What's newResults announced for national survey of regional and rural educationThe results of a major survey of rural education have recently been announced. The National Survey was conducted in 2005 by the National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SIMERR). It covers responses from about 3,000 primary and maths/science secondary teachers and nearly 1,000 parents in 1,400 schools across all States and Territories. It found that rural and regional schools had a higher annual staff turnover than city schools, fewer opportunities for their teachers’ professional development, and a greater unmet need of resources and support. See SIMERR media release, 20 July 2006 and article in The Age: Education, 7 August 2006. NSW teachers oppose cash for gradesIn New South Wales, Australian Government proposals to pay cash bonuses to thousands of teachers for producing high-achieving students have been rejected by principals' organistions and the Teachers Federation. See report in the Daily Telegraph, 9 August 2006. New learning centres for troubled students in Queensland The Queensland Government has announced plans to establish 'Positive Learning Centres' in Rockhampton and Toowoomba as part of its Better Behaviour, Better Learning package. They will cater for students who 'find difficulty with the classroom regime or whose behaviour might disrupt other students'. See Ministerial media statement by Education Minister Rod Welford, 7 August 2006. New CEO for Department of Education and Skills, WAWestern Australian Education and Training Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich has announced the appointment of Richard Strickland as the chief executive officer of the Department of Education Services (DES). The department was created in 1996 to service non-government schools, the higher education sector, and full-fee paying international students and now also includes the office of the Training Accreditation Council. See Ministerial media statement, 8 August 2006. Learning, Literacy and Leadership Conference The Learning, Literacy and Leadership Conference will be held in Debate continues over A–E report cardsThe organisations representing Catholic and independent schools in New South Wales have announced that they will comply with Australian Government demands to introduce a five point grade scale in Years 1 and 2 as a condition for receiving federal funding. In relation to Years 1 and 2, the New South Wales Government has expressed an intention to apply the five point grades only to English and maths. See report in the Sydney Morning Herald, 2 August and update, 6 August 2006. A request by South Australia’s Education Minister, Jane Lomax-Smith, to exempt junior primary students from the new A–E report card system has been rejected by her Australian Government counterpart, Julie Bishop. The AEU in Children need 90 mins exercise a day: studyChildren should undertake 90 minutes of physical activity each day to avoid obesity and heart disease, according to new research. Conducted in |