What's newNSW Director-General of DET criticises teacher education programsThe Director-General of the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, Michael Coutts-Trotter, has cited a recent report by consultants McKinsey & Company as evidence of shortcomings in the student selection process used in Australia's teacher training programs. Mr Coutts-Trotter was speaking at the Curriculum Corporation 2007 conference. See report in The Australian 14 November 2007. David Puttnam on education in the 21st centuryLord David Puttnam is in the country right now and has been speaking at the Curriculum Corporation 2007 conference about the evolving context for education in the 21st century. His speech is available via Life Matters on ABC Radio National. See also the report in the Sydney Morning Herald 14 November 2007 and article in The Australian 13 November 2007.
Urgent review of academy schools in BritainAn urgent review of Britain's academy schools program has been ordered by government ministers. Authoritative research has found that the specialist school program has disproportionately benefited schools with 'a preponderance of better-off students', according to an article in The Guardian 13 November 2007. US President vetoes education spending billUS President George Bush has vetoed a Congressional budget measure designed to provide over US $63 billion in education funding. See article in eSchool news 14 November 2007 (free registration required). Nomination deadline for Career Teaching Award extendedNominations for the ACS Judith Leeson Award for Excellence in Career Teaching will now be accepted until 26 November 2007. The award is open to government, independent, Catholic and denominational primary and secondary schools in Australia, with prizes including $5000 for the winner's school and a trip to the 2008 AACC Annual National Careers Conference in Hobart. See further information and download a nomination form, or contact Cameron Picton by email or on (03) 9207 9600. Independent schools should 'do better' on dataAn article in The Age 12 November 2007 argues that some Independent schools in Victoria need to attend more promptly and thoroughly to requirements to publish data on student results. New teachers less smart: professorHead of the University of Western Australia's Graduate School of Education, Professor Bill Louden, has called for revisions to teachers' pay structure to attract more 'smart students' to the profession. 'A large proportion of people we are now recruiting into teaching have been to school and stayed to Year 12, not been very successful at school, and then chosen to become teachers,' he has said. See article in The Australian 16 November 2007. |