppliers.
The survey of 327 schools and preschools demonstrated:
· 59.6% of schools had a canteen run by their governing council
· 30% used an alternative supplier (local deli or bakery for special lunch orders)
· 10.4% had an outsourced canteen supplier.
Concerns have been raised that without more financial support, this will lead to many school canteens either closing or being forced to outsource. Canteen mangers are constantly calling for more volunteers and equipment.
The survey also found that since the introduction of the Rite Bite strategy in 2008, 95% of schools had made ‘positive changes’ to the food or drinks in their canteens.
For the full story visit:
29 Jun 2010
Fear New SACE Will Be An ‘Experiment’
Next year, year 12 students will be the first to study and complete the new SACE, and both students and teachers are anxious about the rollout.
Students have raised concerns that they will be “practised on”, and schools feel unprepared with the introduction of new subjects and marking system.
SA secondary Principals Association convenor of human resourcing, Peter Mader, said just 1 in 3 schools were considering a new or adapted timetable for year 12 students. While a number of schools are taking the view ‘let’s just see how next year pans out, then in 2012 we can put something in place’.
The SACE Board said workshops would continue throughout this year and the next to provide professional development and support for teachers to implement Stage 2 of the new SACE.
For the full story visit:
29 Jun 2010
Teacher / Science Partnership
A national program that pairs scientists with teachers in classrooms is growing and attracting more interest - with more than 100 SA partnerships established so far.
The program ‘Scientists in Schools’ is run by CSIRO with federal government funding, and aims to halt the decline of students studying science and mathematics.
For example; Flinders University PhD student Simona Carbone is paired with Isabelle Roberts and her Year 2 class at Loreto College. Ms Carbone comes up with experiments and examples based on what the class is doing at the time.
Scientists and teachers can learn a lot from each other. Scientists may know more about the concepts, but teachers know more about children and how to connect on a level they understand.
The program is open to graduates with honours or higher degrees in science, engineering or mathematics.
For more information visit: www.scientistsinschools.edu.au
29 Jun 2010
First Aid For All Ages
Through the CPR Help program, children as young as 5 years old can be taught crucial first aid and resuscitation skills.
Through the program, SA schools will now have the opportunity to provide expert training to children aged 5 -13 in how to act in an emergency.
Age appropriate lessons will teach students about phoning emergency services, rolling someone into the recovery position and administering basic CPR.
28 Jun 2010
New Federal Education Minister
As everyone would already be aware, Julia Gillard has now replaced Kevin Rudd as the new Prime Minister of Australia.
After the initial shock and excitement, Ms Gillard has now announced her new cabinet – with minimal changes.
Simon Crean has been chosen to take over Ms Gillard's portfolios of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Mr Crean says he has an open mind and has vowed to ensure that the BER program delivers value for money.
For the full story visit:
25 Jun 2010
Teacher Conditions Reforms
Extra hours for educators to undertake marking, planning and assessment, are among several reforms to public teachers’ working conditions, handed down by the IRC last week.
These changes bring an end to the long-running industrial relations dispute between the AEU and the State Government over pay and working conditions.
Other decisions by the IRC include:
· A guarantee that class sizes will not increase - regardless of budgetary changes or new school funding models.
· The establishment of a working party between the AEU and State Government to address the high level of casual and contract employment, with the view of increasing the number of permanent teaching positions.
· An additional school support officer for every classroom that has students with disabilities.
However, the issue of a government-proposed funding model - which would allocate money per student instead of per class - remains a separate issue which will be resolved outside the commission.
For the full story visit:
22 Jun 2010
Teachers Taking On Parent Role
A survey by EducationNow revealed that principals believe teachers are increasingly being expected to teach topics that should be the responsibility of parents - from dog, fire and road safety, to budgeting and gambling.
They say many parents expect teachers to give their children constant, individual attention, and up to 10 students in every classroom have their own ‘individualised learning programs’.
SA Primary Principals Association president Steve Portlock said parents' expectations of schools were increasing.
President of the Australian Primary Principals Association, Leonie Trimper, said "we'd be optimistic that the new Australian curriculum will support us in our endeavour about what teachers should be spending their time on."
State Education Minister Jay Weatherill said "principals have indeed raised with me that issues generated in the home are increasingly spilling into the classroom" and says teachers should not be expected to bear the burden alone.
For the full story visit:
22 Jun 2010
Impact of Technology In Schools
Continuous and rapid advancements in technology are dramatically impacting and changing the landscape of schools.
Educators say teachers are increasingly calling on students to help them grasp new technologies.
This is leading to a positive role reversal in classrooms where students are demonstrating the benefits of new technology in the classroom using:
· Computers
· Smart phones
· iPads
· iPods
· Interactive web portals and whiteboards
University of Southern Queensland ICT and education specialist Associate Professor Peter Albion raised the idea that learning was no longer confined to a classroom.
He said students and teachers were ‘24/7 learners’ who gain knowledge and skills through interacting with one another, taking risks and pushing their potential.
However, concerns have been raised about the need for support, training and development to allow schools and teachers to engage with this technology to its full potential.
For the full story visit:
20 Jun 2010
Police Push For P-Plate Drivers
Following last week’s story on road safety education in schools, a controversial national police plan to offer probationary drivers ‘time off’ for good behaviour has won Federal Government support.
The proposal will see P-plate drivers given credit on the amount of time they have to spend on their P’s if they complete advanced or defensive driving courses after they receive their license.
The plan is to be launched this week, and police are asking all parties at the federal election to adopt the idea as part of their platforms.
Under the scheme, the Federal Government would seek national consensus from state and territory governments for uniform laws for learner and provisional drivers.
However concerns have been raised that ‘short cuts’ and advanced courses for young drivers could lead them to believe they have skills beyond their abilities.
For the full story visit:
18 Jun 2010
Australian Family Packs - Out Now
Family Packs are complimentary sample packs of varying household products delivered together with a full colour magazine (Australian Family), to families with young children via preschools, early childhood centres and primary schools across Australia.
The latest edition is available now.
18 Jun 2010
Senior English Curriculum
The draft senior national curriculum is now out for public consultation and teachers, students, parents and experts are encouraged to provide feedback on the content and guidelines.
The English course for Year 11 & 12 students will come with suggested text lists, covering a blend of classics and modern literature, aimed to engage and challenge students.
There are different lists for the English and literature courses, and genres include:
· Fiction
· Non-fiction
· Plays
· Poetry
· Film
Last week, ‘The Advertiser’ heard from five English educators and experts who outlined their thoughts on a sample of texts to be used.
They were asked if the list included the best texts for today’s students to be studying, and if there was anything missing.
Responses were mixed. While the majority believed there was quite a variety, others stated they would like to see titles that are more accessible and contemporary.
For the full story visit:
18 Jun 2010
‘Youth Friendly Doctor’ School Visits
Adolescents can learn more about their health and wellbeing at school through the Youth Friendly Doctor program.
A network of accredited ‘youth friendly’ doctors are available to visit students in years 9 & 10, on request, as part of the programs ‘in school visits’. Students can find out about topics such as the services a GP provides and accessing Medicare.
For the full story visit:
15 Jun 2010
Call To Give More Power To Schools
A new book due for release this month, ‘Our School Our Future’, by Professor Brian Caldwell and David Loader, explains that state school leaders and staff are the ones responsible for school success – but warn it cannot be achieved without the freedom to explore new ideas.
Professor Caldwell says strategic planning and budget management in schools is held back by a centralised bureaucracy.
He declared "the best schools are those that are able to do some longer term planning and show innovation", but this was only successful when school communities dictated their direction and resources instead of handing the decisions over to the department.
Professor Caldwell claimed the current system was a mismanagement of resources and "any additional funds available through GST growth should have gone directly to schools and education programs."
Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni believes there have been some absolute failures of the centralised system in SA.
"In Government schools principals are bogged down with reporting to the head office, so it is important that the reporting process is simplified or localised so principals can concentrate on educational outcomes."
For the full story visit:
15 Jun 2010
Pressure For Road Safety Lessons
After a horrific year so far on SA roads, there is mounting pressure on the State Government to make road safety education compulsory.
As reported in the Term 2 edition of ‘School Post’, the Motor Accident Commission (MAC) has commissioned the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Automotive Safety Research to investigate how schools across the country, and worldwide, conduct road safety education.
Although in its early stages, the research, a first for SA, will determine whether the MAC develops its own road safety curriculum for the state's students.
Despite the State Government committing to expanding the road awareness and accident program to 90% of schools, a specific time frame has not been set.
Road safety education may also be considered as part of the new national curriculum.
A spokesman for ACARA has said "consideration of safe behaviour on roads and elsewhere may be considered as part of the health and physical education curriculum."
10 Jun 2010
Children’s Data To Be Tracked From Birth
Education Minister Jay Weatherill has presented a new data-sharing system to the nation’s education ministers in the hope it will be picked up nationally.
The new system will track every SA child from birth to 8 years old to help measure their health and education progress. Information will be collated from peri-natal statistics, emergency department records, school census data, and health and dental records.
Mr Weatherill said "SA's new system of data linkage will track individual children over time to get a more complete picture of all children and which ones need particular support for their future education".
Children will not be named but instead be known by a ‘unique identifier’.
To develop more targeted policies and programs to support children in need, only public policy makers and researchers will have access to the data.
For the full story visit:
10 Jun 2010
Changes To NAPLAN
From next year, the writing module of the NAPLAN tests will change.
Under new test guidelines, students will need to form and write an argument/persuasive piece instead of a straight-forward story or narrative.
For example: a student may be asked whether reading books or watching television is better and then be required to present their opinion on the topic.
10 Jun 2010
Principals Call For NAPLAN Guidelines
The Australian Primary Principals Association has called for strict guidelines for the preparation and conduct of NAPLAN tests - stating this year’s controversy and pressure has led to ‘unethical’ and ‘perverse’ effects in the classrooms.
The Association has presented a report to the Federal Government on the use and reporting of NAPLAN, which included a bid for an independent ombudsman.
The report listed 10 examples of negative effects such as:
· Principals’ feeling their job was threatened.
· Schools focusing attention on students expected to show the most improvement if given extra assistance.
· Teachers requesting a change of class next year to avoid teaching students who would be sitting the tests.
9 Jun 2010
I-Pad Could Save Parents Money
Tax time is soon upon us, and last year saw the introduction of the Government’s education tax refund – entitling parents to a 50% refund on a range of expenses for their child's education.
The ATO has revealed the newly released iPad, and equivalent e-readers, or tablets, are deemed to be equivalent to a laptop, and will attract a 50% education rebate.
For the full story visit:
8 Jun 2010
Students Should Keep Options Open
A leading careers expert believes students should not be pressured into choosing their career in high school, but instead be encouraged to keep their options open.
RMIT program director for careers education and development, Michael Hastings, says “parents’ expectations often drive children to think they needed to choose a career early” - with the expectation that students are going to come out of year 10 and know what they are going to do with the rest of their lives.
Mr Hastings added that the fast-paced evolution of technology would also have a major impact on career pathways now and in the future.
He would like to see “career development move towards the idea that students be equipped with skills that mean they can be whatever they want to be at any given time”.
8 Jun 2010
Childcare Funding
190 national child care centres in disadvantaged areas will be given a one-off grant of $20,000 for a range of facility improvements.
Of that number, 25 SA centres will receive funding.
The disadvantaged centres were chosen using ABS data on their level of socio-economic disadvantage”.
For the full story visit:
8 Jun 2010
Expansion Plan For Adelaide High School
Popular Adelaide High School has long struggled with overcrowding, and although this has prompted the State Government to pledge to build upon the current site. However, a parent has come up with another plan.
Past Governing Council deputy chairman Peter Anargyros says a new campus could be built on park land behind Adelaide High School, and the current site turned into a car park for staff and students.
He said he suggested the idea when the school was workshopping solutions with the Government.
8 Jun 2010
More Teachers To Be Made Permanent
New Education Minister, Jay Weatherill told ‘The Advertiser’ that he will be giving school principals the power to make more teachers permanent.
The teacher’s union has been calling for this change to the system for several years.
At present around 15% of teachers are employed on contracts to cover maternity and long-service leave. Most of these are young teachers.
Mr Weatherill said as a result, teachers had to live with the uncertainty of where they would be teaching....
“I want to increase the proportion of permanent staff to provide more certainty to many of our teachers and at the same time rejuvenate the workforce by ensuring our best young teachers continue to forge careers in our public schools”.
For the full story visit:
8 Jun 2010
Local Governance In South Australia
This week's education lift-out in ‘The Advertiser’ included a special double - page feature on Governing Councils in South Australia.
Although by law, under the Education Act the school governing council has the authority, autonomy and resources to plan, staff and operate the school - in reality, Governing Councils have limited and declining scope to make any positive impact on the school.
The feature included expert commentary from SAASSO, several academics and statements from both the Education Minister and Opposition Education Spokesman on whether Governing Councils should be given more authority (or at least the authority they are already supposed to have)
The article also provided information on:
· The role of the Governing Council
· How a school should determine their strategic direction
· Data showing where Australia ranks compared to the rest of world in making decisions at the local school level
· Case Studies: Both a positive and negative examples of the experience of volunteering on a Governing Council.
6 Jun 2010
BER: Grants Paid Straight To Schools?
After continually criticising the Federal Government’s $16billion BER stimulus program, the opposition says it could make savings in the program if it wins the next election.
Opposition Education spokesman Christopher Pyne says the Coalition does not want to cut the program, but instead, wants to bypass state governments to give public schools the power over their projects.
He says if the program comes at a figure with some money left over, they will come to some arrangement with the school about whether they can keep half or all of that or give some back to the Coalition or the Government.
For the full story visit:
4 Jun 2010
Senior National ‘Political’ Curriculum
As part of the new senior national curriculum, students will be taught about the formation of the Labor Party and union movement, but little about the struggle on the conservative side of politics.
The education plan forms part of a draft national course - The Development of Australian Identity - to be rolled out next year.
Students will also be asked to examine minutes from union meetings so they can better appreciate a ‘worker’ perspective.
However, this has caused a backlash with the Federal Opposition and some conservative commentators - claiming the ACARA drafts force a progressive and skewed view of Australian politics onto students.
For the full story visit:
1 Jun 2010
Fewer Teachers Likely Under New Curriculum
Teacher shortages may be worsened by the introduction of the new English national curriculum.
Responding to the R-10 draft curriculum, Flinders University senior lecturer Lyn Wilkinson said prospective teachers would be deterred from the workforce by the complexity of the English course.
“Either young people will choose not to come into teaching in the first place because they’re aware of the breadth and scope of the curriculum and feel that it’s too much for them to get a grasp of, or they may well leave the profession in even greater numbers than they already are" she said.
The South Australian English Teachers Association said their main concerns were that the content was also too complex.
1 Jun 2010
National Teacher Standards Consultation Now Closed
The cornerstone of the Rudd Government's Education Revolution was to be improving teacher quality; the single greatest influence on our children's education.
New buildings, new computers (when they arrive), even new websites telling us about the state of our child's school are all well and good - but the key remains the quality of the teachers in our schools.
A necessary first step to improving teacher quality is to set out unambiguously and yet ambitiously, what standards we expect from the men and women teaching our children...
On a completely unrelated topic, in February, the Rudd Government released its draft 'National Professional Standards for Teachers'.
Consultation closed last week and if you didn't know, haven't seen - or even heard - the Standards, you are not alone.
A precursor to a new performance pay model, an aspirational set of national standards setting new benchmarks for the skills and subject expertise would have been a giant step toward improving teacher quality ... Sadly, these proposed Standards are instead a quantum leap sideways.
29 May 2010
SA ‘Behind’ In Digital Revolution
SA languishes behind other states in the installation of the Federal Governments computers in classrooms program.
Schools in the federal electorates of Sturt and Boothby have the lowest percentage of any in the country in terms of computers for secondary students.
The Advertiser has revealed that to meet the one computer to every student target; almost 6700 computers are needed in Boothby. Just 539 or 8% had been installed as at April 21.
Sturt reportedly requires 7071 computers to achieve the benchmark – with just 9.6% or 677 operational.
However, DECS claims SA is on track to meet the program's December 2011 deadline, with about 30% of all computers being installed so far, saying "There have been no significant issues with delivery and installation."
26 May 2010
National School Chaplaincy Program
The National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP) was announced in 2006 to support schools to establish or expand school chaplaincy services.
The intended objective of chaplaincy/pastoral care services is to provide general personal and spiritual advice as well as comfort and support to students, their families and school staff.
Last year, the Federal education department (DEEWR), which administers the NSCP, commenced a review of the NSCP program and began collecting feedback from stakeholders.
A consultancy issues paper has now been produced to provide a summary of feedback received to date on the NSCP to identify key issues to be explored.
25 May 2010
Asian Languages In Australian Schools
The Federal Government has released four new reports on the state of Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian and Korean) in Australian schools.
The reports show a decline in students studying these languages, particularly at the secondary level. In 2008, 18.6% of students studies one of the languages, down from 24% in 2000.
State Governments have agreed to a target of at least 12% of students exiting Year 12 by 2020 with a fluency in one of the languages sufficient for engaging in trade and commerce in Asia and/or university study.
For individual reports visit: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/NALSSP/Pages/Resources.aspx
25 May 2010
Year 7 Maths A Challenge
Principals & teachers' associations state the national maths curriculum is written to encompass Year 7 in secondary school - even though some states still have Year 7 in primary school.
The Maths Association of SA said teachers who were ‘struggling’ with upper primary or lower secondary level maths would be under pressure to teach at a higher level in the new course with little professional development training.
For the full story visit:
24 May 2010
Annual Bonus Trial In Victoria
With recent talks regarding the need to improve teacher quality & reward high-performing teachers, it comes as no surprise that a trial of paying teachers annual bonuses is currently underway.
Annual bonuses of up to $6000 for teachers in Victorian public schools are being implemented, to assess whether rewarding quality teachers improves their effectiveness and their students' performance.
Under the scheme, individual teachers assessed as the most effective over the previous year will be singled out for a financial bonus.
Teachers will be assessed against a range of measures, including:
· The progress of their students
· Their impact on the school and their colleagues
· Their involvement with the school community
· Innovations & research within the school.
For the full story visit:
24 May 2010
Sharing Of Principals
As a solution to the looming shortage of school leaders, the SA Secondary Principals Association has suggested the implementation of ‘executive principals’ (leaders of two or more campuses).
President Jim Davies said it has been trialled in other jurisdictions, such as the UK, and in many circumstances was found to be successful.
He said the sharing of principals would help schools share resources and mentor aspiring principals.
DECS states the capacity for schools to share principals was an option at several state schools, where there are separate middle and senior school campuses.
For the full story visit:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/education-department-shortage-of-skilled-leaders-leads-to-shared-principals/story-e6frea83-122587027052724 May 2010
Report: Teacher Quality Not Rewarded
A new report by the Grattan Institute reveals good teachers in Australia are not being properly recognised and the worst are not being penalised.
The publication ‘What Teachers Want: Better Teacher Management’ calls for an overhaul of the nation's systems for evaluating teachers.
The data comes from the OECD TALIS survey of 90,000 teachers across 23 countries.
The report shows in Australia:
· 91% of teachers say their most talented colleagues do not receive the most recognition and a similar number says innovative teaching is not rewarded.
· Only 8% believe they would receive any recognition for doing their job better.
· About 93% report their school principal does not take steps to address persistently underperforming teachers.
· 92% of teachers work in schools where the principal never reduces the annual pay rise for underperforming teachers.
· Almost 71% say teachers with sustained poor performance are not dismissed.
· 63% feel teacher evaluation is done only because supervisors are obliged to do it.
For the full story visit:
18 May 2010
My School Delay
Updating the My School website with promised financial data could be delayed due to a struggle in sourcing the information.
The head of ACARA Dr Peter Hill states a ‘huge amount of work’ must be done to source comparable data from the government, independent and Catholic sectors.
Differences such as government schools working to financial years, versus the non-government sector being based on a calendar years, were causing problems.
There was a remote possibility it won't be ready" he said.
For the full story visit:
18 May 2010
Specialists For Low-Performing Schools
Areas with high rates of children falling behind in key developmental areas will be targeted by specialists trained to fast-track their progress.
The $2.6 million ‘Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) Local Champions’ program will support nominated people or organisations with local experience and expertise to work in at-risk communities.
New detailed data from the AEDI program shows almost a quarter of the state's first-year schoolchildren are behind in key areas even before they begin.
These specialists will be charged with undertaking detailed analysis of the data and tailoring new teaching programs to aid the specific needs of children who have fallen behind.
For the full story visit:
18 May 2010
NAPLAN Woes Continue
The NAPLAN tests may be over for the year, but the controversy continues.
Last week a teacher at St Leonard's Primary School was suspended after admitting to altering NAPLAN test results. The teacher has not explained why she altered the answers, and the students will be required to re-sit the tests.
This week, it is alleged inappropriate help was given to students taking the NAPLAN tests at Elizabeth Vale Primary School, and another allegation involves Rostrevor College, with claims a class was given advance notice of a test topic. Both staff members have been stood down pending investigations.
Interstate reports also allege some students were asked to stay home from school on test days to avoid the school's averages being lowered, children were unsupervised and able to change answers and the test was leaked.
Despite these incidents, Education Minister Jay Weatherill has ruled out a wider investigation, maintaining his faith in the "professional integrity" of teachers.
However, Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni has demanded a state wide investigation into the conduct of teachers delivering the tests. "The minister can't stand in front of parents and guarantee these are isolated incidents" he said.
For the full story visit:
16 May 2010
Too Much Too Teach
Complaints over the ‘overcrowded’ new national curriculum have forced ACARA to revise its first draft.
The first four core subjects presented were:
· English
· Maths
· Science
· History
Specific elements to be cut from have not yet been identified. But ACARA chief executive Dr Peter Hill said science and history had been singled out as problem areas.
The Australian Primary Principals Association said "overcrowding has always been a huge problem for the primary sector”.
However, Glenunga International High School, which is one of 15 South Australian schools trialling the new curriculum, did not feel the amount of course work was too difficult to manage.
The first draft of the R - 10 curriculums was released in March, with public consultation closing on May 23. The national courses will be introduced in schools from next year with all schools expected to be teaching under the new guidelines by 2013.
For the full story visit:
15 May 2010
Early Career Counselling
Career counselling is beginning to be offered to younger high school students, providing them with an earlier head start in planning for their future.
Career guidance was traditionally received by Year 11 & 12 students, but students as young as 13 are now being tested, given information and encouraged to plan their future employment options.
There is a greater focus on technology skills and career pathway planning from Year 9. However, schools are finding it more challenging to nuture these skills with the fast-paced evolution of technology and the wide-ranging career opportunities now available to school leavers.
14 May 2010
Tony Abbott’s Spending
It has been revealed that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott plans to cut education programs in order to deliver savings.
The computers in classrooms program, courses to upgrade teachers' skills, and trade training centres would disappear.
The Coalition says it is working on its own version of the digital education revolution scheme, but details would be unveiled closer to the election.
Funding to the BER program would also be cut, with Mr. Abbott stating he would improve existing community structures, such as school buildings and sporting grounds, rather than build new ones.
For the full story visit:
14 May 2010
National Senior Secondary Curriculum
Last week, the first draft of the national senior secondary Australian Curriculum was released.
The subjects English, maths, science and history will be available for public consultation until 30 July 2010.
Practical literacy and numeracy and emphasis on workplace skills are the focus of the core English and maths subjects under the new curriculum for year 11 & 12’s.
Some aspects include learning about mobile phone contracts and credit cards, and to write resumes.
However, in SA, high school teachers are only just starting to roll out the new SACE, which was introduced into schools last year.
SA Secondary Principals Association President Jim Davies said “at some stage there will be a sense of the merging of the two, but when that occurs, the benefits of the new SACE should not be lost”.
12 May 2010
‘School Post’ In Parliament
This month, SA Parliament sat for the first time this year.
On May 12th, newly elected member for Adelaide Rachel Sanderson (who replaced the long-standing Jane Lomax-Smith) discussed her high priority for education and the high demand for a second campus at Adelaide High School.
Outlined in Hansard, the official parliamentary transcript, Ms Sanderson has to the latest edition of SAASSO’s School Post magazine - quoting the front cover as well as results from our parent feedback section.
11 May 2010
Student Teacher Placement
Adelaide‟s major universities are facing a yearly struggle to find classroom placements for their student teachers.
It is understood some schools are hesitant to host students because of extra work it creates for teachers, who are already being challenged by NAPLAN testing, changes to SACE and the upcoming national curriculum.
Under the current system, universities have to find schools willing to volunteer to host student teachers. The University of Adelaide this year was required to find more than 100 extra placements compared to last year.
Flinders University Dean of Education Professor Bob Conway said adopting an interstate placement model or tapping into rural schools is being discussed as potential solutions to the problem.
For the full story visit:
11 May 2010
NAPLAN Tests This Week
After months of threats, the AEU last week backed down on its plan to boycott the NAPLAN tests, allowing the program to commence yesterday, across Australia.
AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said the decision followed an offer by Education Minister Julia Gillard to form a working party of educational experts, including reps of the AEU, to provide advice on the use of student performance data and other indicators of school effectiveness.
No word yet on whether parents will be welcome in this working group, which will decide what information parents are entitled to.
The NAPLAN tests will include:
- Reading
- Witting
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Punctuation
- Numeracy
Parents will receive their child's individual results later in the year, while school results will be added to the My School website. The site compares schools' academic scores with the results of statistically similar institutions, as well as to the national average.
The SA Primary Principals Association is encouraging families to overlook the controversy in the lead-up to the tests, urging parents and students not to feel pressured.
SAPPA President says "parents should talk to their kids and make sure they do their best to listen to the instructions and take their time".
For the full story visit:
11 May 2010
Support The Key For Indigenous Students
A leading Aboriginal Studies teacher believes the key to boosting retention and success rates for indigenous senior secondary students in the SACE is to provide one-on-one mentoring.
Last year, a record 165 Aboriginal students were awarded the SACE, with six achieving merit awards for a perfect 20 / 20 subject score.
But sourcing funding for private tutoring has become a problem. Teacher and tutor Margie Tilbrook says her school endeavoured to work with all indigenous students - though it relied on the flexibility of teachers‟ time and resources.
From 2005 - 2008, the Commonwealth Government provided $186.7m toward one-on-one mentoring through the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS). But responsibility then shifted to the State Government where funding for ITAS was rolled into the Special Purpose Payment.
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11 May 2010
School Open Days Most Valuable
Parents are being encouraged to attend school open days in favour of choosing schools based on the My School website.
The SA Secondary Principals Association President Jim Davies said while My School includes useful information, visiting the school was "crucial" to understanding its capabilities and culture.
He says parents should avoid listening to rumours about schools and urges parents to form their own opinions.
For the full story visit:
10 May 2010
School Post Term 2
The term 2 edition of School Post will hit schools within the next week.
With the state election come and gone, our re-elected Premier has promised to reach out and ‘engage’ the people.
To help the Rann Government learn what the ‘people’ think of SA’s public education, SAASSO has asked a random group of public school parents to tell us what they would tell Mr. Rann and Mr. Weatherill.
The selected parents have provided a fascinating snapshot on key issues such as:
· School budgets
· Resources
· Super schools
· Local governance
· Basic skills
· My School website
Parents also included suggestions on how to improve the quality of education delivered to their children.
6 May 2010
BER Taskforce Investigation
Under the new BER taskforce, a list of about 100 schools will be investigated for possible rorting, profiteering by contractors or cost blowouts of BER infrastructure projects.
The list has been developed over complaints made to federal and state governments – and an analysis of media reports.
Of these schools, at least 15 SA schools‟ BER projects will be investigated.
Head of the taskforce, Brad Orgill hands down the first report in August and another in 3 months.
For the full story visit:
5 May 2010
No High School For Illiterate Students
Director of a national not-for-profit tutorial centre, Reverend Bill Crews says there should be an iron-clad law that students cannot progress to high school until it is proven they can read.
He believes NAPLAN tests are critical to keeping a check and balance on students, especially those who might slip through the system.
Thousands of primary school students around Australia cannot adequately read and write, yet still make the transition to high school. The inability to read can lead to a host of problems later in life.
For the full story visit:
5 May 2010
Auditor - General BER Report
Auditor-General Ian McPhee has released his report into the Federal $16.2b BER program.
It identifies major difficulties including projects being behind schedule, complaints about a „one-size-fits-all‟ approach and doubts over the extent of jobs the scheme has created. It was also critical of the planning and implementation of the scheme.
But the report states 95% of school principals saw the program as providing "ongoing value to their school and school community".
Although surveys were sent to the country's 7,951 primary school principals, almost three-quarters of those who responded to the initial survey came from public schools.
However, the vast majority of these views did not make it into the report, with the auditor-general accused of seeking supportive comments from private school principals.
For the full story visit:
4 May 2010
Cyber Bullying
There has been a great deal of media coverage about the issue of cyber bullying in recent times.
This week ‘The Advertiser’ drew together a panel of commentators, including SAASSO President Diana Manolas, to answer some uniform questions on this pressing issue.
Responses have shown parents, students, teachers, counsellors and cyber behaviour experts all believe cyber bullying is an escalating issue that will take a joint approach to stamp out.
It appears much of the fear generated by cyber bullying is in the unknown.
Experts have said many adults are unfamiliar with the technology used by adolescents. Meanwhile adolescents are unaware of online dangers and what is appropriate in the cyber world.
For the full story visit:
1 May 2010
Primary Principals BER Survey
A survey conducted by the Australian Primary Principals Association reveals 42.9% of public school principals were unable to access specific costings for BER projects in their schools.
This compared poorly against Catholic (86.6%) and Independent (93%) schools.
Despite this, an overwhelming majority (97%) of the 2400 principals surveyed believed their students would benefit from the BER scheme.
30 Apr 2010
Opposition says FOI Request Rejected
The State Opposition has accused the Labor Government of covering up complaints about school stimulus spending.
In October 2009, Shadow Education Minister David Pisoni made a request under the Freedom of information Act asking for:
“Access to any documents relating to complaints received by the SA DECS concerning applications made to it under the Building the Education Revolution program since its inception in February 2009.”
The department wrote back asking him to narrow his request, then rejected the application when he refused to do so.
Mr. Pisoni says “… it’s astonishing that in SA DECS won’t allow access to the complaints of SA schools.”
For the full story:
29 Apr 2010
Indigenous Students Need More Help
Despite continual attempts to increase the numbers of indigenous children in education, latest research reveals about 10,000 young indigenous people across the Top End cannot read or write.
A report for The Centre of Independent Studies ‘Indigenous Education 2010’ states that the 2009 NAPLAN results again show high rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students failing to meet the national minimum standards.
Failure rates of 40 to 50% are common in Indigenous schools and rise to more than 70% in the Northern Territory.
Report authors Helen and Mark Hughes say “education departments employ a litany of excuses to justify their failure to deliver indigenous education".
They suggest a host of problems need to be addressed if indigenous education is to be improved. For instance, school hours need to be longer and children need to be introduced to education earlier.
For the full story visit:
29 Apr 2010
Funding To Aid Youth Employment
Minister for Education Julia Gillard has announced that plans to deliver better career and tertiary education services to young Australians are now ready to be rolled out by the States and Territories.
$200 million is to be provided over the next four years so each State can develop programs designed to encourage students to stay in school until year 12 and go on to further education.
In addition, the Commonwealth will offer $47 million for national career development initiatives.
27 Apr 2010
NAPLAN: Here We Go Again
With just 13 days to go, we still don't know if SA's children will sit the NAPLAN tests.
Last week battle lines were drawn between the teacher's union and Julia Gillard, with the union threatening to strike and Ms. Gillard unequivocal that the tests will happen with or without teachers.
Since then, teachers in half the country have been ordered to deliver the tests or be fined, while the Fair Work Ombudsman has demanded the other half provide documentation of their plans for the tests ... And then there's South Australia; where Education Minister Jay Weatherill has made no decision.
Mr. Weatherill has, however, decided to ban parents from helping with the tests - directly opposing Ms. Gillard's proposed solution.
Mr. Weatherill has written to teachers and held behind closed doors meetings with the union. However, SA's parents, again excluded from the decision-making process, are 'in the dark' as to what their children will be doing Monday week.
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24 Apr 2010
Too Young To Be Doing Homework
Dr Barbara Nielson from Flinders University says primary school children should spend their after-school hours socialising, playing and spending quality time with their parents, not doing homework.
Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg agreed, saying homework hijacks family life and was not in the best interests of the healthy development of a family.
SA Primary Principals Association president Steve Portlock said there was now a much greater emphasis on homework in primary schools compared to 20 years ago.
But he said teachers were mixing up homework activities, setting tasks such as exercise and helping around the home.
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24 Apr 2010
Small Classes A ‘Costly Mistake’
The head of the Productivity Commission states the emphasis on reducing class sizes in schools as "the most costly mistake" in education policy in recent years, stealing scarce budgetary resources from investment in teaching.
Productivity Commission Chairman Gary Banks says "performance of teachers appears not to have been a priority of education policy" and "if anything, attention to it seems to have been weakened over the years, at least until recently".
Mr Banks' comments come as the federal government this week asked the Productivity Commission to look at the education and training workforce, including school teachers.
In a speech on the government's human capital agenda, Mr Banks said the debate over teachers' pay had to look at improving the overall rate of pay compared to other professions, but also paying more to certain types of teachers, such as maths and science teachers, who are in short supply.
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23 Apr 2010
Children Struggling ‘With Computers’
Astonishingly, national computer literacy testing shows only a little more than half of Australian children know how to use computers properly.
About 11,000 year 6 & 10 students from around Australia took part in the ACER tests, conducted in 2008.
Some findings were:
· Only 57% of Year 6 students reached or exceeded the proficient standard of ICT literacy.
· Year 10 students fared better when it came to computers, with 66% reaching or doing better than the ICT benchmark.
· In Year 6, just under a quarter of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were ICT proficient, compared to 59% of their non-indigenous peers. By year 10, the corresponding figures were 32% and 68%.
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23 Apr 2010
Childcare Centres Scrapped
The Rudd Government has broken its promise to build 260 new childcare centres.
Apparently we have a surplus of spaces, due to 1000 centres opening in recent years.
Only the 38 centres already under construction will be built. SA's specialist autistic centre is now the only one the state will get under the scheme.
For the full story:
21 Apr 2010
Schools Consider Abandoning Maths
Education experts warn schools will be forced to drop Year 12 Specialist Maths or Maths 2, if students interest continues to wane.
University professors believe this would have severe economic consequences for SA, leading to a dramatic skills shortage for degrees such as engineering.
Changes being introduced to the SACE system will see students only choosing four subjects instead of the current five.
The Mathematical Association of South Australia says that will encourage students to opt for ‘easier’ maths subjects.
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20 Apr 2010
Home Child Care Shake-Up
Federal Early Childhood Minister Kate Ellis has committed $390,000 for the implementation of Family Day Care Australia's five-year plan.
The announcement follows controversial moves to introduce national industry standards. Reforms include a rating system allowing parents to compare carers and reductions in child-carer ratios.
Under a new industry plan, almost half of in-home childcare workers will be forced back to school to obtain formal qualifications.
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16 Apr 2010
University Access Loophole
Concerns have been raised that age restriction changes for the Special Tertiary Admissions Test will mean more young people will bypass Year 12, and instead sit the mature-age test as another way to enter university.
Previously, a person needed to be 21 to qualify as a mature-age student, but the test is now available to 18-year-olds.
SATAC data reveals more than 300 people aged between 15 and 18 have sat the test since the changes were introduced. 90 accepted uni offers for study this year.
University heads have defended the changes, saying only certain courses accepted STAT results and many degrees required prerequisites in Year 12 subjects in order to qualify.
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15 Apr 2010
School Funding Review
Julia Gillard has announced plans to review the funding for every public & private Australian school, with a discussion paper setting out key issues she wants addressed.
The review process will begin this month, with the Government promising to review schools funding allocation in time for 2013 - when the current Howard Government model expires.
Tony Abbott has questioned the point of the review, claiming the government would cut funding for private schools if re-elected.
But the Federal Government assures no school will end up worse off.
For the full story visit:
12 Apr 2010
Teachers Lack Bullying Skills
Research conducted by Dr Barbara Spears from Uni SA has revealed that a third of SA teachers in training feel uninformed about cyber-bullying.
A survey of 700 student teachers in SA & QLD also showed a quarter of these teachers felt unprepared to deal with cyber-bullying in the classroom.
Dr Spears said there was no reason why all teachers entering the workforce should not be equipped to deal with bullying and cyber-bullying.
For the full story visit:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/teachers-lack-bully-skills/story-e6frea83-12258524622519 Apr 2010
Boycott Of NAPLAN Tests?
Debate has intensified in recent weeks as the teacher’s union voted to boycott the upcoming NAPLAN tests, in May - arguing results would be used to create damaging 'league tables' on the My School website.
State education ministers have backed Julia Gillard's plan to hire strikebreakers to ensure the tests still go ahead - but she has abandoned her plans to deploy parents to oversee the tests.
Australian Primary Principals Association President Leonie Trimper said she expected both tiers of government to ‘pull out all the stops’ - including co-ordinating teacher shuffles between classrooms or financing relief teachers to fill in the gaps.
While Education Minister Jay Weatherill has said he would prefer to resolve the issue through ‘discussions’, Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni says a 2007 Supreme Court ruling gave Mr Weatherill the power to direct teachers to carry out the tests and he should use it.
Instead, Mr. Weatherill plans to write to schools to convince teachers not to strike.
For the full story visit:
6 Apr 2010
BER Taskforce
Plagued by cost blowouts and accusations of rorting and profiteering by contractors, Julia Gillard has announced the set-up of a task force to investigate complaints associated with the BER.
This comes weeks before an auditor general's report on the scheme was scheduled to be tabled in parliament, raising the possibility the report was critical of the waste associated with the scheme.
South Australian Education Minister Jay Weatherill said "we are confident that we are getting value for money through our BER projects, but we will co-operate fully with the taskforce."
For the full story visit:
5 Apr 2010
Fewer Men Wanting To Teach
Experts believe the lack of male influences in the classroom could impact on children’s development in basic skills areas such as reading and writing.
Adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said if boys were surrounded by predominantly female teachers they could "come to equate that reading and writing is something women do and it's not for them".
A 16.5% decline in male public school teacher numbers over the past decade has left many students without positive male role models.
Dr Darryl Cross said many young jobseekers did not have a strong influence from male primary school teachers growing up; meaning the career option of teaching may be dismissed.
Well-paying jobs in other fields and the chance of being wrongly accused of sexual abuse were among reasons behind the struggle to attract male teachers.
In 2009, only 3868 men taught in state primary and high schools, compared with 4635 in 1999. There were 8878 female teachers in public schools in 2009.
Provisional figures by SATAC show only one in five university students who accepted offers to study primary school teaching this year are male.
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29 Mar 2010
Student Language Numbers Declining
The term 1 edition of School Post, featured an article by Lauren Djakovac on the benefits of studying a second language. The article also revealed concerns students would drop languages when choosing their subjects under the new SACE.
The Advertiser, this week, now reports that year 11 students are in fact shunning languages.
As an example, SACE figures show 132 Year 11 and 12 students studied Indonesian last year; a dramatic downturn from the 331 students in 2008.
Angela Scarino, from UniSA warns, "we are going to have students who are ill prepared to face the world...”
Click to read the School Post article, which examines how to combat this bilingual decline.
For the full story visit:
26 Mar 2010
Warning For Facebook Users
Teachers are being warned against accepting friend requests from admiring students on Facebook.
SA Primary Principals Association President, Steve Portlock, says teachers need to be really careful about accepting offers. "The best thing is just to gracefully decline any friend requests as you would anything else."
A DECS spokeswoman said a cyber-safety policy was launched last year, outlining the need for teachers to ensure their online identities, including Facebook profiles, met the responsibilities of various industry codes of conduct.
In another Facebook issue, SA schools are now taking a no-tolerance approach to Facebook bullying - suspending students who make derogatory remarks about others online.
For the full story visit:
26 Mar 2010
Private Schools To Test Applicants
Private schools across Australia are considering pre-entry testing of children from the age of 5 in literacy and numeracy - raising concerns it is designed to eliminate potentially poor-performing students.
It was reported the Association of Independent Schools of SA has been part of national discussions to introduce pre-entry testing of potential students.
Executive Director Garry Le Duff denied pre-entry testing would be used to ‘include or exclude’ students. He said assessing a child would allow schools to identify what educational support they needed.
Under strict enrolment processes in QLD, independent schools are currently testing 3 and 4-year-olds' handwriting and literacy skills, "tripod" pencil grip and number and pattern recognition.
AEU State president Correna Haythorpe said the union did not support testing during early childhood years.
While Head of ACARA, Dr Peter Hill says he was ‘quite keen’ to investigate extending NAPLAN testing to Reception students.
For the full story visit:
25 Mar 2010
Principals Say ‘My School’ Is Inaccurate
An AEU survey of 1116 Australian public school principals has revealed 87.7% did not believe the My School website presented an accurate picture of ‘school performance’ to parents.
It also found:
· More than a quarter thought the website's information about their school was wrong, while more than half believed their ICSEA rating was off.
· Almost 90% said the index was not a valid way of determining which schools were similar.
· More than one-third of principals said their school had been listed in a league table this year, and of those, 58% thought it would damage their school's reputation.
· Just over half thought it would negatively impact on their students, and more than two thirds believed it would be detrimental to teaching staff.
For the full story visit:
25 Mar 2010
New Education Minister
It has recently been announced that the new South Australian Education Minister is Mr Jay Weatherill — replacing long-standing Dr Jane Lomax-Smith.
For the full story visit:
24 Mar 2010
Real Estate SACE Course
The lack of young real estate agents has prompted a state first with the introduction of a SACE-accredited course in high school.
The real estate course, run through the Real Estate Institute of SA and hosted by Rostrevor College is a semester course open to students across SA.
There are 8 students from 4 schools enrolled in the pilot.
They will study property management, administration and auction specialities to achieve 4 units from the Certificate III and IV in Property Services.
23 Mar 2010
National Certificate On Hold
Due to the introduction of the new SACE, the Head of ACARA says SA senior secondary students might not see the national guidelines implemented in Years 11 &12 until 2015 – two years after it is expected to be rolled-out to the rest of Australia.
Dr Peter Hill said the timing was not ‘ideal’ for SA and that teacher’s already had enough to deal with in terms of the new SACE, let alone a new curriculum, too.
It’s unclear at this time whether a definition of the word ‘national’ will be included in the national curriculum, when it is eventually rolled out, nationally.
For the full story visit:
23 Mar 2010
Sex Education In Schools
Teachers are avoiding teaching sex education because they're uncomfortable and under prepared, prompting experts to call for better training at the university level.
Dr Debbie Ollis, from the Deakin University School of Education said teachers should be ready to instruct students about sexually transmitted infections, relationships, personal development and sexual interaction by the time they had finished university.
Academics and health experts agree sex education is important for primary school children as they become curious about their bodies.
For the full story visit:
22 Mar 2010
Funds Needed For Asian Literacy
The Federal Government’s aim to incorporate Asian-literacy into the new national school curriculum will only be successful if states and territories provide large amounts of funding to equip teachers.
Kathe Kirby, Executive Director of the Asia Education Foundation, said with the success of the AEF in making Asia-literacy a cross-curriculum requirement the focus has now shifted from policy to implementation.
She states “Australian teachers are not equipped to deliver” on its Asia-literacy requirement. “A quantum leap of investment" was now required - through "a monitored and resourced action plan" to achieve Asia-literacy.
For the full story visit:
20 Mar 2010
Education Minister Expelled
The election campaign that captured the imagination of dozens of people ended Saturday.
As predicted and expected the margin between the two parties narrowed dramatically, with swings of around 8%.
While the outcome will almost certainly be a continued Labor Government, the sweeping mandate is gone and many Labor seats will fall into the ‘marginal’ category for 2014 ... or earlier, should there be a by-election; and when do we go 4 years without one?
For education, the big news was the electorate of Adelaide deciding to expel former education minister, Jane Lomax-Smith from State Parliament.
The high profile portfolio has been a troubled one for the Rann Government - with seemingly endless industrial strife, strikes, savage school budget cuts, widespread concern over basic literacy and numeracy skills and near universal opposition to the Super Schools.
We may not know who the new minister is for a while yet; let’s hope that spin and factional in-fighting don’t decide who it is.
In reaction to the ‘anti-arrogant’ sentiment expressed by the voters, Mr. Rann, announced he is sending his ministers out into the suburbs in the next month to reconnect and hear what the people are saying.
These words come like nails on a blackboard for those many, many people who have been trying for four years to tell the government about the serious issues in our public school system.
Let’s hope this time, they actually listen....
As predicted and expected the margin between the two parties narrowed dramatically, with swings of around 8%.
While the outcome will almost certainly be a continued Labor Government, the sweeping mandate is gone and many Labor seats will fall into the ‘marginal’ category for 2014 ... or earlier, should there be a by-election; and when do we go 4 years without one?
For education, the big news was the electorate of Adelaide deciding to expel former education minister, Jane Lomax-Smith from State Parliament.
The high profile portfolio has been a troubled one for the Rann Government - with seemingly endless industrial strife, strikes, savage school budget cuts, widespread concern over basic literacy and numeracy skills and near universal opposition to the Super Schools.
We may not know who the new minister is for a while yet; let’s hope that spin and factional in-fighting don’t decide who it is.
In reaction to the ‘anti-arrogant’ sentiment expressed by the voters, Mr. Rann, announced he is sending his ministers out into the suburbs in the next month to reconnect and hear what the people are saying.
These words come like nails on a blackboard for those many, many people who have been trying for four years to tell the government about the serious issues in our public school system.
Let’s hope this time, they actually listen....
20 Mar 2010
Maths Program Targets Road Safety
A maths Program targeting teenage drivers is being developed for high school students.
The maths and driver safety program, designed by former Mt Compass Maths teachers and driving instructor Bill Jerram, will pose maths questions based on real life scenarios young drivers may experience.
Students will use differential calculus, correlation and functions to calculate the effects of factors such as loud music, speed or fatigue on a drivers concentration.
The program will help students by making maths studies more interesting as well as getting across the important messages of road safety.
It will be trialled in Year 10 & 11 classes at Mt Compass Area School later in the year.
19 Mar 2010
‘Sexting’ Kids To Face Criminal Chargers
Tough new laws, set to pass through Federal Parliament could see children who engage in ‘sexting’ being charged with child sex offences.
The Government has, however, decided added a safeguard that people under 18 cannot be prosecuted for ‘sexting’ without the consent of the Attorney General.
A Senate committee report recommended ”that the extension of this safeguard may ensure that behaviour which is not exploitative of, or harmful to, children is not captured by the child sex offence regime, particularly where that behaviour involves children themselves."
The sweeping laws also increase prison sentences to 25 years for child sex offences where the offenders are in positions of trust; such as teachers and aid workers.
For the full story visit:
18 Mar 2010
More Students Prefer To Learn Than Earn
According to an ABS report, more young Australians are choosing to learn rather than earn.
Although the overall proportion of 15 – 24 year olds ‘fully engaged in either education or work’ has been hovering around the 81% mark since 1999, those in education have increased from 45% to 48%.
The report notes that:
· These figures reflect increases in both the completion of secondary school and the undertaking of further post-school education.
· Participation in education or work is critical to overall wellbeing in young people - with those in neither are more prone to long-term employment insecurity.
For the full story visit:
16 Mar 2010
2010 Education Election?
While the key issues of 'trust', 'tired' and 'ready' have dominated this election campaign, education has been generally ignored - until this week. With just 3 days to go, our public schools have suddenly surged in political relevance.
On Monday, SAASSO released its 2010 Education Election Submission, detailing 10 key issues for our state's public schools. Among these was Super Schools and the resulting budget cuts and the treatment of parents and Governing Councils.
Also on Monday, The Advertiser kicked of it's 'online election week' with an exclusive story on SAASSO's submission; this included an online poll asking whether you support Super Schools; with a massive 83% of respondents saying 'no'.
The article generated heated discussion on the Adelaide Now webiste postings: which is apparently still legal...
16 Mar 2010
More Election Promises - Labor
Yesterday, Labor announced a $14.1 million package to address school absenteeism and behaviour problems.
Mr. Rann claimed 2008 figures show 2200 students with frequent absences were referred to truancy officers.
- To combat school absenteeism, the government will employ extra truancy officers
- School principals will be given extra powers to suspend children
- The Government will build six 'Good-Behaviour Centres in state schools - possibly to house students who have been brought back to school by truancy officers and then suspended by principals...
For the full story visit:
Labor has also announced a $60m plan to expand Adelaide, Marryatville, Glenunga International and Brighton high schools.
Minister Lomax-Smith said, 'We've listened to the school community's request".
The expansion will provide placements for 800 more students across the four schools, with Minister Lomax-Smith adding, 'These designs are what this community wants and that's what we are delivering'.
For the full story visit:
16 Mar 2010
More Election Promises - Liberal
Last week, the State Opposition announced it will invest an extra $52 million into SA schools bringing the focus back to basics – reading, writing, spelling, grammar and maths.
This includes:
· A four year commitment injecting an extra $52m direct into school budgets
· $4m for additional SSO’s to provide support for hard working teachers
· $16m to attract skilled teachers into underperforming schools
Shadow Minister, David Pisoni said “last year’s NAPLAN results showed SA students scored below the national average in 15 of 20 categories for reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy”.
He said business owners complain SA students are not job ready, don’t have the skills needed to adapt to a changing workforce and many struggle with the basics.
16 Mar 2010
Government Delivers On Youth Allowance
After months of debate, Education Minister Julia Gillard and the Federal Opposition have finally agreed on changes to the Youth Allowance Bill – which saw it officially pass through parliament last week.
Changes made to the bill make it fairer for students who took a gap year in 2009. Changes include:
· Additional workforce participation tests being retained - but only for students who have to leave a remote or outer regional home to study.
· The approval of two new scholarships for university students - replacing those axed in September.
For the full story visit:
12 Mar 2010
Benchmark Tests … In Reception
Head of ACARA, Dr Peter Hill, says students from as young as 5 should be tested nationally on basic reading and writing.
He said “testing at such a young age would help teachers identify areas of need as early as possible”.
However, Australian Primary Principals Association President, Leonie Trimper disagrees, saying schools assessed students daily and only would submit students to national testing if it was ‘in the best interest of the child’.
10 Mar 2010
Maths / Science Student Numbers Down
The Group of Eight Review, carried out by eight of the nation's leading universities, declared mathematics education in Australia is in crisis.
The review shows students are losing interest in maths and science in primary school, which is leading to a decline in the number of Year 12 advanced maths students going on to degrees in areas such as engineering, statistics and economics.
Some of recommendations from the review include:
· Primary school teachers to be given extra resources to make maths and science more interesting for students
· To stop referring to advanced maths as ‘advanced’ or ‘specialist’ – as it creates the perception that only ‘smart kids’ can cope with the subject.
· Remedial classes in advanced maths and science at the beginning of university - to allow Year 12 students who avoided the subjects the chance to still study maths and science related degrees.
9 Mar 2010
Protect Kids Online
Schools are calling on parents to become ‘cyber cops’ to help manage an evident rise in online bullying.
It has been reported school counsellors are spending the beginning of each school week ‘cleaning up the carnage’ of cyber bullying generated on Facebook and by text messages each weekend.
9 Mar 2010
SAASSO - 2010 Election Submission
This week SAASSO will release its 2010 Election Submission for Public Education.
The issues outlined in this submission are those which we, on behalf of our members, feel are critical to education in South Australia today.
SAASSO asks both parties to give serious consideration to these priorities when developing education policy.
Issues covered in the submission include:
· Governance Review
· Super Schools
· Special Needs Education
· Parent Support and Training
· Education Ombudsman
· Performance Pay
· Literacy and Numeracy
· Sun Smart Policy
· Teacher Quality
· Merit Selection
9 Mar 2010
Digital Revolution
An advisory board has warned the Federal Government's promise to equip every high school student with a computer is endangered by disputes over funding and a lack of support for teachers.
The panel of information technology experts from all school sectors in every state and territory has highlighted "major areas of risk" in a report for the Council of Australian Governments.
The report emphasises the need for collaboration at all levels to make the project succeed. It states that "ongoing discussions about the additional costs of the (computer rollout) will impact on implementation".
AEU President Angelo Gavrielatos stated education authorities must provide help-desk back-up for teachers so they did not have to spend their time fixing glitches or updating software."It is not the role of teachers to provide IT support" he said.
For the full story visit:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/school-scheme-lacks-it-support/story-e6frgczf-1225836734487
It has also been revealed by The Advertiser that 14,071 (41%) of the 34,373 computers available in round 2 & 3 of the Digital Revolution scheme are still waiting to be taken up by public high schools.
According to DECS, 4241 (95%) of the 4442 computers offered in round 1 have been installed.
A DECS spokeswoman said schools had until September 30 next year to order and install computers to meet the Governments requirement of a computer for every student in year 9-12.
For more information about the Digital Revolution visit: http://www.saasso.asn.au/educationrevolution/digital-revolution
5 Mar 2010
Rudd Weighs In On School Bullying
Last week, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd sparked debate when he urged parents to take matters into their own hands, if they are unsatisfied with the way their child's school handles bullying.
Rudd stated bullying should ideally be sorted out between the children, then if that did not work by the teacher or principal.
Despite many parents backing his approach, experts slammed Rudd’s suggestions.
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, a renowned bullying expert who is a founding member of the National Centre Against Bullying, described the Prime Minister’s comments as "the worst piece of advice".
For the full story visit:
4 Mar 2010
More Disability Support Proposed
Labor has promised more disability support for SA schools if re-elected.
They will set up 6 special units at state schools for students with disabilities. It says there are currently 20 units across SA, and 2 of the proposed new ones would focus on autism.
Minister for Disability Jane Lomax-Smith says "they will be co-located on school grounds where they can have social interactions and join some of the classes and activities."
Dignity for Disability candidate for the seat of Adelaide Sam Paior says the need is much greater than the ALP acknowledges.
For the full story visit:
3 Mar 2010
Liberal Plan For Adelaide High School
The SA Liberal Party says there is an urgent need for a review of the provision of public secondary schooling options in the city.
If elected, they pledge to “accommodate the increasing population of the inner suburbs of Adelaide by establishing a second campus of Adelaide High School”.
2 Mar 2010
Moving Year 7’s To High School
Pressure is growing in SA to shift Year 7 to the High School system.
Currently, NSW, Vic, ACT & Tas have Year 7 at the start of High School, while QLD is considering the same.
Education experts say Year 7 students could be disadvantaged if they remain in the Primary School system under the national curriculum – for instance, in science, which could require secondary school facilities such as laboratories.
DECS Chief Executive Chris Robinson said although there were no plans at the moment to change the school structure in SA, he would be watching the outcome in QLD with ‘considerable interest’.
1 Mar 2010
Education Stakeholders Outline 'Wish List'
In the lead up to this month’s state election, education stakeholders have outlined what they want the next State Government to deliver.
The AEU (SA), principals associations and independent and Catholic bodies are calling for smaller class sizes, more student counsellors, increased funding for children with special needs and to retain school principals.
Addressing the increasing number of disabled students in the public and private system was identified as a high priority.
For the full story:
1 Mar 2010
Online Diary - New Tool For Parents
Paper diaries may slowly become a thing of the past. At some SA schools, parents can now monitor their child’s homework schedule though online diaries.
Parents are being given log ons to school internet portals where teachers publish information about assignments.
The Australian Science and Maths school Principal Jim Davies, said the school introduced the system last year with basic data such as student attendance - but it was now expanding to outline:
· Assignment details
· Its due date
· Completion.
While it was also possible it would include grades and teacher comments in the future.
1 Mar 2010
Encouraging Science At Senior Level
The first stage of the $2 million Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance (STELR) project was launched this week.
The project has been developed by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering with the aim to encourage more students to study science in their senior years.
STELR is being piloted in 185 schools nationally that have been selected in consultation with state and territory education authorities. Students will participate in a six-to-10 week module using a hands-on learning approach.
1 Mar 2010
National Curriculum
With the new national curriculum to be introduced at the start of next year, the first draft of the curriculum has finally been revealed this week - however schools will only have three months to read, understand and provide feedback on the draft.
Over 150 schools across the nation – including only 22 in SA – will test the curriculum in classrooms, which will include the core subjects English, History, Maths and Science for Kindergarten to Year 10.
Written by ACARA, Education Minister Julia Gillard stands by the content - however others have serious doubts.
SA Primary Principals Association President Steve Portlock said it would be ‘impossible’ and ‘unrealistic’ for teachers to begin teaching the curriculum without at least 18 months of training and a national set of guidelines on how it will be introduced to classrooms.
Federal Opposition Leader hoped the curriculum was untarnished by political agendas.
ACARA chair Professor Barry McGaw said the whole community was encouraged to get involved in the consultation process, which ends at the end of May.
The first draft can be found at www.australiancurriculum.edu.au
For the full story visit:
25 Feb 2010
National Standard To Mark Teachers
For the first time, teacher across Australia will be accredited against a uniform set of standards. The standards will set out four levels of skills and knowledge expected: graduate, proficient, highly accomplished and lead.
The National Professional Standards for Teachers are organised into three areas:
· Professional knowledge (what is taught)
· Professional practice (how it is taught)
· Professional engagement (involvement in the school and ongoing education).
The system is not linked to additional pay; this will have to be negotiated state governments.
The standards are expected to be released this week for public consultation.
For the full story visit:
24 Feb 2010
Students To Get Tracking ID Numbers
Each child in Australia will get an identity number via a program designed to track their progress throughout their schooling.
The ‘unique identity number’ will be attached to the My School program which publishes the performance of individual schools on the internet.
The number will allow parents to access a database documenting a child’s performance during the course of their school years – regardless of how many schools they attend and whether they move interstate.
The Federal Opposition is concerned the system could lead to bullying, with Tony Abbott saying ‘children should have names not numbers’.
For the full story visit:
24 Feb 2010
More Maths & Science Teachers Promised
Premier Mike Rann has announced plans to recruit and train up to 155 specialist maths and science teachers to work in SA secondary schools.
Under the six-year, Teach SA program, up to 40 maths and science graduates and career professionals will receive financial support and a guaranteed job at the end of their studies to undertake a one year post graduate teaching program.
While another 100 existing teachers will be supported to get special qualifications in maths and science, and 15 teachers will be given scholarships to get higher level qualifications in physics, chemistry or maths.
But with the AEU revealing last year that 40% of SA teachers are taking classes they are not qualified to teach, this number appears to be not even close to rectifying the problem.
For the full story visit:
23 Feb 2010
Year 12 National Certificate of Education
Experts say a National Certificate of Education for Year 12 students is "inevitable"- with the belief a national approach to assessment at the senior level should be looked at next.
SA Principals Association President Jim Davies said a national and global perspective to education was important.
While some students sought this through the International Baccalaureate program, a national certificate could make it more accessible to all students, and would be a key step in enhancing study and career opportunities.
The Federal Government has said "there are no plans for a national certificate of education" despite commissioning a research paper into the issue 5 years ago.
However, support for a national certificate is growing by a number of organisations.
For the full story visit:
23 Feb 2010
AGM Mayhem
It's AGM season for Governing Councils and we've been flooded with calls from confused parents and principals.
If you aren't sure exactly who does what, where and when, download SAASSO's AGM bulletin.
22 Feb 2010
Road Safety In Schools
Families of those killed on the state's roads this year have pleaded for improved driver education.
To curb the road toll, they want vital road safety education, including the display of "shock tactic" photos, to be a regular subject in SA schools.
The Motor Accident Commission and the SA Secondary Principals Association have backed their plea. Driving instructors also believe schools need to emphasise the road safety message, so that beginner drivers were more aware of the dangers they face.
Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said “a number of safety programs have been developed” to help improve driver safety.
However, Premier Mike Rann has announced plans to expand the Road Awareness and Accident Program to 90% of schools and promised to double licence disqualification times for P-plate and inexperienced drivers.
For the full story visit:
21 Feb 2010
U-Turn On School Buses
Last week we reported that bus operators had recently been instructed to allow adults to board school buses. This ruling came after a female passenger, who was denied a ride, complained of age discrimination.
In a move sure to shock and dismay, following a weke of outrage by concerned parents, the Transport Department has once again reviewed its rules for school buses and has decided to resume refusing anyone not associated with schools from travelling on a school bus.
For the full story visit:
20 Feb 2010
Disadvantaged Schools 'Short Changed'
Public schools are calling for a review of SA’s Index of Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) after the My School website revealed some are being short-changed by the state system.
The Government has indicated it would review its ICSEA, which gives schools a socioeconomic ranking of 1-7 and determines the allocation of extra resources to schools based on their level of disadvantage.
It is believed the review is necessary because many school communities had changed dramatically in the decade since the index was implemented, and was not recognised by their current state ranking.
Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith would not say when the department would conduct the review but said it was likely to be "this year".
For the full story visit:
19 Feb 2010
New School Buses
3 brand new 53-seat school buses, each fitted with seat belts and air conditioning, will be deployed to regional SA shortly.
Regardless, although these 3 buses are welcome, parents are asking when the rest will be replaced.
The plan to start fitting seat belts to state school buses was first announced in 2006. However, Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says 90 of the 242 State-owned buses now have seat belts.
Meanwhile, the Murray Mallee Local Government Association says an inquiry is warranted into the lack of air-conditioned country school buses, with students are at risk of heat stress and dehydration when temperatures in buses soar.
Minister Lomax-Smith says 44% per cent of all regional school buses have air conditioning and priority is given to the longest and hottest routes in the State.
For the full story visit:
18 Feb 2010
Funding
$60,000 in grants for Parent Initiatives in Education has been awarded to 66 schools and preschools in 2010.
18 Feb 2010
Funding
A $40 million initiative to help ensure teachers and school leaders receive comprehensive training in information and communication technology (ICT) .
17 Feb 2010
School Defence Program
A specialised curriculum will be developed at 3 SA high schools to prepare students for jobs in the state's defence industry.
The successful school are:
· Henley High
· Valley View Secondary
· Aberfoyle Park High
Students will be encouraged to study maths and science as part of a $5.7 million program, designed to help them secure placements in school-based apprenticeships, cadetships and internships within the industry.
For the full story visit:
17 Feb 2010
Funding
127 SA schools will share in $1 million through the Rann Government’s Green Schools Grants program this year. The program supports schools and preschools to introduce water and energy saving intiatives and, since its inception, $12 million has supported more than 1700 environment projects.
16 Feb 2010
Specialised Units Recommended
A special education teacher and unit co-ordinator says students with disabilities are better placed in specialised units which are set up to cater for their needs.
Robyn Stevenson says she is part of a team which includes a special education teacher and eight ancillary staff for a group of 12 students aged from five to 12. The unit has walkers, slings, standing frames and special seats for the students, while special equipment for access to the curriculum includes smartboards, augmentative communication devices and intellikeys.
Ms Stevenson said a unit was not a babysitting facility but rather a place of learning which incorporated the physiotherapy needs of the children as well. Inclusion is also a big part in social development and having a unit within a primary school allows for interaction with mainstream children.
16 Feb 2010
School League Tables For Sale
Independent analysts are using information from the My School website to produce and sell league tables.
This week, the Australia School Ranking group launched an online report that listed the top and bottom 100 schools overall along with rankings based on attendance rates and student-teacher ratios.
For $97 the public can get a copy of the 854 page report, which also ranks most Australian schools year-by-year on each NAPLAN testing discipline.
ACARA Chief Executive Peter Hill said this was misusing the website. Education Minister Julia Gillard said the Government "doesn't support simplistic league tables" and encouraged parents to speak to school principals for more information.
The report showed Wilderness School was SA's highest-ranked secondary school at 34. Other SA schools to make the top 100 list were:
- Pembroke School (58)
- Saint Ignatius College (59)
- Walford Anglican School for Girls (74).
For the full story visit:
14 Feb 2010
School Bus Debate
Adelaide bus companies have been told to allow adults to board city school buses - after a passenger who was denied a ride complained of age discrimination.
A memo (based on an official Passenger Transport Division directive) was issued by at least one bus company this month. It stated that drivers cannot refuse anyone wanting to board the service.
However, some bus drivers are worried about the safety of school children on buses if adults are given permission to board as well.
Transport Minister, Patrick Conlon, supported people who wanted designated public ‘school bus’ services to be exclusively for school students. He said members of the general public should not be allowed on board ‘without good reason’.
For the full story visit:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/drivers-told-to-let-adults-on-adelaide-school-buses/story-e6frea83-1225830042231
10 Feb 2010
Preschools Receive Funding Boost
A new round of funding will see up to 960 extra preschool places in SA offered from Term 3 this year, under the $65.4 million Federal Early Childhood Education program announced last year.
It is expected that the increases will lead to more pre-school teachers being hired and also an increase in the number of hours for current teachers.
In the first round, announced in October 2009, 98 preschools were given extra hours to come into effect from this term - with about 3800 children affected.
The program means children will be able to access 15 hours of preschool a week – an increase from the current 11 hours.
For the full story visit:
10 Feb 2010
Teacher Pay Ruling Decision
A decision on the two-year wage dispute between the teachers union and the Rann Government has finally been made. Last week, the Industrial Relations Commission awarded teachers with a 15.75% increase – despite the union strongly arguing for 21%.
The increase will be applied over four years, back-paid from October 2009. It will include an interim increase of 3.75%. SA teachers will have the fourth highest salaries in the nation.
As yet there is no decision on a new school funding model.
For the full story visit:
9 Feb 2010
Shortage Of School Librarians
The School Library Association of SA reveals that the number of librarians are declining in our schools and we will face a shortage within five years.
A survey conducted by the association in 2008 reveals:
· 23% of schools are not allocating teacher-librarians to their facilities.
· 25% of teacher-librarians intend to retire in the next five years and 89 graduates will be needed to replace them.
Although the association encourages the concept of new / refurbished libraries under the BER, President Lesley Brideson says they could be staffed by people without the relevant skills.
However, DECS says schools are not experiencing a shortage of qualified teacher-librarians.
For the full story visit:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/shortage-of-school-librarians-looms/story-e6frea83-12258280410829 Feb 2010
Rock Eisteddfod Cancelled
After 30 years, the annual schools' Rock Eisteddfod Challenge has been cancelled across the country due to a lack of funding, sponsorship and support - disappointing students, teachers and schools.
Rock Eisteddfod Executive Producer Peter Sjoquist, said teams can be anything up to 120 in size and it had been costing $4 million to stage the schools performance event.
The Rock Eisteddfod board had asked for a sponsorship increase from governments around Australia. SA, WA, Tas, ACT and NSW all reduced their support, with QLD the only state offering more.
The State Government cut its funding from $20,000 to $10,000. The Liberals have said if elected on March 20, they would restore the $10,000 the SA Government had removed.
For the full story visit:
9 Feb 2010
School Post Term 1
The first School Post for the year hits your schools this week.
With the state election just weeks away, both Labor & Liberal detail their plans for public education.
Other features include:
- A special report on the benefits of music programs and expert assessment on what we need to do to deliver this key subject to all children.
- A Fact Sheet on just how many hours school children are working and the impact it is having.
- A fascinating profile on Australia's five-year-olds; are they prepared for school?
- Gifted Students - Are we delivering the best to the brightest?
7 Feb 2010
Rescue for Struggling Schools
The Federal Government will provide a $2 billion package for disadvantaged schools identified by the My School website.
Changes proposed by Education Minister Julia Gillard, include funding for longer school hours to include breakfast and after-school classes for students, as well as the employment of specialist literacy coaches and extra teachers at under-performing schools.
Ms Gillard said principals would be able to spend federal funding under its National Partnerships Program. Of the $232.57 million to be shared among SA schools, $40 million will be used to boost literacy and numeracy; $32 million will be spent on improving teacher quality and almost $160 million will be pumped into low socio-economic schools.
The amount of money given to each school will vary according to its size, but a typical school will be eligible for as much as $500,000.
For the full story visit:
5 Feb 2010
New Program to help Aboriginal Retention
More than 150 Aboriginal students are job-ready following the establishment of a new Workabout initiative. The launch of the program comes as Aboriginal student retention in SA reaches a high of 54.9% in 2009, up from 48.1% in 2008.
The Workabout model is providing Aboriginal teenagers with school-based employment and training opportunities, thanks to the support of local industries.
Students who have taken part have gained employment or further training in industries including hospitality, retail and community services.
3 Feb 2010
Autism Workshops
Free workshops and information sessions are being offered for parents and caregivers of school aged students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The Positive Partnerships workshops will be conducted nationally - in both metropolitan and regional locations. In South Australia they will be held from March to November 2010 in Whyalla, Port Adelaide, Nuriootpa, Riverland, Pt. Pirie and Clare.
The workshops will be interactive and focus on giving participants knowledge and tools to work in partnerships with their schools and teachers to ensure their child receives the best education possible.
A list of workshops dates and locations, online registration and more information is available on the Positive Partnerships website: www.autismtraining.com.au
3 Feb 2010
Liberal Plan: Local Control Of Local Schools
Last week the Liberal party released its plan for SA’s public schools.
Central to their education platform is greater local control of local schools.
If elected, the Liberals will expand Local Governance, giving Governing Councils and principals the flexibility to match their school to the needs of their community.
Key reforms include:
- Place principals in charge of curriculum and teacher recruitment.
- Give schools greater autonomy of its resources and budget.
- Transfer resources from DECS centralised level to the district level.
If elected, the Liberals will expand Local Governance, giving Governing Councils and principals the flexibility to match their school to the needs of their community.
Key reforms include:
- Place principals in charge of curriculum and teacher recruitment.
- Give schools greater autonomy of its resources and budget.
- Transfer resources from DECS centralised level to the district level.
1 Feb 2010
Election Education Policies
With the March 20 election looming, both Labor and Liberal party have begun releasing their education policies if elected.
Last week, the Liberal Party announced that teachers will be given greater control over curriculum, while principals and school councils will be provided with more control over school budgets and teacher recruitment. The Liberals also pledged to deliver new specialist programs including numeracy, literacy and disability services.
In response, State Education Minister, Jane Lomax-Smith said schools already have the ability to choose the best teachers, manage their budgets and localise the curriculum for their students.
In addition, Liberal Leader, Isobel Redmond, revealed a plan to establish a school specifically for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She says there has been a great demand from parents who have been lobbying for such a solution. If elected, the Liberals will establish a school staffed and designed to meet the needs of those children, while also putting resources towards special needs children who remain in mainstream schools.
However, Jane Lomax-Smith says the Liberal policy has “no dollars or details behind it” and claims the Labor Government already provides more than $200 million each year for students with disabilities in schools.
For the full story visit:
31 Jan 2010
Heavy Backpacks 'Outdated'
A leading chiropractic body says that heavy school bags cause serious back pain for children and are ‘outdated’ – and should be traded for computer memory sticks.
Dr Zoe Love, President of The Chiropractors Association of Australia SA (CAASA) says there is growing evidence that heavy backpacks placed unnecessary stress on children’s spines. A growing child should limit the weight they carry in a school backpack to no more than 10% of their body weight.
Dr Love says although the use of memory sticks could decrease students book load, they would still need to carry a bag to school – therefore it is vital children are taught to pack and carry them correctly.
31 Jan 2010
The Cost To Educate A Child
The Australian Scholarships Group estimates that it will cost parents of children starting Kindergarten this year, more than $90,000 to educate them a public education. This includes:
• $33,738 in school fees
• $7774 for stationary and textbooks
• $8658 in uniforms
• $17,551 for campus and music lessons
• $22,328 in computer and internet costs.
For Catholic & Independent schools, the bill rises to $175,000 & $250,000 per child. Ten years ago, the cost to educate a child in the public sector was $30,000.
30 Jan 2010
Teacher Pay Ruling...Soon
A decision ont he long-running wage dispute between the teachers union and the State Government is expected within weeks.
The IRC has been considering the case since August last year.
28 Jan 2010
My School Website
The controversial myschool.edu.au website finally went live last Thursday. Parents, teachers & students can now go online and view profiles of all Australian schools.
The website’s main section, comparing results attained from the NAPLAN tests, has sparked the most debate – with some educators claiming the profiles will unfairly pin student and school achievement solely on academic results.
Undeterred, parents flooded onto the site, causing several ‘crashes’. SAASSO has maintained support for transparency, which will help identify and target the needs of poor performing schools.
Interestingly, the website shows some of SA's top private and public schools do not measure up to their esteemed academic reputations when compared with the performance of similar schools around the country. It also shows there is no substantial difference in achievement between some of Adelaide's elite private schools and the in-demand public schools.
The Prime Minister says the next step is to publish funding for individual schools while promising to expand the website to include a new national parent survey on bullying and teacher quality… if re- elected this year.
For more information visit:
27 Jan 2010
New SACE
The start of the 2010 school year saw 20,000 Year 11 students as the first to participate in the new SACE Stage 1 subjects.
These students completed the compulsory ‘Personal Learning Plan’ subject as Year 10’s last year and they will be the first to graduate with the new SACE in 2011.
State Education Minister, Jane Lomax-Smith says “the new SACE has a major focus on students planning for their future, provides credits for out-of-school studies and includes more rigorous out-of-school assessment of students’ work”.
21 Jan 2010
Rising Kids in Care
A report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has shown a rise in the number of children being removed from families across Australia in the past year.
According to the report, in 2009 there were 2016 SA children aged 17 or younger placed in out-of-home care - a 10% increase to 2008.
51% more children are now in various states of care than five years ago. Last year just 374 SA children were discharged from out-of-home care.
It is reported that SA has the highest rate of emotional abuse recorded in Australia, with more than half of all notifications received recorded as emotional abuse. Neglect is the second highest in the state, with 33.2% of cases.