What's newEducation Ministers' Communique on safety of international studentsA joint communique on the safety of international students has been issued by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) and the Ministerial Council for Vocational & Technical Education. See also media statement by Australian Government Minister for Education, Julia Gillard and report on ABC News, both 12 June 2009. Further media discussion of school fundingThis week there have been a range of media reports covering various aspects of Australian Government funding for school infrastructure. See article on ABC News 8 June 2009; report in The Age 9 June 2009; article and related article in The Australian and report in The Courier-Mail, all 10 June 2009. School law in NSW to be amended to facilitate performance reportingThe New South Wales Government is to amend the Education Act to meet national requirements on school performance reporting. See article in the Sydney Morning Herald 9 June 2009. See also article in The Age 11 June 2009 and statement by the NSW Teachers Federation, also 11 June 2009. Application for Islamic school in Camden NSW rejectedThe New South Wales Land and Environment Court has upheld Camden Council's rejection of a proposal for an Islamic school in the town. The proposal has generated an intense campaign of opposition by local residents over the past two years. See report in The Australian 3 June 2009. Incorporation of Aboriginal culture critical in Indigenous educationThe education of Indigenous students needs to be incorporated into the wider learning environment offered by Indigenous communities, but should not supplant it, according to an opinion piece by teacher Jude Davies in The Age 23 May 2009. International Simulation & Gaming Association conferenceThe theme of the 2009 ISAGA conference is 'Learn to Game, Game to Learn'. It will cover all aspects of games, simulations, experiential learning exercises and related methods of teaching and learning. The conference will run between 29 June and 3 July 2009. Computer simulations to test problem solving and teamworkAustralian secondary students will be part of a pilot program involving the use of digital assessment tools, such as computer simulations, to assess communication and problem-solving skills. See article in The Australian 8 June 2009. Unions' pilot scheme for information on workplace rights in NSWThe peak union body Unions NSW has introduced a pilot scheme to inform school students about their workplace rights. The scheme has been criticised in an article in The Daily Telegraph 10 June 2009. |