What's newNAPLAN 2010 Summary Report now availableThe NAPLAN 2010 Summary Report is now available. The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests are conducted in May each year for all students across Australia in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. All students in the same year level are assessed on the same test items in the assessment domains of Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation) and Numeracy. See statement by Victorian Minister of Education Bronwyn Pike and statement by Minister for Education and Training Andrew Barr, both 10 September 2010. See also report on ABC News 10 September 2010. Call for greater attention to geography in national curriculumRepresentatives of the Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA) and the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) geography committee have called for geography to be a compulsory subject in Years 9 and 10, stressing its potential contribution to the study of issues such as sustainability and climate change. See article in The Australian 10 September 2010. Discussion of the place of the arts in the national curriculumMathew Clausen, President of Australian Teachers of Media NSW, discusses the place of the arts within the national curriculum in a Sydney Morning Herald opinion piece 30 August 2010. Teacher workforce plan in TasmaniaIn Tasmania an independent study is being developed to examine the state's teacher profile and identify staffing needs across all subject areas. The study will complement existing measures in the state that are designed to provide more science and maths teachers. See statement 9 September 2010 by Tasmania's Minster for Education and Skills, Lin Thorp. New award for teachers in South Australian public schools and preschoolsThe Industrial Relations Commission of South Australia has handed down a new award for teachers in the state's public schools and preschools. It is titled the South Australian Education Staff (Government Preschools and Schools) Arbitrated Enterprise Bargaining Award 2010. See statement by South Australia Education Minister Jay Weatherill and commentary from the AEU SA branch, both 2 September 2010. Broadband boosts NSW Connected Classrooms ProgramThe NSW Minister for Education and Training, Verity Firth, has highlighted the support that the new National Broadband Network will give to the state's Connected Classrooms Program and other aspects of school education. See the Minister's statement 9 September 2010. New science and language centres for NSW schoolsThe NSW Minister for Education and Training, Verity Firth, has announced completion of work on new science and language centres funded under the Australian Government's school building program. Ms Firth said 118 government schools in the state now had new or refurbished science or language centres. See Minister's statement September 2010. Summer School program in QueenslandMore than 70 Queensland state schools and online distance education sites will offer Summer Schools in reading, writing and arithmetic during the September school holidays (27 September to 1 October). The popular program is part of the Smarter Schools National Partnership Agreement between the Australian and state and territory governments. See statement by Queensland Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson 8 September 2010. Texas launches iTunes Texas education channelA new online program allows Texas students to download educational podcasts, videos and other multimedia lessons directly from iTunes. See Associated Press report 25 August 2010. |