What's newFix the Education Bridge alliance calls for more support to public secondary schoolsA group of education organisations allied under the title Fix the Education Bridge has called for a doubling of the funding currently allocated to government secondary schools. See statement on the website of the Association of Secondary Principals Australia, and article in The Australian, both 2 August 2010. 2011 National Geographic World Championship in AustraliaAn opportunity to strengthen students' knowledge of geography will emerge when Australia hosts the National Geographic World Championship in July 2011. The event, sponsored by the National Geographic Society, will see school students from 18 countries compete in answering questions about world geography. See article in The Sydney Morning Herald 2 August 2010. Results of scientific literacy survey raises concernsA survey of 1500 people has found that many respondents did not understand basic scientific facts, such as the fact that dinosaurs were extinct long before the arrival of humans. See article on ABC News 30 July 2010, which links to the report. See also article in The Courier Mail 1 August 2010 which reports that Creationist understandings of the past are being taught during some Religious Instruction classes in Queensland schools. Call for students to use social media in courseworkSchools should be integrating applications such as Twitter and YouTube into coursework, according to an article by Mike Stuchbery, writer and secondary school English and Civics teacher. See opinion piece and online responses on the ABC's The Drum Unleashed program, 3 August 2010. Call for more support to music educationDon Spencer, the Director of the Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF), has drawn attention to the educational and social benefits of music for young people, and has called for more financial support for music education in schools. See article 2 August 2010 in The Sydney Morning Herald. Victoria's Bushfires Royal Commission calls for bushfires history to be taught in schoolsThe history of bushfires should be included in the school curriculum, in subjects such as science and geography, according to recommendations of the report of Victoria's Bushfires Royal Commission. See article in The Age 1 August 2010 and article in the Herald Sun 2 August 2010. NSW Centre for Effective Reading establishedThe NSW Minister for Education and Training Verity Firth has announced improved services for students with reading difficulties living in rural and remote areas, with the establishment of the NSW Centre for Effective Reading. The Centre is to replace services previously provided by the Dalwood Assessment Centre and Palm Avenue School. See Minister's statement 4 August 2010 and report on ABC News also 4 August 2010. |