STUDENT SUPPORT
Dyslexics have voice recognition problem
BBC News, 29 July
2011
Dyslexics find it difficult to
recognise familiar voices, scientists say.
SCHOOL DESIGN
Overcoming obsolete classrooms
Education Week, 29 July
2011
What principles should underpin a
redesign of schools for tomorrow?
VALUES IN EDUCATION
Should teachers uphold Australian values?
The Australian, 30 July
2011
From next year, British teachers
will be required to uphold British values - or get the sack. Australian
values need to be upheld by teachers here, writes Christopher Bantick...
MY SCHOOL WEBSITE
Private school assets omitted
The Age, 29 July
2011
Assets, trust accounts and
profits of private schools will not be shown on this year's updated My
School website after all...
TREES
Trees boosted
Tas Govt media release, 29 July
2011
Schools Tree Day was celebrated
at Snug Primary by the Minister for Education and Skills, Nick McKim,
today ...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Pressures on students too great
SMH, 28 July
2011
Today's high school students are
over-taxed, over-regulated and subjected to a stifling education system,
says Federal opposition shadow treasurer Joe Hockey ...
SCHOOL FACILITIES
School
buildings energy efficient
Tas Govt media release, 28 July
2011
The Minister for Education and
Skills, Nick McKim, has told a major projects conference that energy
efficient measures had been incorporated in Tasmania's new educational
facilities ...
E-LEARNING, VET
VET
e-learning shines in Tas
Tas Govt media release, 27 July
2011
Tasmanian e-learning benchmarks
in the VET sector are above the national average, and the Skills
Institute has won major e-learning awards ...
ONLINE SAFETY
Free support material issued as student sexting increases
Canberra Times, 26 July
2011
Students are sexting across
school networks, unaware of the laws they are breaking.
ACMA placed
free sexting
lesson material for teachers on its Cybersmart website three
weeks ago...
-
ACMA media
release 18 July 2011
SCHOOL CHAPLAINS
Chaplains' role needs to be clearer
The Australian, 26 July
2011
A federal government report says
there needs to be better guidance on the limits of the no proselytising
requirement for school chaplains ...
NATIONAL CURRICULUM
Asian history largely ignored
The Australian, 25 July
2011
The new national curriculum
should require students to give more attention to Asian history, a
professor of Asian history says ...
ONLINE SAFETY
Family the key to Facebook safety
SMH, 25 July
2011
With primary school students as
young as eight putting themselves at risk on social networking sites,
schools are finding it hard to get the safety message through to parents ...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Cape Barren Island students miss teacher
The Sunday Tasmanian, 24 July
2011
Students at Cape Barren Island
School are distressed by the absence of their teacher while an
investigation is underway...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Body image resources on way
The Australian, 19 July
2011
The Federal government is sending
its Respect Every Body Resource Pack to all Australian schools,
Youth Minister Peter Garrett said...
TEACHING LEARNING
Teach how to learn
Education Week, 19 July
2011
Teachers need to teach their
students how to learn. Here's what one teacher suggests...
TEACHING PROFESSION
Are U.S. teachers teaching too much?
Education Week (blog), 18 July
2011
A report argues that because they
spend so much time in the classroom, U.S. teachers have less time for
lesson planning and collaboration...
STUDENT HEALTH
Fresh blood scare
The Mercury, 23 July
2011
Two students from a Launceston
primary school are being tested for blood-borne viruses following a
finger-prick activity...
STUDENT HEALTH
Investigation
in Norwood Primary finger prick case
Tas Govt media release, 22 July
2011
The Minister for Education and
Skills, Nick McKim, said an investigation was under way into the
pricking of student fingers at a Launceston school...
STUDENT HEALTH
Launceston
students' fingers pricked for blood
Tas Govt media release, 22 July
2011
A group of students at a
Launceston primary school had their fingers pricked to draw blood on 13
July, Director of Public Health Dr Roscoe Taylor said today...
STUDENT DOZING
Half-hour sleep-in for Brooks High students official
The Examiner, 22 July
2011
Brooks High has now received the
Departmental and Metro okays to combat morning lateness by commencing
half an hour later...(Examiner stories usually expire
after a day or so.)
WORK STUDIES
Job applicants' social media life being checked
SMH, 22 July
2011
Many young and older job
applicants are unaware of the extent to which online information about
their private life is available to potential employers and is
investigated by them ...
STUDENT SAFETY
Is playground equipment safety overdone?
New York Times, 18 July
2011
Does our fear of children being
hurt in playgrounds by mostly harmless injuries result in more fearful
children? Is over-safe equipment pushing children to play in more
dangerous places?...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Closure selection process soon
The Examiner, 22 July
2011
Education minister Nick McKim is
expected to announce shortly, or within two weeks, details and terms of
reference of the group to investigate how to deal with school closures
and declining enrolments...
(Examiner stories usually expire
after a day or so.)
TEACHER BONUSES
Teacher bonus plan flawed
Daily Telegraph, 20 July
2011
The federal government's plan to
pay bonuses to the best teachers is flawed, writes Maralyn Parker...
STUDENT & TEACHER HEALTH
Gastro alert
ABC Online, 20 July
2011
An outbreak of gastroenteritis
appears to have begun in Tasmania...
EDUCATION FUNDING
Classmates' background influences success
SMH, 20 July
2011
An individual student's chance of
success depends on the socioeconomic background of the school's other
students, an analysis that undermines the argument for a voucher system...
CYBER-SAFETY
Students persecuting teachers online
news.com.au, 20 July
2011
TEACHERS have become the targets
of soul-destroying cyber-bullying attacks...
STUDENT & TEACHER HEALTH
Flu
snubs Tas
The Mercury, 20 July
2011
A national influenza epidemic is
keeping clear of Tasmania at this stage...
- But see
NW swine flu alert
TEACHING PROFESSION
Teacher's sex admission
The Mercury, 18 July
2011
A former Collegiate teacher has
admitted maintaining a sexual relationship with a student...
STUDENT HEALTH
NW swine flu alert
The Advocate, 18 July
2011
A 16-year-old girl was admitted
to the North West Regional Hospital with swine flu last week...
CLASSROOM TEACHING
Teachers need to be entertainers
SMH, 18 July
2011
Today's students have a shorter
attention span, perhaps as a result of constantly changing multimedia
stimuli, and they expect to be entertained, writes John Collier...
EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
School autonomy changes loom
The Australian, 18 July
2011
State education ministers have
agreed on a plan to give schools more autonomy...
GUN EDUCATION
More children to acquire gun skills
SMH, 17 July
2011
NSW plans to expand shooting as a
sport in schools, under pressure from the Shooters and Fishers
Party...
MEMORY, STUDENT HEALTH
Teens' working
memory harmed by binge-drinking - girls' especially
BBC News, 16 July
2011
The memory and spatial awareness
brain functions of teenagers, especially of girls, are damaged by
binge-drinking, researchers say...
MEMORY, COMPUTER USE
Internet use affects memory
New York Times, 14 July
2011
People appear more likely to
remember information from a computer if they believe it will not be
retrievable later.
And they also are better able to remember the folder where information
is stored than the actual information itself...
LITERACY
Harry Potter spells literacy
SMH, 16 July
2011
The Harry Potter books are still
encouraging students to read...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Mystery dispute at Cape Barren Island
The Sunday Tasmanian, 1 July
2011
A dispute is brewing over alleged teaching
practices at Cape Barren Island School...
EDUCATION BUDGET
Private schools still to get 10% cut
The Examiner, 16 July
2011
Private school fees appear likely to rise
10-14 per cent after school association pleas to Minister for Education
and Skills Nick McKim failed to persuade him to abandon planned cutbacks
to their funding...
(Examiner stories usually expire
after a day or so.)
POST YEAR 10
Skills
Tasmania nominations called
Tas Govt media release, 16 July
2011
Nominations are being called for three
members of the Skills Tasmania Board...
EDUCATION POLICY
Can we follow Finland?
SMH, 15 July
2011
Three things affect the quality of teachers:
the status of teaching, the compensation offered and the conditions of
work...
NAPLAN DATA
Staffing system makes a mockery of NAPLAN results
The Telegraph, 6 July
2011
Unlike private school principalss,
government school principals have little or no say in the two things
that most affect NAPLAN results - the children and the teachers they
get, writes Maralyn Parker ...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Is repeating a grade a failure?
The Age, 15 July
2011
International test data suggests that
low-achieving students should not be forced to repeat a grade...
STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Teachers aren't making use of pupil test data
The Australian, 15 July
2011
The Tasmanian eSchool is active in
supporting gifted and talented students, Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister for Education and Skills Paul O'Halloran said at the Tasmanian
Association for the Gifted conference today...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Gifted and
talented supported
Tas Govt media release, 15 July
2011
The Tasmanian eSchool is active in
supporting gifted and talented students, Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister for Education and Skills Paul O'Halloran said at the Tasmanian
Association for the Gifted conference today...
EDUCATION BUDGET
Catholic schools threaten fee rises
ABC Online, 14 July
2011
State government cuts to the education
budget could lead to fee rises in Catholic schools which say they are
already saving the State government more than $5,500 per student ...
POST YEAR 10, STUDENT SUPPORT
Guide for
students with a disability launched
Tas Govt media release, 14 July
2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Nick
McKim, today launched Beyond the School Gate, a beyond-school
guide for year 11-12 students living with a disability...
EDUCATION BUDGET
Claims of delayed projects and interest being seized
The Mercury, 14 July
2011
The State government has been accused of
robbing school bank accounts of interest and putting major school
projects on hold...
EDUCATION BUDGET
Govt may grab interest on P&F money
The Examiner, 14 July
2011
In seizing school bank account interest
amounts, the government will also be taking interest on funds raised by
some parent groups, the AEU points out...
(Examiner stories usually expire
after a day or so.)
EDUCATION BUDGET
Projects and
interest in spotlight
Tas Govt media release, 13 July
2011
The government appears to be saying
its budget cuts will take only the interest from school bank accounts: "We
have preserved the balance – this is only the bank interest component"...
EDUCATION BUDGET
Govt to raid school bank accounts
The Examiner, 13 July
2011
The state government is about to collect the
interest accrued in school and college bank accounts ...
(Examiner stories usually expire
after a day or so.)
CURRICULUM, HANDWRITING
Writing on the wall for handwriting
The Australian, 13 July
2011
Teaching handwriting is being made optional
in US schools, with preference being given to keyboarding skills ...
EDUCATION BUDGET
School upgrades on hold
ABC Online, 13 July
2011
Major school building projects in Tasmania
are on hold ...
TEACHING PROFESSION
'Reasonable force' on students is ok
SMH, 12 July
2011
New guidelines in England have swung the
balance of power back towards teachers ...
School closures due to weather
Monday 11 July 2011
See the ABC Facebook page
(Click on the "view all comments" link.)
Note the message for Huon teachers.
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Beginning of the end for Tasmania
The Mercury, 11 July
2011
The government should not have acceded to
the demands of those demonstrating against school closures, writes Greg
Barns...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Looking back at the
school closure backflip
Green Left Weekly, 9 July
2011
It's been a fascinating few weeks in
Tasmanian politics, writes Susan Austin...
BER FUNDS
Tasmanian
schools passed value test
Tas Govt media release, 8 July
2011
The Building the Education Revolution final
report showed that all Tasmanian schools projects passed a value for
money test...
EDUCATION CUTS
Class size guarantee call
The Advocate, 8 July
2011
AEU president Leanne Wright has asked for a
guarantee that the average rise in class sizes be limited to one student...
EDUCATION BUDGET
Ok for a Port Sorell primary school
The Examiner, 8 July
2011
The Education Department is still committed
to building a new primary school in Port Sorell...
(Examiner stories usually expire
after a day or so.)
EDUCATION CUTS
Libs
slam cut for New Town High
ABC Online, 7 July
2011
The Liberal Opposition has questioned the
Education Minister over a $125,000 cut in New Town High's budget for
next year...
EDUCATION RESOURCES
Demise of two online resources
The Australian, 7 July
2011
Education Network Australia (edna)
and the ALTC Exchange are
closing...
EDUCATION CUTS
Student
support services to be maintained
Tas Govt media release, 6 July
2011
Education Minister Nick McKim today gave the
Tasmanian community a guarantee that the $2 million to be withdrawn from
Learning Services will not impact on student support...
EDUCATION CUTS
Cuts
to schools begin
ABC Online, 6 July
2011
Cuts in funds to individual schools are
commencing, following discontinuation of the school closure process...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Big rebuilding job for McKim now
The Mercury (Editorial), 6 July
2011
There is no doubt that some schools need to
close. Nick McKim needs to look closely at how he gets and handles
advice...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Closure threat remains
The Mercury, 6 July
2011
With overall enrolments declining by 420
students per year, the school closures will occur...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
McKim survives no confidence motion
ABC Online, 5 July
2011
A motion of no confidence in the Minister
for Education and Skills, Nick McKim, was defeated in Parliament this
afternoon...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
McKim says he won't quit
ABC Online, 5 July
2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Nick
McKim, is facing a no confidence motion in Parliament...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Closure intention confirmed by Giddings and McKim
Will Hodgman website, 5 July
2011
The 20 schools on the hit list have not been
saved - they've just been given a one year stay of execution, Opposition
Leader Will Hodgman says...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Premier says closures are postponed, not cancelled
the Mercury, 5 July
2011
The Premier, Lara Giddings, said this
morning that schools still face closure...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Libs
call for McKim to resign
ABC Online, 5 July
2011
The Opposition says Education Minister Nick
McKim should resign over the botched school closure plan...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
A lesson from the people
The Mercury, 5 July
2011
The plan to close up to 20 Tasmanian
government schools has been abandoned following a massive community
backlash...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Closures still a real possibility
The Advocate, 5 July
2011
THE Government has not ruled out closing
schools without school association consent in the longer term ...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Minister's
school closures announcement
Tas Govt media release, 4 July
2011
Minister for Education and Skills Nick McKim
will not proceed further with the "current process" to consider up to 20
schools for closure.
The Minister's announcement includes some of the new savings that will
have to be made now...
STUDENT HEALTH
Tree climbers plummet
news.com.au, 4 July
2011
Only one in five of today's children engage
in tree climbing, shock new research shows...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
NO SCHOOLS to be closed now:
Minister
4 July 2011
Education minister Nick McKim has announced that the 20
"hit-list" schools are safe - for now.
"We are no longer proceeding any further with our current process to
close up to 20 schools," Mr McKim said following today's Cabinet
meeting.
"All schools will operate as planned next year, 2012."
Mr McKim apologised for the anxiety the process had caused: "We got this
process wrong."
However he indicated there could be school closures in the future,
announcing that an improved consultation process would commence.
The question that now arises is: what new cuts will be made to provide
the savings that were to have come from the closing of all the schools?
-
ABC report
-
Mercury report
-
Examiner report
-
Advocate report
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Minister to make school closures
announcement
4 July 2011
Education minister Nick McKim is expected to make an announcement on
school closures at 4.00pm today (Monday).
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Opposition Budget amendment would keep schools open
Michael Ferguson website, 4 July
2011
A Liberal Budget amendment to be moved
tomorrow would provide funds to save the 20 schools under threat of
closure...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Legislation lifeline planned
ABC Online, 4 July
2011
The Liberals will propose budget amendments
tomorrow to identify alternative savings to prevent schools having to be
closed...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Lib legislation bid to save schools
The Mercury, 4 July
2011
The Opposition will table legislation this
week that could save the hit-list schools...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Time for a broader vision
The Mercury, 4 July
2011
School closures are accepted beyond Tasmania
as being inevitable for efficiency in the use of resources, writes Greg
Barns ...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Cut and pasted cases for closure
The Advocate, 4 July
2011
The educational, economic and social impacts
of rural and urban hit-list schools appear to be identical ...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Close urban schools, not rural ones
The Examiner, 4 July
2011
Former Bartlett adviser Terry Field says
closing rural schools kills the rural communities...
(Examiner stories usually expire
after a day or so.)
NAPLAN DATA
Data favours government schools
SMH, 3 July
2011
Independent school students perform no
better than government school students in literacy and numeracy, when a
scaled index is applied to NAPLAN data ...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Labor split looming over closures?
ABC Online, 2 July
2011
Unions Tasmania's Kevin Harkins is calling
on Legislative Councillors to block support for the school closures...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
McKim given police guard
Sunday Tasmanian, 2 July
2011
Education minister Nick McKim has been
assigned a police guard for his visits to schools on the closure hit
list...
TASMANIAN STUDENTS
Robotics
students to face the world
Tas Govt media release, 2 July
2011
Students from seven Tasmanian schools will
be representing the nation at the
International RoboCup World Championship
in Istanbul over the next two
weeks...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Mainstream best for special needs?
SMH, 2 July
2011
Should special needs students be taught in
mainstream classes? Four views..
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Computer gave list of 20
Michael Ferguson website, 2 July
2011
Greens MP Cassy O'Connor said the list of 20
schools to be considered for closure came out of a computer...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Keep up the fight: McKim
The Mercury, 2 July
2011
Education minister Nick McKim has urged
protestors to keep up the fight for their schools...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Schools need guidance
The Examiner, 2 July
2011
The AEU says hit-list schools and those
likely to take the displaced students are frustrated by a lack of
guidance...
(Examiner stories usually expire
after a day or so.)
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Party pressure on closures
ABC Online, 2 July
2011
Local ALP branch members do not support
school closures, Unions Tasmania Secretary Kevin Harkins says...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Stanley fights for its school
ABC Online, 1 July
2011
Former Australian Prime Minister and Stanley
Primary old scholar Joe Lyons would have been squirming in his grave
today...
SEX EDUCATION
Compulsory sex education call
ABC Online, 1 July
2011
A university professor alarmed at Tasmania's
high teenage pregnancy rate wants compulsory sex and relationships
education in Tasmanian schools...
-
730 Report: Tas teen birth rate as high as developing nations
STUDENT HEALTH
Educational disadvantage for overweight girls
NYTimes, 2 June
2011
Obesity in girls currently leads to poorer
lifelong educational attainment...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Bob
Brown steps into stoush
NYTimes, 2 June
2011
Australian Greens leader Bob
Brown appears to be at odds with Tasmanian Green and education minister
Nick McKim over the school consultation timeline...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Angry parents mob McKim
The Mercury, 1 July
2011
Parents complained of the short notice as
Education minister Nick McKim visited Glenora District High yesterday... |
See the