What's newPeter Garrett describes My School transparency agendaThe new version of the My School website was launched on 4 March 2011. The revised website is designed to show each school's funding, including school capital and recurrent income from the Australian government, the relevant state or territory government, and from school fees and other contributions. The site is also designed to detail changes in student performance over time. See statement from School Education Minister Peter Garrett. Mr Garrett will ask the national Education Ministerial Council (MCEECDYA) to seek further advice on how school assets – for all schools – such as financial assets like trust accounts, term deposits, or investment portfolios as well as physical assets could be captured and presented to the community as the My School website evolves. See Minister's statement 27 February 2011. See also report and related report on ABC News 4 March 2011, article 4 March and earlier article 3 March in The Age, article in the Herald Sun 3 March, and commentary also 3 March 2011 in The Australian. New teacher recruitment policy released to SA schoolsThe South Australian Government has released a draft teacher recruitment policy for public consultation, as part of a push to attract and retain the best teaching staff in the state's public education system. The policy is designed to provide greater job security for teachers currently in short-term appointments, and to give schools the right to select teachers. State Education Minister Jay Weatherill has also announced that the existing policy of openly advertising all principal positions will be extended to all leadership positions in schools, including assistant principals, deputy principals and coordinators. See Minister's statement, AEU issues paper and article in the Sydney Morning Herald, all 2 March 2011. Schools to manage building funds in VictoriaThe Victorian Government has offered 11 schools the option of managing funds for new infrastructure, provided as part of the Australian Government's economic stimulus package. See article in The Australian 2 March 2011. Qld education minister plans local meetings to lift school performanceQueensland’s new education minister, Cameron Dick, has announced that he will hold a series of local meetings to consult with school communities to review policy priorities. Issues he has flagged for consideration include behaviour management and discipline, uniforms, resourcing, and support for students with disabilities. See article 28 February 2011 in the Brisbane Times. See also earlier article 26 February 2011 in the Courier Mail, on the proposal to move Year 7 from primary to secondary school, a measure that is now likely to be delayed. NSW Government reviews school social media trialThe NSW Government is currently reviewing the results of a one-month trial in which students at five secondary schools were allowed access to social media services on school netbooks. The trial allowed student access to Flickr, YouTube, MSN, Facebook and MySpace. See article in The Australian 1 March 2011. Tasmanian schools to share facilities with community groupsCommunity and sporting groups in Tasmania have been invited to consider using some of new school facilities created through the Australian Government's school infrastructure spending program. See statement by Tasmania's Minister for Education and Skills, Lin Thorp, 27 February 2011. Evolution teaching in USAA group of teachers and scientists in the USA are 'pushing to make evolution the backbone of biology lesson-plans from kindergarten through high school', according to an article 7 February 2011 on the website of The Hechinger Report, a non-profit news service. The campaign challenges widespread resistance to the theory of evolution in the USA. See also article in The Washington Post 29 January 2011. |