New publications

The 2012 edition of Education at a Glance presents comparative data on various countries' educational performance. See Country Note: Australia and full report. Chapter A of the full report covers the output of educational institutions and the impact of learning. Chapter B covers financial and human resources invested in education. Chapter C looks at access to education, participation and progression, while Chapter D focuses on the learning environment and organisation of schools.

Peninsula Youth Connections (PYC) is the local expression of an intensive case-management program funded by the Australian Government for young people at risk of disengaging from education or training. Operating in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula region south-east of Melbourne, PYC also includes re-engagement activities for young people, and seeks to build the capacity of local youth services. The purpose of this evaluation is threefold: to identify the unmet needs which act as barriers to young people's participation in education; to signal the broader systemic factors which impede young people's learning; and to use the PYC as a case study to reflect on the Youth Connection model's advantages, constraints and opportunities for development. Adapted from report, which is available online.

The idea of wellbeing, and how a creative education might help such a concept to develop in young people, emerges at a time when many of the economic models that underpin the structures of social life are subject to increased scrutiny. The sense that purely economic factors are enough to justify particular policy decisions in education – future competitiveness, the fear of 'falling behind', that learning is merely a stepping stone on the path to working – are being questioned. This literature review provides a timely overview of an area that is growing in interest and relevance for educators. It underpins a CCE-commissioned research report conducted by the authors, which explored the impact of Creative Partnerships on pupils' wellbeing. From publisher's description, linked to the full report online.

In Spring 2011, Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE) commissioned the Centre for Real-World Learning (CRL) at The University of Winchester to undertake research to establish the viability of creating an assessment framework for tracking the development of young people's creativity in schools. The report describes the resulting framework and considers how it might be applied in schools. The full report is available online.

Can there be democracy without a critically engaged education? What role do educators play in this context and process? This book gauges the democratic sentiments and actions of educators in a range of countries. The Global Doing Democracy Research Project provides the framework in which diverse scholars explore a host of concerns related to democracy and democratic education. Issues include the impact of neoliberalism, political literacy, critical engagement, teaching and learning for and about democracy, social justice, and the meaning of power/power relations within the educational context. Adapted from publisher's description.

The aim of the Australian Communications and Media Authority's (ACMA) Cybersmart Detectives (CSD) activity is to teach children key internet safety messages in a safe school environment. The activity brings together a number of agencies with an interest in promoting online safety for young people, including education, State and Federal Police, government and child welfare advocates. The activity has been played by over 28,000 students in Australia since initial trials in 2004. The full report is available online.