New publications

This report presents findings from the State of Our Schools Survey 2010, involving over 11,000 Australian public school principals and teachers, conducted by the Australian Education Union (AEU). Based on the survey's results, the AEU recommends a reduction in class sizes and increased funding for public schools. The report is available online. See also article and related article in The Sydney Morning Herald, and report on ABC news, all 24 October 2010.

Under the National Partnership for Early Childhood Education, the Australian Government and the state and territory governments are committed to publishing annual reports on progress with implementing the National Partnership, towards achieving universal access to early childhood education by 2013. Reports for each state and territory are available online.

Working Together: Queensland Schools Alliance Against Violence Report summarises the work of QSAAV since its formation in February 2010. The report also makes eight recommendations on how to address bullying and violence in Queensland schools. The report is available online. See also statement 26 October 2010 by State Minister for Education and Training Geoff Wilson.

This document outlines the responses to a study into the working hours of school principals in Europe. Most principals were required to work 40 hours a week, although some worked fewer hours, such as in Greece, where principals worked 30 hours a week. The majority were also required to teach, but the hours they taught varied considerably between countries and also depended on the circumstances of a particular school, its enrolment levels or on a particular employment contract. The full report is available online.

This document reports on a study where 79 young people were interviewed with regard to the quality of information, advice and guidance provided to them in relation to careers and other issues. Young people percieved this provision of information as very important and used it to help them make important decisions. While young people often consulted their parents for this sort of advice, many preferred to speak to trusted adults such as youth workers or teachers, whom they felt had a more informed perspective. Mentoring schemes were also popular. Some young people, however, felt that many schemes were aimed at disadvantaged students rather than at students more generally. The full report is available online.

This report examines the ways in which class sizes in schools in Scotland should be determined, and draws on international approaches to make recommendations. The report recommends that legislation should be used to set an upper limit for class sizes, and that this legislation should be supported by clear references to teacher–pupil ratios that enable schools and authorities to establish classes smaller than the maximum limit. It also recommends that the legislation should recognise the range of learning activities in which pupils are likely to engage and should set an upper limit for practical activities. In addition, this legislation should also allow for larger groupings of students as appropriate for activities such as assemblies or lectures. Finally, it recommends that there should be a commitment to the ongoing review of the organisation of learning as the nature of learning develops. Adapted from the body of the report. The full report is available online.

This report discusses the findings from the Scholastic initiative: the 2010 Kids & Family Reading Report, which examines survey data from 1,045 school-aged US children and their parents. The parents surveyed reflected that the use of electronic devices negatively affects children's time spent reading, being physically active or engaging with their family. This perception is supported by data indicating that time spent reading declines from the age of six, while time spent online or engaging with digital devices increases. Children reflected that they enjoyed reading more when they could choose their own material, and commented on the impact of reading on the imagination, its ability to inspire and also on the fact that they could learn from reading. Approximately a quarter of children had read books on a digital device, but more than half expressed interest in doing so. Adapted from the Key Findings section. The full report is available online.

This report examines issues of access to highly selective universities in Britain. It contains research indicating that participation at the top third of selective universities from disadvantaged young people has not increased since the 1990s. While highly selective universities are attempting to widen participation among disadvantaged young people, there is a need for closer collaboration between selective universities, schools and colleges to identify talented young people from poorer families, and for selective universities to extend outreach programmes targeted at the most able students. The report also highlights the importance of providing advice and guidance to guide students towards meeting the entry requirements of highly selective universities and courses. Other recommendations include considering summer schools, bursaries and scholarships, and asking universities to publish data relating to their achievements in helping to close this gap. Adapted from press release. The full report is available online.

This report examines the outcomes of  the School Lunch Initiative in the Berkeley Unified School District, California. The School Lunch Initiative, which runs at primary level, is a program featuring hands-on cooking and gardening classes, changes in food and dining services, and the integration of school lunch and hands-on learning with regular classroom lessons. Parents reported that the School Lunch Initiative had had a positive impact on their child's eating habits in relation to awareness of healthy food. Students' knowledge of nutrition was also higher, and students were more likely to eat fruit and vegetables, and to have a positive perception of fresh produce. These changes were found to persist into the middle years. The full report is available online.