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Rural Students’ Higher Education Opportunities Depleting 18 July 2007 The Honourable Jacinta Allan, Victorian Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, expressed concerns that Government funding for rural universities is inadequate. Read more here... 17 July 2007 Prime Minister John Howard has announced that the Australian Government will provide schools with $336.1 million over four years for ‘green vouchers’ to enable schools to improve energy and water efficiency. Read more here... 16 July 2007 In a recent appeal, the Independent Schools Council of Australia (ISCA) requested that the Australian Government address ‘funding discrimination’ against disabled students attending non-government schools. Read more here... Science fails to excite students 16 July 2007 Both the International Council of Associations for Science Education and the Australian Science Teachers’ Association argue that students should be taught the relevance that science has in their lives in order to rouse students’ interest in the sciences. Read more here... Proposed New History Curriculum for all Australian Schools 14 July 2007 In a recent speech, Federal Opposition Leader, Mr Rudd outlined a proposal to introduce a new history curriculum in Australian schools if the ALP wins the next Federal election. Read more here... Science still failing to excite 28 August 2007 The Australian Council of Deans of Science (ACDS) has accused the Federal Government of concentrating on marginal issues in education. Instead of focusing on issues such as performance-based pay for teachers, the ACDS believes that the Federal Government should be addressing the major problems evident in school science curricula and the shortage of qualified science teachers. Read more here... Schools to Acquire a Business Edge 27 August 2007 The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has today released a five-point plan they believe will prevent Australia’s education system from falling further behind. The BCA argues in their discussion paper that Australia is failing to keep up with such countries as Finland, Japan and North Korea, especially in maths and science. Read more here... Vocational Education not up to Standard 23 August 2007 Griffith University lecturer, Leesa Wheelahan, believes that vocational education in schools and TAFEs have been ‘dumbed down’. Read more here... 23 August 2007 Womensport Queensland, a sporting network association, is concerned about the high number of teenage girls dropping out of school and after-school sports activities. Read more here... Non-Government Schools Save Taxpayers $5 Billion 20 August 2007 New research conducted by independent Canberra economist Matthew Ryan, ‘Public Funding of Australian Schools: The Facts’, shows that parents who send their children to non-government schools save taxpayers $5 billion a year. Read more here... Primary School Principals in Counselling 20 August 2007 According to a recent report commissioned by the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA), an increasing Australian Literature finds its Place in the Curriculum 8 August 2007 The Australian Literature in Education roundtable was held in Canberra on Tuesday 7 August 2007. A group of academics, teachers, authors and publishers sat down together to discuss the future of Australian texts in secondary and university classrooms. Read more here... Literacy and Numeracy from Primary School to University 5 August 2007 Melbourne academics say that education standards in Victoria are so poor that university students are struggling with English and maths levels that are usually taught in primary school. Read more... Communities Urged to set-up Schools 1 August 2007 The Howard Government has advised communities facing school closures and downgrades to consider forming community schools, which will be eligible for direct federal funding. Read more here... Primary schools to cut curriculum in half 1 August 2007 The Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) has released a draft of their proposed Primary School Charter. The draft charter is a response to concerns over the current primary school curriculum. Read more here... 1 August 2007 Federal Labor health spokeswoman Nicola Roxon recently suggested a ban on using cartoon characters such as Shrek to market junk food to kids. Read more here... Australian Literature in Decline 1 August 2007 The Australian Literature in Education roundtable is to be held in Canberra on Tuesday 7 August 2007. Chaired by Dr Imre Salusinszky of the Australia Council Literature Board, a host of Australian authors, publishers, teachers, academics and the former NSW Premier, The Honourable Bob Carr, will discuss the decline of interest in Australian Literature. Read more here... two new selective-entry schools 27 September 2007 The Victorian Government has revealed plans to open two new selective-entry schools in Melbourne by 2010. In June this year, the Victorian Government released a discussion paper on the way in which students should apply to these academically selective co-educational schools, and invited key education groups to comment. Read more here... information technology fails to lure students 25 September 2007 The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) has released enrolment statistics for the end-of-year VCE exams which begin in November. The VCAA has found that despite a national skills shortage, only 4804 students will sit the IT applications VCE exam, compared to the 7856 students who sat the exam in 2004. Read more here... 24 September 2007 According to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), a growing number of year 10 students are enrolling in VCE subjects. A spokesperson from the VCAA has said that 25, 231 year 10 students are doing a VCE subject this year, which is almost 7000 more than ten years ago. Read more here... online gaming aims to build resiliency in young people 18 September 2007 Reach Out!, Australia’s leading mental health website for young people has created a new online game, Reach Out Central (ROC), which is designed to help students and young people build resiliency and identify the signs of anxiety and depression. Read more here... 17 September 2007 Australian classrooms began experimenting with the educational side of technology in the 1990s, with Methodist Ladies College pioneering the way with the ‘laptop revolution’. Since then, the private education system has embraced technology as a helpful and practical educational tool. Read more here... How should teachers be taught? 14 September 2007 The Senate Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Education has released a finding report into the ‘academic standards of school educators.' Read more here... information and communication technology for preschools 11 September 2007 New studies have shown that the earlier children become familiar with technology, the better. The problem, however, is how to introduce technology into the preschool curriculum. Read more here... 11 September 2007 In a bid to promote bonds of friendship between different religions and cultures, Christian, Jewish and Muslim students have come together to celebrate Interfaith Day. Read more here... 11 September 2007 Federal Education Minister, Ms Julie Bishop, has allocated an additional 2340 Commonwealth-supported university places for 2008. The additional places will be distributed through out areas of professional shortage, such as teaching, engineering, science, nursing and accounting. Read more here... 3 September 2007 The University of Melbourne is planning to launch the Melbourne Model in 2008. The new model will replace 96 undergraduate courses with six US-style degrees. Read more here... Teens in two minds about the dangers of drugs 3 September 2007 A national survey of 3800 teenagers and 2000 of their parents has shown that teenagers are well aware of the dangers of using drugs but believe that they are immune to the risks. Read more here... Mobile phones may be banned from school grounds 2 September 2007 The Herald Sun has indicated that schools feel alone when it comes to handling mobile phone disputes with students. Each school is left to develop their own policy on the use of mobile phones during school hours and within school grounds. Read more here... 31 october 2007 A survey conducted by The Parents Jury has found that most parents do not want their children’s schools raising funds through selling junk food. Read more here... anaphylaxis training for schools and childcare centres 30 october 2007 New laws will be passed in State Parliament this week to protect children and students who suffer from severe allergic reactions. Victorian Premier John Brumby has said that the new laws would require staff that work with children to be trained to deal with anaphylaxis. Read more here... more tech colleges on their way 29 october 2007 Prime Minister John Howard has announced that a re-elected Howard Government will spend $2.1 billion on building an additional 100 campuses across the country as part of the Australian Technical Colleges programme. Read more here... 26 october 2007 Opposition Leader, Mr Kevin Rudd, recently launched Federal Labor’s National Solar Schools Plan. The scheme will see Australia’s 9612 government and non-government primary and secondary schools become ‘solar schools’ in an eight-year, $489 million climate change initiative. Read more here... 25 october 2007 In a bid to combat the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) skills recruitment shortage, Prime Minister John Howard has announced that, if elected, he will build two defence-related technical colleges for senior secondary school students. Read more here... 22 october 2007 The Cancer Council Victoria and SunSmart are targeting secondary school students with a new campaign to reduce the risk of young people developing skin cancer. With melanoma the most common cancer in young people aged 12 to 24, secondary-school aged students across Australia are being encouraged to improve their sun protection. Read more here... 21st century educational tools 20 october 2007 Opposition Leader, Mr Kevin Rudd, has announced that parents will receive a tax rebate to purchase school equipment such as home computers, laptops, printers, internet connections, educational software and textbooks. Read more here... 17 october 2007 A new report, In the Balance: The Future of Australian Primary Schools, which was jointly commissioned by the federal Department of Education, Science and Training and the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA), maintains that government, independent and Catholic primary schools do not have sufficient funds to ‘fulfil the goals required of them.’ Read more here... Students finding it hard to cope 17 october 2007 A new research report, commissioned by the Australian Scholarship Group and conducted by the University of Melbourne and the Australian Council for Educational Research, has found that one-third of Australian students are stressed and ‘struggling to cope with school, bullying and having to live up to parental expectations.’ Read more here... Independent Schools council of Australia releases election 'manifesto' 16 october 2007 The Independent Schools Council of Australia (ISCA) has released an election ‘manifesto’ welcoming both major parties’ focus on education. Read more here... 11 october 2007 Prime Minister John Howard has released a Guide to the Teaching of Australian History in Years 9 and 10, which recommends that Australian history should become a compulsory, stand-alone subject for all students in years 9 and 10 from 2009. Read more here... 9 october 2007 The ALP has said that if they are elected, they will retain the current non-government schools funding system until 2012. The new policy has been welcomed by both independent and Catholic schools. Read more here... Students call for a more social education 5 october 2007 Eight schools participated in this years’ 21st annual Youth Parliament programme run by YMCA Victoria. The programme brings together young people aged 16 to 25 to formally debate bills in the chamber of parliament house. Read more here... parents value their choice in educating their children 3 october 2007 The Australian Parents Council (APC), which represents parents of students at non-government schools, has commissioned a draft report as part of the Federal Government’s values education programme. Read more here... social subjects cut from primary schools 2 october 2007 In August this year, the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) invited principals, teachers and parents from the government, independent and Catholic education sectors to comment on the draft Primary School Charter. After receiving the support of 90 percent of the 1580 respondents, the APPA has released the final charter. Read more here... 29 NOVEMBER 2007 Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd has announced that the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), The Hon Julia Gillard MP, will become the new Australian Government Minister for Education. Read more here... The education revolution begins 27 NOVEMBER 2007 In a bid to begin implementing Labor policies, Prime Minister-elect, Mr Kevin Rudd, has asked his Labor MPs to visit one government and one non-government school within their electorate. Read more here... Non-traditional courses more popular 19 NOVEMBER 2007 According to a list obtained by The Herald Sun, which details the top ten course preferences for 2008 from five Victorian universities, less school leavers are applying for long-established university courses such as engineering and marketing. Instead, students are applying for non-traditional courses such as computer game development and fashion design. Read more here... THE ALP RELEASES ITS SCHOOL BROADBAND AND 16 NOVEMBER 2007 At the ALP’s campaign launch on 14 November, Mr Kevin Rudd outlined a plan ‘to turn every secondary school in to a digital school’. Read more here... THE COALITION OFFERS TAX REBATES FOR EDUCATION EXPENSES 16 NOVEMBER 2007 The Coalition has outlined a plan to offer parents $6.3 billion in tax rebates over four years to meet the costs of their children’s education. Read more here... Labor's school broadband and computer plan welcomed 14 november 2007 The Chief Executive of the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria, Michelle Green, has welcomed the Labor Party’s election commitment to provide Australian schools with fast broadband connection and more computers for students. Read more here... TAX REBATE FOR EDUCATION EXPENSES WELCOMED 12 November 2007 The Chief Executive of the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria, Michelle Green, has stated that the Coalition’s election announcement of a tax rebate for education expenses will be welcomed by parents who choose to invest family income in the education of their children. Read more here... Electronic speed signs for schools 8 November 2007 The Victorian Premier John Brumby has announced that the Victorian Government will allocate $13.6 million to install electronic speed signs near 200 schools across Victoria. Read more here... children to be weighed before beginning school 12 December 2007 In a bid to crack down on obesity, children as young as four-years-of-age will be weighed before they begin school. From 2009, children starting school will have their hearing, eye sight and body mass index checked by doctors to ensure they have a healthy start to their education. Read more here... 12 December 2007 A recently-released national snapshot of the class of 2007, prepared as a survey by Graduate Careers Australia (GCA), has shown that 84.5 percent of university graduates found full-time work within four months of finishing their degree. Read more here... 12 December 2007 The 33m square-rigged barquentine tall ship, the Windeward Bound, is offering students the opportunity to join the crew for one of the seven-day voyages from Hobart to Melbourne or the return voyage from Melbourne to Hobart. Read more here... 5 December 2007 The Australian has obtained a study, commissioned by the Howard Government, which examines the teaching of geography in schools. The Australian claims that the study shows that students have a ‘scrambled’ understanding of the subject and lack the ‘basic knowledge’ needed to study geography in Years 11 and 12. Read more here... 1 December 2007 The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has released a report on its 2006 Program for International School Assessment (PISA). The 2006 PISA focused on the reading, mathematical and science abilities of 15-year-old students across 57 countries. Read more here...
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