MY
SCHOOL WEBSITE
My School rankings to remain
The Courier, 31 Aug
2014
The ranking of schools using data from the My School
website is to continue to be possible, despite federal education
minister Christopher Pyne's pre-election comments suggesting
otherwise...
EXPANDING THE ROLE OF TEACHERS
Teachers to take on Pathway Planners' roles
The Mercury, 30 Aug
2014
The
state government's decision to replace Pathway Planners with an
online module managed by teachers appears to be inconsistent with
the aim of increasing student retention, AEU president Terry Polglase says...
Axing undermines efforts to
improve outcomes, Michelle O'Byrne, Opposition education
spokesperson, 1 Sep 2014
Minister described Pathway Planners as 'frontline workers' when in
Opposition, Michelle O'Byrne, Opposition education spokesperson,
10 Sep 2014
EXPANDING THE CURRICULUM
Teach more about drugs in primary school, says magistrate
The Mercury, 30 Aug
2014
Retiring
Burnie magistrate Don Jones says there needs to be more education
about drugs in primary school...
EXPANDING THE CURRICULUM
Add domestic violence to curriculum, says coroner
SMH, 29 Aug
2014
The NSW Deputy Coroner says he will ask for the topic of
domestic violence and abusive relationships to be added to the
school curriculum...
EXTENSION OF HIGH SCHOOLS
Concern high school extensions could jeopardise colleges
The Examiner, 29 Aug
2014
The Tasmanian State
School Association Conference is to discuss the issue of whether the
state government's policy of extending high schools to Years 11 and
12 will adversely affect the quality of education at colleges...
TEACHING PROFESSION
Poor choice of words by principal
Daily Telegraph, 28 Aug
2014
In a newsletter to staff, a NSW principal has referred to
a mental health program as "Operation Nutcase" and to students as
"morons", "village idiots", and having "two heads" and "webbed feet"...
Family prepares to sue over
principal's "two-headed" comment, SMH, 29 Aug 2014
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Tas app to improve comprehension
The Advocate, 28 Aug
2014
Wynyard PhD student Michelle Somerton has developed an
app to improve students' reading comprehension ...
Billy Possum's Interactive
Comprehension, iTunes website
CHARITY EVENTS
Another ice bucket challenge
The Examiner, 20
Aug
2014
Prospect High
School is the latest school to have an ice bucket challenge in aid
of motor neurone disease...
STATE
BUDGET 2014-15
Freeze hits morale
ABC News, 28 Aug 2014
The large amount allocated to
education in the Budget is pleasing, but the morale-sapping public
sector wage freeze conflicts with the fact that good teacher
performance depends on good teacher morale, state AEU president
Terry Polglase says...
'Record spend' for
education, The Examiner, 28 Aug 2014
Budget should have filled federal government's early years kinder
gap, Kim Booth, Greens leader, 28 Aug 2014
TQA, Schools Registration Board and Tas Early Years Foundation to be
abolished, The Mercury, 28 Aug 2014
How schools benefit, The Examiner, 28 Aug 2014
Budget rips $150m out of education, Bryan Green, Labor leader,
29 Aug 2014
Libs deliver Gonski funding, The Mercury, 29 Aug 2014
SCHOOL
CHAPLAINS
States divided over chaplains
ABC News, 28 Aug
2014
The Queenslander who successfully challenged school chaplain funding
in the High Court has described as "arrogant" the federal
government's attempt to arrange for individual states to administer
the funding instead, but the states themselves appear divided over
whether schools should be able to use the funds to employ "secular" social workers...
What does "secular" actually
mean?,
The Conversation, 29 Aug 2014
STUDENT SAFETY
Trees chopped down
SMH, 28 Aug
2014
The NSW government chopped down 5,000 trees at its
schools after a girl was killed by a falling limb, but an arborist
says the funds would have been better spent training staff how to
identify dangerous trees...
DRIVER EDUCATION
Simpler L2 licence procedure
Tas Govt media
release, 27 Aug
2014
A proposal to allow certain driving instructors to grant
L2 driver licences to learners should speed up the licensing
process, infrastructure minister Rene Hidding says...
Removing road blocks, The Advocate, 27 Aug 2014
CONSUMER SAFETY
Electrical cable recalled
news.com.au, 27 Aug
2014
Electrical cable branded Infinity
or Olsent and sold in Tasmania in 2013 has been recalled for safety
reasons...
Infinity electrical cable
recall,
ACCC
Tassie homes at risk, The Examiner, 27 Aug 2014
STATE BUDGET
Rockliff promises full six-year Gonski funding
Tas Govt media
release, 26 Aug
2014
This Thursday's Tasmanian Budget will include a record
$1.4 billion in education funding and a promise to contribute funds
to support the full six years of Gonski reforms, premier Will
Hodgman and education minister Jeremy Rockliff announced today...
LITERACY AND
NUMERACY
Promoting literacy and numeracy for adults
Tas Govt media
release, 25
Aug
2014
In promoting National Literacy and
Numeracy Week, education minister Jeremy Ferguson has drawn
attention to the strategy behind the state government's
26TEN
program in helping adults gain numeracy and literacy skills...
NAPLAN
NAPLAN preventing out-of-area sibling enrolments
The Courier, 24
Aug
2014
A Queensland parent outlines her personal experience of
the way the publication of NAPLAN results can have adverse
social effects through skewing the property market...
NAPLAN
Classes grouped using NAPLAN results
SMH, 24
Aug
2014
Some NSW schools are grouping classes on the basis of
NAPLAN results...
SCHOOL FARMS
School farms lauded
news.com.au, 22
Aug
2014
Larmenier Catholic School is one of about 32 Tasmanian
schools using a school farm to enrich their students' learning
experiences...
US CONSTITUTION
"Bless you" suspension
news.com.au, 22
Aug
2014
A Tennessee (USA) student has been suspended for saying
"Bless you" after another student sneezed...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Somerset students support Daffodil Day
The Advocate, 22
Aug
2014
The Cancer Council and
Royal Guide Dogs Tasmania are the favourite charities of the
students at Somerset Primary School...
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
Autonomy looms
Tas Govt media
release, 21
Aug
2014
Tasmanian government schools will
be able to operate more autonomously with the support of funds from
the federal government's Community Empowered Schools
program, federal education minister Christopher Pyne said today...
Students First, Australian Government website
DINOSAUR PROTECTION
Student arrested after writing that he had killed a dinosaur
The Mercury, 21
Aug
2014
A South Carolina school called in the police when a
student said in a writing assignment that he had shot a neighbour's
dinosaur...
COMPUTERS IN EDUCATION
Resurgence of laptops
SMH, 21
Aug
2014
Tablets are falling in popularity in
NSW schools as the usefulness of laptops becomes increasingly
recognised, particularly in secondary schools...
TRADE TRAINING CENTRES
Students missing out on trade training
The Mercury, 21
Aug
2014
Students from an additional 65 schools in Tasmania are
missing out on the opportunity to gain vocational skills from a
Trade Training Centre, federal Opposition education spokesperson
Kate Ellis says...
BOOKS VS COMPUTERS
Books beat Kindles
The Guardian, 20
Aug
2014
Readers of paperback books recalled
information better than those who had read the same story on a Kindle, a
recent study has found...
HOMEWORK
Call for better homework
The Courier, 20
Aug
2014
Teachers need to improve the quality of the homework they
set, according to the parliamentary report of the Inquiry into
the approaches to homework in Victorian schools...
Tas homework issue is complex, The Advocate, 21 Aug 2014
SCIENCE
NW science competition looms
The Advocate, 20
Aug
2014
Students from 19 North-West schools will take part in the
UTAS Science Investigation Awards competition on 4 September...
CHARITY EVENTS
Ice bucket challenge hits Tassie schools
The Examiner, 20
Aug
2014
A Punchbowl Primary teacher is one
of the first Tasmanian teachers to succumb to the "ice bucket
challenge" in which a bucket of ice water is tipped over the head to
raise money and awareness for charity, with particular focus on
motor neuron disease...
Ice bucket challenge, Wikipedia
EXTENSION TO YEARS 11 AND 12
Second phase of extensions begins
Tas Govt media
release, 20
Aug
2014
The Minister for
Education and Training, Jeremy Rockliff, has begun inviting more
rural and regional high schools to participate in the state
government's program of extending schools to Years 11 and 12...
EXTENSION TO YEARS 11 AND 12
Extension schools to receive $160,000
The Examiner, 20
Aug
2014
The schools
involved in extending their classes to Year 11 next year will
receive a total of more than $160,000...
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Drawings
predict intelligence
BBC News, 19
Aug
2014
The standard of four-year-olds' drawings can predict
intelligence at age 14, researchers have found...
PARENT EDUCATION
e-course for parents
medianet.com.au, 18
Aug
2014
The Australian Primary Principals
Association and Parentshop have teamed up to provide an online
course in parenting for parents...
NAPLAN
NAPLAN writing test too hard
SMH, 18
Aug
2014
Students Australia-wide performed
poorly on the NAPLAN writing test this year, possibly because
schools "over-prepared" for the test...
NAPLAN's literacy results slide, The Mercury, 18 Aug 2014
NAPLAN drop blamed on hard question, ABC News, 18 Aug 2014
Tas performs poorly again in NAPLAN tests, The Examiner, 18 Aug
2014
Writing task will be overhauled, SMH, 18 Aug 2014
Still much work to be done, Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for
Education and Training, 18 Aug 2014
Tas still behind Mainland states in numeracy and literacy, The
Mercury, 19 Aug 2014
NAPLAN produces culture of compliance, The Conversation, 20 Aug
2014
MUSIC
Band entitled to blow own trumpet
The Examiner, 15
Aug
2014
The Launceston College Concert Band came away from last
week's
Tasmanian Band Championships with a swag of awards...
SCIENCE
Science Week ushered in at Hobart College
Tas Govt media
release, 15
Aug
2014
The Minister for Education and Training, Jeremy Rockliff,
opened new science facilities at Hobart College today, drawing
attention to the commencement of National Science Week which runs
from 16 to 24 August...
Curiosity stimulated at QVMAG, The Examiner, 17 Aug 2014
TEACHING PROFESSION
No ban for RateMyTeachers.com
The Advocate, 15
Aug
2014
Education minister Jeremy Rockliff says that although a
website that sometimes includes comments that defame teachers will
not be banned, the site is not condoned...
STUDENT HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Chips and chocolates still allowed in canteens
The Examiner, 14
Aug
2014
Tasmania is the only state that
still allows school canteens to sell chips, chocolates, fizzy
drinks, cakes and ice-cream but Mowbray Heights Primary School is
helping to set an example by selling healthy foods...
GOVT VS NON-GOVT SCHOOLS
Private schools not worth the money?
Jennifer Chesters, The
Conversation, 13
Aug
2014
An analysis of the post-university occupations of
students from Catholic, independent and government schools concludes
that parents might not be getting value for money for the large
private school fees they pay...
State school kids do better
at uni,
Barbara Preston, The Conversation, 17 Jul 2014
The strengths and benefits of
Catholic and independent schools, Kevin Donnelly, The Conversation, 14 Aug
2014
Private schooling no better, SMH, 17 Aug 2014
LITERACY
Reading to a dog benefits the reader
The Examiner, 13
Aug
2014
Students at East Ulverstone Primary
School are taking part in the
Story Dogs program in which students' reading skills improve
when they read to a dog...
[TASLEARN
COMMENT: Using dog-eared books might work just as well.]
STUDENT AND TEACHER HEALTH
Measles rash fades
ABC News, 12 Aug
2014
Tasmania's recent outbreak of eight
measles cases and possible cases included a student attending a
Hobart school, but the threat appears to be over...
Measles continues to spread, The Examiner, 13 Aug 2014
TEACHING PROFESSION
Experts reveal what now makes a good teacher
The Conversation, 12
Aug
2014
Four Australian educationists
summarise their views of what now makes a good teacher. Some of the
comments that follow are just as insightful...
AGRICULTURE EDUCATION
Calves in NW schools
The Advocate, 12 Aug
2014
Calves are being lent to ten North West Tasmanian schools under the
Cows Create Careers - Farm Module ...
SEX EDUCATION
Call for more LBGTIQ knowledge
The Examiner, 12 Aug
2014
Discussion of safe-sex and relationship issues for gay,
lesbian, transgender and bisexual people should be compulsory in all
schools, advocates say...
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Brain training claims lack evidence
The Conversation, 11 Aug
2014
Claims that brain training games
provide an overall improvement in a student's working memory should
be taken with a pinch of salt at this stage, a researcher argues...
STUDENT BEHAVIOUR
School calls in police over inappropriate images of teachers
SMH, 8 Aug
2014
Two NSW teachers who wore
skirts are on stress leave after it emerged that five Year 9 boys
had surreptitiously been taking inappropriate images of them which they then shared
on Facebook...
School closures
DoE Facebook
page, 11 Aug 2014 Collinsvale
Primary School will not open until 10.30am today (Monday) due to snow and
ice. For the latest information about school closures
see the
DoE school closures page and the
DoE Facebook page.
Weather
warnings, road
closures, power outages, SES, schools
Weather warnings, BoM
Road closures, Police
website
Power outages, TasNetworks
State Emergency Service
Emergency Facebook and
Twitter messages,
TasAlert
School information,
DoE Facebook page
STUDENT SUPPORT
Boys missing out
The Mercury, 11 Aug
2014
Only 17 percent of Tasmanian boys have gained a degree
five years beyond college compared
with 27 per cent of girls, ABS figures show...
STUDENT HEALTH
Screen time harming kids
The Mercury, 9 Aug
2014
Too much time spent using
smartphones and tablets is giving young children eye problems and
causing other technology overuse issues...
STUDENT SUPPORT
What is bullying?
The Conversation, 8 Aug
2014
Bullying now ranks ahead of the environment as the number
one concern of young people. But what exactly is bullying?...
See also:
What works best to stop
bullying?,
The Conversation, 7 Aug 2014
SCHOOL CHAPLAINS
School chaplain sacked
ABC News, 8 Aug
2014
The Hobart College chaplain who had re-posted a
homophobic Facebook comment has been sacked...
SPORT
Sport program
to be funded now
The Mercury, 8 Aug
2014
The state government has reversed the decision not to
provide the $17,000 needed to send Tasmanian school students to
national sporting competitions, and will examine the matter further....
Wider range of sports for
kids, The
Mercury, 9 Aug 2014
STUDENT
DISCIPLINE
Saturday detentions for unruly students
Queensland Times, 7 Aug
2014
Saturday detentions and community
service are among the discipline options to be made available to
school principals under the Queensland government's
Strengthening Discipline in Queensland State Schools reforms...
INDUSTRIAL
ACTION
Catholic school teachers to strike
The Mercury, 6 Aug
2014
Teachers and support staff from
Catholic schools will strike tomorrow, Thursday 7 August, but
schools will remain open...
Teachers on strike, ABC News, 7 Aug 2014
Teachers and support staff strike, The Mercury, 8 Aug 2014
TMAG
TMAG to close on Mondays
ABC News, 5 Aug
2014
The
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery will be closed to visitors all day
on Mondays and close an hour earlier on other days due to funding
problems...
Museum reduces hours and cuts
staff,
The Mercury, 6 Aug 2014
Call for entry fee, The Mercury, 7 Aug 2014
SCHOOL CHAPLAINS
School chaplain apologises after posting homophobic comment
ABC News, 5 Aug
2014
A Hobart College chaplain has apologised for re-posting a
homophobic Facebook comment and has promised there will be no
repetition...
TRENDS IN EDUCATION
Overseas trends harming education here: professor tells
The Conversation
(opinion), 5 Aug
2014
An Australian academic with US roots outlines five overseas trends
that have harmed public education in the US and the UK yet
are being followed in Australia...
FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Encouraging
further education
Tas Govt media
release, 4 Aug
2014
The state government's Bigger Things project will
trial a program to encourage Huon students to aim for university or
TAFE ...
NAPLAN
School absence really is serious
SMH, 3 Aug
2014
Missing even one day of school can
adversely affect a student's academic results, an analysis of NAPLAN
results shows...
NAPLAN
Delay for NAPLAN's move online
SMH, 2 Aug
2014
The plan to move NAPLAN testing
online (which would have enabled the results to be released much sooner
and therefore be more usable) has been delayed ...
SPORT
Sport program cut
The Mercury, 2 Aug
2014
Tasmania will not be paying the $17,000 required to
enable about 400 school students to participate in the national
School Sport Australia competitions...
Only a trial that was not
value for money, Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Education
and Training, 2 Aug 2014
Young footballers will miss out, The Mercury, 3 Aug 2014
Decision now to be reviewed, The Mercury, 4 Aug 2014
Editorial: It's time to play ball, The Mercury, 4 Aug 2014
Decision to be comprehensively reviewed, Will Hodgman, Premier
and Minister for Sport and Recreation, 4 Aug 2014
INDUSTRIAL
ACTION
Another Catholic strike looms
ABC News, 1 Aug
2014
Following a stall in negotiations,
Catholic school teachers have vowed to go ahead with a strike next
Thursday, 7 August, but the Catholic Education Office says schools
will remain open...
Weather
warnings, road
closures, power outages, SES
Weather warnings, BoM
Road closures, Police
website
Power outages, TasNetworks
State Emergency Service
Emergency Facebook and
Twitter messages,
TasAlert
TASMANIAN
SCHOOLS
Northern schools hit by wind
The Examiner, 1 Aug
2014
Eight schools in the North were closed when wild weather
including winds of up to 115 km/h hit Launceston yesterday...
SOCIAL MEDIA
DoE liked more as a result of school closures
DoE Facebook page, 1
Aug 2014
The number of likes on the Department of Education's
Facebook page jumped by more than 1500 due to the popularity of its school closures
advice page during the recent period of stormy weather...
DoE
Facebook page
TASLEARN COMMENT: The recent need to
unexpectedly close and consider closing some schools due to wild
weather enabled Facebook to come into its own. Facebook was
clearly the best tool available for the Department of Education and
a number of schools to quickly provide up-to-date information to
parents and to share with everyone the responses to specific
questions by parents.
Congratulations to the DoE and the
schools involved.
Snow collections
DoE Facebook page, 1 Aug 2014, 2.00pm
Parents are being advised to collect students from the
following schools if developing snow access issues will affect
travel home:
- Dover District High School - Franklin Primary School - Glen
Huon Primary School - Kempton Primary School - Mountain
Heights District High School - Taroona High School Check the DoE
Facebook page for updates
School closures
1 Aug 2014, 8.48am
See the DoE
list of schools that are closed
today, Friday.
The
DoE Facebook page
may contain additional information.
See also
the following Facebook pages of some individual schools: -
Cressy District High
-
Kings
Meadows High -
Punchbowl
Primary (restricted access to page) -
Riverside High (now open Friday) -
Riverside Primary
(now open Friday)
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