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Recent headlines . . .
Moving away from the 'one-size-fits-all
approach'
VIC - Education becomes more specialized,
as the third specialist government school in Victoria accepts
its first 200 students. The John Monash Science School specializes
in maths, science and technology for year 10 -12 students.
Read
newspaper report
Australia and the US unite to improve education
NATIONAL - Education Minister Julia Gillard
and US President Barak Obama's Education Secretary, Arne
Duncan, have signed a memorandum of understanding for Australia
and the United States to come together regularly and share
ideas on education reform.
Read
newspaper report
Inquest examines the necessary questions
NSW - More than 40 witnesses will be
called to give evidence at the inquest into the suicide
of the 14-year-old Lismore high school student, who was
being bullied at school and on the internet. The inquest
will examine the responsibilities schools and teachers have
in regard to the bullying of students, in and outside of
school, and what training teachers are given to cope with
these issues.
Read
newspaper report
Educational or financial?
SA - Questions about the educational
outcomes of the super schools project have been raised,
after figures show that the State Government could bring
in approximately $160 million from the selling of 20 schools.
Read
newspaper report
Teachers reconsider the Tasmania Tomorrow
system
TAS - Elizabeth College, a school which
have accepted adopting the new Tasmania Tomorrow system,
are reconsidering their decision, after the Premier and
Education Minister David Bartlett says no college will be
forced to join the Tasmania Tomorrow system next year.
Read
newspaper report
Education Taskforce address teacher quality
SA - The Teacher Education Taskforce,
which consists of university deans and school representatives,
will help improve the quality of teachers, says South Australia's
Education Minister, Jane Lomax-Smith. Concentrating on improving
future teacher shortages, the taskforce is looking at attracting
the most suitable candidates to teaching and helping student
teachers 'make the right choices'.
Read
newspaper report
The high-stakes testing future
NSW- The number of students who sat the
national literacy and numeracy test this year has dropped
by 10 per cent or more, for 13 New South Wales schools.
Greens NSW MP John Kaye blames the unexplained increase
to the new league tables, which have introduced 'a fear
that the school's average and reputation will be damaged
by individual poor results'
Read
newspaper report
University student support website goes
mobile
WA - CURTIN University of Technology
has introduced CurtinMobile, a new mobile student support
website which covers a range of information ranging from
'a directory of teaching staff, campus maps and local transport
services through to where to eat on campus'. The university
is now working on turning it into an iPhone app.
Read
newspaper report
$100m to ensure qualified kindergarten teachers
QLD - The Queensland state government
has allocated $100m to ensure long day-care centres are
run by qualified kindergarten teachers.
Read
newspaper report
Opinion . . .
Giving students a break
NATIONAL - Nina Funnell looks at the
stresses and challenges students are faced with in getting
their Higher School Certificate.
Read
newspaper report
Good news . . .
Recognising the importance of fresh food
QLD - Rosedale State School will be honoured
with the Order of Australia Primary School Citizenship Award
for its efforts to teach children how to grow and cook fresh
food.
Read
newspaper report
International
Recession taking days out of the school
year
USA - The recession has caused Hawaii
to introduce a new union contract that closes schools on
most Fridays. The contract was signed for budget-cutting
reasons, and has created the shortest school year in the
nation. US President Barack Obama says American students
are already at a disadvantage with other students around
the world because they spend too little time in school.
Read
newspaper report
Textbook recalled
over reference to 'ethnic cleansing'
ISRAEL - A textbook which includes a passage alleging "ethnic
cleansing" of Palestinians during the 1948 war, has
been recalled by Israel's Education Ministry.
Read
newspaper report
ACEL Noticeboard
How can corporate Australia support our schools?
Business Class: How Can Corporate Australia Support
Our Schools? is to be held at Melbourne's iconic
NGV International on October 20 and will feature a panel
of leading figures from some of the most influential and
respected organisations operating in the Australian education
landscape today.
The panel put in place by Spheres of Influence to debate
the issue of how corporate Australia can support our schools
features:
Prof. Brian J Caldwell, Managing Director, Educational Transformations;
Adam Smith, CEO, Foundation for Young Australians; Dr Steve
Holden, Managing Editor, Teacher Magazine; Jenny Lewis,
CEO, Australian Council of Educational Leaders, and Rupert
Macgregor, Executive Director, Australian Council of State
School Organisations.
''The aim is to disseminate the major issues on the
subject of corporate Australia's involvement in education
and create some tangible outcomes to help shape the future
of a subject that is gaining an increasing amount of attention
and has a significant bearing on the future education of
Australia's children and young people,' said Patrizia Torelli,
Managing Director, Spheres of Influence International.
The event comes at a time when the answer to the question
of corporate Australia's role in supporting our schools
is yet to be answered by Government. Speaking recently on
the
topic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education
The Hon Julia Gillard MP said: ''Clearly, we [The Rudd
Government] believe the engagement of corporate Australia
with schools has to be on the basis of making a genuine
difference, not on the basis of product promotion [...].
But I do believe that corporate Australia can play a role
in supporting our schools.'
It is critical that in the next few months the education
sector takes steps to develop a concerted viewpoint on how
corporate Australia can support our schools and Business
Class provides a significant opportunity to foster dialogue
on the subject.
Spheres of Influence aims to produce tangible outcomes with
which to move forward and ensure Australia is a world leader
in the responsible and mutually beneficial engagement of
the corporate world with schools.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting: http://www.sofiibusinessclass.eventbrite.com/
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