Articles Abstracts Tables of contents New publications What's new Calendar Education links Back issues

What's new

TLF content release for the September quarter 2006

The Le@rning Federation has added further learning objects and digital resources to its growing collection of online curriculum for schools. Its September release of new items includes learning objects for Mathematics, Literacy, Science, Studies of Australia, Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian, Business and Enterprise and Arts, Design and Technology. Visit TLF’s Showcase to sample a selection of the latest items. Of particular interest are the opportunities for students to explore aspects of Indigenous life and culture from the Studies of Australia project in Saibai Island canoe; Mystery object: Torres Strait Islands and through the life and work of Mervyn Bishop, one of Australia’s best-known photographers. More still images from the History Trust of South Australia, the Powerhouse Museum and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa are now in the digital resources collection. Images include a range of historic and iconic Australian motor vehicles, various aspects of working life in South Australia in the 1920s, beautiful decorative arts from all parts of Australia, animals and fish of New Zealand and space images taken by the Australia Telescope at Narrabri, New South Wales. From the National Film and Sound Archive comes moving image footage related to the First World War and to an early 20th century rural Victorian town.

Women in leadership training forums

The Leadership Toolkit is a workshop for current and aspiring female leaders. It is part of the Australian Women & Leadership Forums (AWLF). One-day workshops will be held in different cities from October to December. See the AWLF website for details.

New early childhood science travelling program

The Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop, has announced Australian Government funding of $1 million for a new early childhood science travelling program. Questacon SciencePlay will be Australia’s first outreach program for early childhood science discovery and will travel to regional, rural and remote Australia, including Indigenous communities. See Ministerial media statement, 19 October 2006.

New strategy to help NSW students make the transition to high school

New South Wales Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt has released a new strategy to support students in Years 5 to 9, particularly during their transition from primary to secondary school. Our Middle Years Learners: Engaged, Resilient, Successful will aim to build better links between primary and secondary schools by coordinating transition activities and units of school work, supporting orientation programs; encouraging the establishment of home room groups to provide students with an opportunity to meet and get to know their new classmates and teachers; coordinating school work; and systematically monitoring every child’s progress from primary to high school. See Departmental media statement, 11 October 2006.

Award for Excellence in Career Teaching

Nominations are invited for the 2006 Australian Careers Service (ACS) Judith Leeson Award for Excellence in Career Teaching. The award is open to all government, independent, Catholic and other denominational schools in Australia. A winner and runner-up will be selected from both the primary and secondary school sectors. The award includes a cash prize of $5,000 for each winner’s school, and $3,000 for the runner-up schools. Nominations close on 13 November 2006. The principal is required to nominate the teacher whom they believe meets the award criteria. To find out more about the award and to access the nomination form, go to the Australian Careers Service website.

Comprehensive fine arts program for San Francisco

San Francisco’s new Arts Education Master Plan, beginning this year, will provide every school in the city with funding for an arts coordinator, art supplies, programs for music and dance, the hiring of art teachers, professional development and fees for visiting artists. The massive spending boost from the city and the state government is seen to have very positive implications for equity and for the ability of public schools to attract students. See article in the San Francisco Chronicle, 28 September 2006.

Cash incentive for rural teaching in South Australia

Experienced maths and science teachers are being asked to consider leadership roles in a regional South Australian school. A new pilot program, C-Change, will seek to attract specialist teachers to relocate to country regions for at least four years. South Australia already provides significant incentives, including cash amounts of up to $30,000 over five years, to teachers in many country schools and preschools. A modified program of incentives will apply to C-Change teachers, including an extra attraction and retention allowance of $6000 annually and rental subsidies of up to $6000 a year. The teachers will also be employed at a leadership level, attracting a higher salary, and participating schools will receive a $7000 grant to provide training to other maths and science teachers. C-Change teachers will be expected to become local leaders in maths and science and their roles will include mentoring talented maths and science school students, promoting careers in maths and science teaching, providing advice and training to new maths and science teachers at nearby high schools, and supporting student teachers in these subjects. Applications for the first C-Change positions close at the end of October, with appointments expected December. See Ministerial media statement, 16 October 2006 and report in The Advertiser, October 16, 2006.

NSW HSC and national curriculum coordination

New South Wales Education Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, has indicated that she will strongly defend the retention of the State's Higher School Certificate (HSC) against moves to replace it with national curriculum and assessment arrangements. See article in the Daily Telegraph, 16 October 2006.

Queries over school building and equipment budgets

There has been a cost overrun on a project to replace school management systems used in more than 1,200 public schools in Queensland, according to a report in The Australian, 17 October 2006. Other States intending to update or replace school management systems include Victoria and South Australia. See also the report on South Australian school infrastructure funding in The Advertiser, 17 October 2006.

Engaging Indigenous Australians in science

In Northern New South Wales, Macquarie University has come together with local high schools and Aboriginal Land Councils to raise awareness of science. Local Indigenous students, trained by scientists from the Indigenous Bioresources Research Group (IBRG) at Macquarie, made use of everyday items to demonstrate ways of exploring science to hundreds of junior students. These activities are the latest in an ongoing collaborative partnership between the IBRG and local Aboriginal Land Councils. A major focus of the partnership has been on training Indigenous students from Year 10 and above to facilitate hands-on activities and explain the science behind the activities to their fellow students and the public. See item in Macquarie University News, October 2006.

top