What's newAEU survey of new teachers in VictoriaA survey of new teachers conducted for the AEU Victorian Branch has found that 52% of respondents plan to leave public education within the next ten years. Of those planning to leave, over 62% were secondary teachers. The 2007 New Teachers Survey covered over 1100 Victorian teachers employed in the profession for less than five years. Just under 60% of the respondents were on a contract. Over 80% of those surveyed who intend to leave the sector also plan to leave the teaching profession entirely. Workload rated as the most important issue for teachers in the survey; however, of those employed on a fixed-term contract, the lack of job security was of more concern. 25 per cent of new teachers planning to leave public education intend to do so within the next five years. 26 per cent of new teachers surveyed said they had taught subjects for which they were not strictly qualified or experienced; this figure was 46% for secondary teachers. Over two-thirds of teachers surveyed (69 %) found the workload generated by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registration to be high or very high. The main issues nominated by new teachers were workload, support for teachers, job tenure and class sizes. Maths, science experts encouraged to teach in Victorian schoolsVictoria's Minister for Education, Bronwyn Pike, has announced scholarships to encourage maths, science and engineering graduates to teach in Victoria’s schools. The new scholarships include a new $1.4 million Maths and Science Graduate Scholarship program to encourage university graduates with qualifications in maths or science into teaching. A total of 150 scholarships worth between $5000 and $9000 will be offered over the next three years. The funding also includes a $1.8 million extension of the Career Change program to encourage professionals already working in maths and science related fields to become teachers in Victorian government schools. There will be 25 places in 2008 and a further 25 places in 2009. Trainees will receive financial support and paid study leave as they combine supervised classroom duties with study towards a teaching qualification during a two year training period. See Minister's media statement 31 August 2007 and Teaching@DEECD website. Principals respond to changes in Victorian school funding modelAn article in The Age 18 September 2007, reports on reactions to changes to the Victorian Government's funding model for schools. Under the changes to be introduced next year, students in Year 2 and in Years 9 to 12 will get less government funding, while those in the early years of primary school and students in Years 5 to 8 will get more. Resources for Indigenous schools in Northern TerritoryIndigenous students across the Northern Territory and Queensland will benefit from more than $11 million in boarding school upgrades announced by the Australian Government Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop. See Minister's announcement 19 September 2007. The Australian Education Union (AEU) has reported an increase in student numbers at remote schools serving Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, as a result of the Australian Government's recent intervention in Indigenous communities. The union states resources are now 'stretched to the limit'. See report on ABC News 18 September 2007 and AEU media statements. NT pay offer proposes elimination of student-free days and cut in holiday leaveThe Northern Territory Government has offered its teachers a pay rise of 10% over three years. Under the proposal teachers would work five staff development days during normal school breaks and there would be no student-free days during school terms. See report on ABC News 19 September, 2007. Fears of 'soft sell' in class resource book in NSWThe company Johnson & Johnson is marketing its products to schoolchildren in a book being used in New South Wales classrooms, according to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald 11 September 2007. The 48-page curriculum resource called Bodywhys provides information on personal development and includes photographs of Johnson & Johnson skin care, dental and sanitary protection products. Program to transform learning through ICT in NZTwenty three groups of schools in New Zealand have been selected to join a program to transform learning through innovative use of information and communications technology (ICT), Education Minister Steve Maharey has announced. See Minister's media statement 18 September 2007. Demands grow on school ICT infrastuctureGrowing demands on schools' technological infrastructure require 'industrial strength' solutions, according to an article in The Age 18 September 2007. |