SCHOOL SECURITY
Laptops charges laid
The Examiner, 30 Mar 2012
Launceston police have charged
two youths over the theft of 27 laptops from St Finn Barr's Catholic
Primary School almost three weeks ago...
TEACHING PROFESSION
Hobart teacher jailed
The Mercury, 30 Mar 2012
A former teacher at Ogilvie High
School who had a sexual relationship with a student has been given
an 18-month prison sentence...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS, STUDENT SUPPORT
Southern
Support School opened
Tas Govt media release, 30 Mar 2012
The new Southern Support School
on Hobart's eastern shore was opened today by the Minister for
Education and Skills, Nick McKim, and Senator Carol Brown...
TEACHER TECHNOLOGY
Computers to mark handwritten essays
Yahoo!7 News, 30 Mar 2012
'Robo-reader' software to scan
and grade student handwritten essays is under the spotlight...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
No closure plans
The Mercury, 30 Mar 2012
The government is not considering
closing any schools and intends to provide a response to the
Fairbrother schools viability report in the near future, education
minister Nick McKim said yesterday...
FIVE-TERM YEAR
Five-term year planned
BBC News, 29 Mar 2012
Teachers in a British school
district intend to strike over the planned change to a five-term school
year...
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
Words banned in tests
CBS New York, 26 Mar 2012
New York City's Department of
Education wants 50 words banned from standardised tests, including:
- dinosaur, because it suggests evolution
- Halloween, because it suggests paganism
- birthday, because it isn't celebrated by Jehovah's
Witnesses
- poverty, because it might upset poor children
...
GONSKI REVIEW
Gonski modelling tool released
Aust Govt media release, 29 Mar 2012
The next step in the
implementation of the Gonski school funding recommendations came today
with federal schools minister Peter Garrett announcing access to the
modelling tool used by the Gonski Review...
- Peter Garrett's
remarks at Ministerial meeting
SCHOOL CLOSURES
No forced
closures, says Minister
Tas Govt media release, 29 Mar 2012
The Minister for Education and
Skills, Nick McKim, said in response to a call by Opposition education
spokesman Michael Ferguson that the government was "not considering
forcing any schools to close"...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Minister must announce closure process
Michael Ferguson website, 29 Mar 2012
Opposition education spokesman
Michael Ferguson has called on the state government to announce its
process to forcibly close schools...
LITERACY
Phonemic awareness app by Tas Uni
The Mercury, 29 Mar 2012
Profs' Phonics, an app for
ipads and iphones that helps young learners match sounds with
letters, has been developed by University of Tasmania staff...
HOMEWORK, NAPLAN
NAPLAN could increase homework burden
The Age, 29 Mar 2012
An effect of pressure for schools
to improve national literacy and numeracy testing results could be
an increased homework load for students, Victorian education experts
say...
SOCIAL NETWORKING
More Facebook and Twitter at school?
SMH, 29 Mar 2012
A review of the internet
filtering policy for NSW schools might lead to social networking sites
such as Facebook being unblocked..
SCHOOL ZONE ROAD SAFETY
School zone coming to Queechy?
The Examiner, 28 Mar 2012
Launceston's Queechy High School
parents are concerned about the many near misses on the road near
the school, but the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and
Resources says it is "now actively considering a 40km/h school zone"...
STUDENT HAIR STYLES
Boy with Afro hair style back at school
SMH, 28 Mar 2012
A Sydney private school student
who was suspended for having an Afro hair style is now back at school
following an out-of-court agreement to get his hair cut...
HOMEWORK
Homework is "of no benefit"
The Mercury, 28 Mar 2012
Evidence shows that apart from
homework in years 11 and 12, doing homework does not improve academic
achievement, an academic about to release a book on homework reform says...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY HEALTH
Moonah
Primary fitness program praised
Tas Govt media release, 27 Mar 2012
Moonah Primary School's fitness
program for parents and the community, which used a DHHS Tasmanian
Health and Wellbeing grant, was praised by the Premier,
Lara Giddings, today...
VET PROVISION
Single VET entity supported, says Ferguson
Michael Ferguson website, 27 Mar 2012
Opposition education spokesman
Michael Ferguson says Skills Institute Chair James Cretan supports a
single government VET provider, just as the Liberals do...
STUDENT HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Girls' schools Jenny Craig furore
The Age, 27 Mar 2012
Selection of the chief executive
of diet company Jenny Craig to speak at a conference for girls' schools
has sparked anger from those who claim that anyone involved in the
promotion of weight loss is contributing to body image and eating
disorder problems for girls...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Development is over students' heads
The Advocate, 27 Mar 2012
Students at Havenview Primary
School now have a huge undercover learning area and a refurbished
multipurpose hall as part of $925,000 Building the Education Revolution
work that also includes an early learning centre...
SCHOOL ZONE ROAD SAFETY
Austins Ferry concern
The Mercury, 27 Mar 2012
Parents of Austins Ferry Primary
School students are concerned about traffic congestion outside the
school and a lack of off-street parking...
NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK
Tas first state to receive full NBN
ABC News, 26 Mar 2012
Tasmania will be the first state
with all households covered by the National Broadband Network,
with 93 per cent having access to cable, and the remainder having
wireless or satellite access...
HANDWRITING
 Handwriting decline inhibiting students
SMH, 26 Mar 2012
With the rise of the use of technology
by students has come a deterioration in their handwriting skills and
handwriting speed, and a reduced ability to read other people's
handwriting...
The Tas DoE has published a booklet on teaching handwriting to students:
Download Handwriting [pdf, 5.5MB]
PERFORMING ARTS
Dancers should experiment
The Advocate, 26 Mar 2012
The Aurora-Tasdance Education
Program encouraged Marist Regional College students to be flexible and
try different movements last week...
COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS
Don students immersed in technology
The Advocate, 26 Mar 2012
Don College has around 700
laptops and is educating its teachers how not to be a barrier to
students enhancing their learning through computer technology...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Support services cuts have autism impact
The Mercury, 25 Mar 2012
More Tasmanian parents are
home-schooling their autistic children because of government funding
cuts, Autism Tasmania says...
TEACHING PROFESSION
Relationship warning for teachers
Courier Mail, 25 Mar 2012
Queensland teachers have been
warned about inappropriate relationships between teachers and former
students, and about inappropriate topics when texting or emailing
students...
PRINCIPAL NETWORK LEADERS
Principals no longer in charge?
The Examiner, 24 Mar 2012
Tasmanian school principals are
concerned that a new statement of duties indicates they are to "take
directions from" Principal Network Leaders whereas it was originally
stated that the function of PNLs would be only to "work with"
principals...
-
DoE comment on Statement of Duties progress
NAPLAN TESTING
US professor warns against NAPLAN
The Examiner, 24 Mar 2012
A US education professor visiting
Tasmania says publication of NAPLAN-style school performance test
results had ruined the USA and that in Tasmania the problem is not
teachers, the curriculum or funding but "poverty kids in schools
that serve poverty kids"...
STUDENTS AND ROAD SAFETY
Review of school road safety needed
The Mercury (Editorial), 24 Mar 2012
It is time to examine what more
can be done to improve safety for students when near schools and when
using buses...
SCHOOL ZONE ROAD SAFETY
Student road safety concerns rise
The Mercury, 24 Mar 2012
Recent accidents involving school
students have prompted calls for parents to use the safe drop-off point
at Montrose Bay High School and for consideration of the common US
regulation requiring all traffic to stop when a school bus stops.
As well, schools have been told to promote road safety to students and
parents...
SCHOOL BUSES AND ROAD SAFETY
Close
call for student at Launceston bus
stop
The Examiner, 23 Mar 2012
A Launceston College student
pulled a young boy away from a school bus that had clipped him yesterday...
 STUDENT HEALTH AND FITNESS
Cyclist
Minister pushes bike benefits
Tas Govt media release, 23 Mar 2012
Education
Minister Nick McKim joined New Town Primary students today to
acknowledge National Ride to School Day and extol the health and
environmental benefits of bike riding...
SCHOOL ZONE ROAD SAFETY
School zone safety call
The Mercury, 23 Mar 2012
An audit of school bus and
crossing safety is needed urgently, Opposition infrastructure spokesman
Rene Hidding says...
SCHOOL ZONE ROAD SAFETY
School road congestion an issue
The Mercury, 23 Mar 2012
The Jordan River Middle School is
not the only school with an issue over congestion in a pickup or road
crossing area...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
End school closures uncertainty
Michael Ferguson website, 22 Mar 2012
Opposition education spokesman
Michael Ferguson has called on the Premier, Lara Giddings, and
education minister Nick McKim to name the schools the government
will close...
CARBON CONSCIOUS SCHOOLS
Funds to
reduce carbon footprint of schools
Tas Govt media release, 22 Mar 2012
Schools and colleges can apply
for up to $20,000 to undertake capital projects that improve water and
waste management, improve energy efficiency or address other climate
change concerns, the Minister for Education and Skills, Nick McKim,
announced today...
SCHOOL ZONE ROAD SAFETY
School zones under spotlight
The Mercury, 22 Mar 2012
A serious accident involving an
11-year-old boy crossing the road from in front of a stationary bus in
Bridgewater yesterday has prompted calls for designated drop-off areas
to be considered, the 40 km/h limit to be reviewed and drivers to
exercise extreme caution during peak periods...
COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS
Kings Meadows joins Microsoft program
The Examiner, 22 Mar 2012
Launceston's Kings Meadows High
School is one of 20 Australian schools to be accepted into a Microsoft
program to enhance student learning by exploiting the benefits of
computer technology...
GONSKI REVIEW
Gonski review has eight failings
The Conversation (Opinion), 21 Mar 2012
David Gonski's review into school
funding fails in eight main areas, this article argues...
Whooping cough alert
ABC Radio, 21 Mar 2012
There seems to be a rise in whooping cough numbers in
Tasmania at
the moment, and a new strain that is potentially fatal. For information
about whooping cough, see the DHHS's previous
Whooping Cough Public Health Alert.
DIGITISED CLASSROOM
Digital Don
College
Tas Govt media release, 21 Mar 2012
Don College was praised by the
Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Skills, Paul O'Halloran, today
for its innovative use of laptops and smartboards, and its teaching of
'learning to learn' and other skills for the digital age...
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Storytelling
DVD promotes harmony
Tas Govt media release, 21 Mar 2012
Hobart College's Students Against
Racism group was praised by the Minister for Community Development,
Cassy O'Connor, during Harmony Day celebrations today...
SCHOOL CHOICE
Bypassing local school expensive
The Mercury, 21 Mar 2012
The Tasmanian policy of allowing
students to bypass their local school costs more than $40 million a year
in subsidised bus travel and harms some local schools...
STUDENT HEALTH
Fewer students walk or ride to school
SMH, 21 Mar 2012
More than 60 per cent of children
are now driven to and from school, a Heart Foundation survey shows...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
No news on closures report
The Examiner, 20 Mar 2012
There is no word yet on when the
government will reveal its decision on the schools viability report...
TASMANIAN STUDENTS
Top
literacy, numeracy students recognised
Tas Govt media release, 20 Mar 2012
Eighty Northern students who
received top marks in literacy and numeracy testing received
certificates from the Minister for Education and Skills, Nick McKim,
today...
STUDENT SAFETY
Students
not being kept inside
The Mercury, 20 Mar 2012
Contrary to yesterday's claims, students are not being kept
indoors for protection during breaks at a Bridgewater school,
education minister Nick McKim says...
-
DoE comment on draft Tasmanian Safe Schools Framework
BUS PASSES
Student bus pass delay is costing
The Mercury, 19 Mar 2012
Students are having to pay up to
$12 a week while waiting for their bus passes...
STUDENT SAFETY
Students staying inside at lunch time
The Mercury, 19 Mar 2012
Including Years 5 and 6 students
in a middle school is exposing them to violent behaviour by older
students...
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR EDUCATION
 Plan summary is short
The Mercury, 18 Mar 2012
The publicly available version of
the strategic vision for education in Tasmania is one page long...
Download the 2012-2015 plan from the DoE's
strategic plan page
DoE comment on the strategic plan
HIGH SCHOOL TO YEAR 12
No change to 7-12
for Catholic schools
The Mercury, 18 Mar 2012
Catholic schools in southern
Tasmania have no immediate plans to extend high schools to a years 7-12
system...
STUDENT SAFETY
Tasmanian
schools safe and supportive
 Tas Govt media release, 16 Mar 2012
Education Minister Nick McKim
commended the East Derwent Primary Campus of the Jordan River Learning
Federation today for its innovative programs that have improved student
behaviour and provided students with a safe environment...
National
Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence website (Bullying.No
Way!)
STUDENT SAFETY
No Bullying
Day marked
Tas Govt media release, 16 Mar 2012
Parliamentary Secretary for
Education and Skills Paul O'Halloran marked the National Day of Action
Against Bullying and Violence at East Devonport Primary School today...
- National
Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence website (Bullying.No
Way!)
POST YEAR 10
Automotive
teacher in near future
Tas Govt media release, 15 Mar 2012
The selection process for the
Smithton Trade Training Centre automotive teacher position is not yet
complete, Malcolm Wells, the Deputy Secretary, Further Education and
Training, said today...
POST YEAR 10
No automotive teacher at Smithton
Michael Ferguson website, 15 Mar 2012
Automotive trades students at the
Smithton Trade Training Centre have had five weeks without an automotive
trades teacher, Opposition education spokesman Michael Ferguson says...
SCHOOL SECURITY
27 laptops stolen
The Examiner, 14 Mar 2012
Thieves broke reinforced glass to
gain access to 27 computers at Launceston's St Finn Barr's school last
weekend...
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional intelligence from magnet board
The Age, 14 Mar 2012
Six Victorian schools are
piloting a program to combat bullying and promote awareness of emotional
intelligence by using a board on which students position magnetic photos
of themselves...
INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY
New kind of excursion through smart boards
SMH, 13 Mar 2012
Smart boards are changing
teaching and learning, by allowing 'incursions' in which the outside
venue comes into the classroom instead of students going out on a
physical excursion...
SCHOOL AUTONOMY
Power over staffing for NSW principals
SMH, 12 Mar 2012
NSW principals have welcomed a
plan to give schools greater control over staffing and finances but the
teachers federation says the plan is a pretext to cut $250 million from
the education budget...
ASIAN LANGUAGES
No Asian language in most Tas schools
The Mercury, 11 Mar 2012
Fewer than half of Tasmania's
government schools teach Asian language studies...
TEACHING PROFESSION
Teachers to be paid on performance
SMH, 11 Mar 2012
The NSW government is expected to
announce today that its teachers will be paid on performance rather than
years of experience...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
2013 closures
not ruled out
Michael Ferguson website, 8 Mar 2012
Education minister Nick McKim is
unable to rule out school closures in 2013, opposition education
spokesman Michael Ferguson says...
HIGH SCHOOL TO YEAR 12
Only the Libs have the will, says Ferguson
Michael Ferguson website, 7 Mar 2012
Opposition education spokesman
Michael Ferguson says education minister Nick McKim has admitted year 11
and 12 subjects are being taught in a minority of high schools, and says
only the Liberals have the will to extend all high schools to year 12...
POLITICAL MATERIAL IN SCHOOLS
Greens Party
material not distributed in schools
Tas Govt media release, 7 Mar 2012
Postcards criticising timber
company Ta Ann had not been distributed in three schools named by
opposition education spokesman Michael Ferguson, the Minister for
Education and Skills, Nick McKim, said today...
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Another two students and enrolments will have doubled
news.com.au, 6 Mar 2012
The two students in a Victorian
country primary school have an interactive whiteboard and a playground
each but they both have to share the farm, the kitchen garden and the oval...
POLITICAL MATERIAL IN SCHOOLS
Call for Greens minister to remove Greens Party material
Michael Ferguson website, 6 Mar 2012
Greens Party postcards opposing
timber company Ta Ann are being distributed in Tasmanian government
schools and colleges, Opposition education spokesman Michael Ferguson
said today...
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY
Rural bus danger
The Mercury, 5 Mar 2012
The family of Glenora High School
student Ashley Edmonds has called on the government to examine the
dangers of bus stopping points in rural areas...
AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE
Cotton livestock
SMH, 5 Mar 2012
Cotton socks come from animals
according to three-quarters of final year primary school students and 40
per cent of grade 10 students, an ACER survey has found...
POST YEAR 10
Bring back TAFE
The Mercury, 4 Mar 2012
A survey of Skills Institute and
Polytechnic staff shows support for a return to one TAFE institution but
education minister Nick McKim says doing that would place federal
funding at risk...
GONSKI REPORT
Who is Gonski?
SMH, 3 Mar 2012
Just who is the man behind the
Gonski report? What is it like to have lunch with him? ...
THE ENVIRONMENT
Australia
cleaned up
Tas Govt media release, 2 Mar 2012
Education minister Nick McKim
said at Montagu Primary on Friday that Clean Up Australia Day was an
important way for students to learn to take responsibility for their
environment...
EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
Acting up
The Advocate, 2 Mar 2012
The number of principals and
other senior staff holding acting positions in Tasmania has risen as a
result of the introduction of Principal Network Leader positions...
HIGH SCHOOL TO YEAR 12
It's time for year 12 high schools
The Mercury (Editorial), 1 Mar 2012
Changes in society and the
demands of today's workforce warrant our high schools being extended to
year 12, a Mercury editorial argues...
TEACHING PROFESSION
Unregistered teachers sent home
The Examiner, 1 Mar 2012
More than 20 teachers without
current Tasmanian teacher registration have been removed from classrooms
this term, some of them apparently not having read or acted on the
renewal reminder in their email account...
SCHOOL HOURS
Primaries could finish at lunch time
Daily Telegraph, 1 Mar 2012
Primary school students would
commence school at 8.00 am and go home at 1.15 pm under a NSW proposal...
TASMANIAN PRINCIPALS
Principal's passion for education remembered
The Advocate, 1 Mar 2012
The late Jan Milburn, Burnie
Primary's longest serving principal, was a highly respected educator..
SOCIAL MEDIA
No comment on website
The Advocate, 1 Mar 2012
The Department of Education has
refrained from commenting directly on the case of a teacher being the
subject of allegations on a website..
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