What's newConsultation process continues around the Australian CurriculumThe Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has released the Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education and Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies, and has opened consultation on the draft shape paper for the Australian Curriculum for Economics and Business. Consultation has also commenced on draft Australian Curriculum materials for students with disability. See further information available on the ACARA website. See also statement 6 August 2012 from the Australian Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett. New resources on Asian languages and culturesThe National Digital Learning Resources Network (NDLRN) now houses an expansive collection of Asian languages and studies resources, available free to all schools. The resources are designed to help students become more familiar with the languages and cultures of China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea. These resources can be accessed through all state and territory portals and Scootle. Further support for global educationThe Global Education website is an online portal for resources supporting the quality teaching of global education across the curriculum. The site has recently be redeveloped and now features web 2.0 functionality, and a gallery of teaching resources including photos, videos, activities, templates and links, case studies, country profiles and updated accounts of global issues. Further discussion of school fundingThis week there has been further discussion around the topic of school funding and the package of reforms recommended by the Gonski inquiry. See article in The Canberra Times 13 August and article in The Sydney Morning Herald 14 August 2012. See also Curriculum Leadership's news updates on Twitter. New funding to assist further study, training and workThe Australian Government is to provide further funding to help young Australians prepare for further study, training and work. Australian Minister for Youth, Peter Garrett, has announced that 15 not-for-profit organisations will receive grants as part of the Australian Government's Youth Development and Support Program (YDSP). Discussion of physical education in AustraliaThis week has seen further public discussion of physcial education curricula in Australia. See opinion in the Brisbane Times and opinion on physical education and sport, on The Conversation website, both 13 August 2012. Extra support for Tasmanian schoolsTasmanian Government schools have received further details about the School Transition Fund aimed at encouraging them to explore new ways of delivering education. See statement 10 August from State Minister for Education and Skills, Nick McKim. See also statement 12 August from Australian Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten, and article about the changing role of education in Tasmania, appearing in The Mercury 14 August 2012. Victorians urged to take a stand against bullyingThe 'Take a stand against bullying' campaign will see information about bullying distributed to more than 8,000 schools, workplaces and police stations across Victoria. See Victorian Government statement 8 August 2012. New Zealand to publish school achievement data on Education Counts websiteNew Zealand's Ministry of Education is to publish Public Achievement Information on the Education Counts website. Public Achievement Information will include National Standards data, Education Review Office reports, schools' annual reports and NCEA data. Over time other relevant national and international reports will be added. National Standards data, reported for the first time this year, will be published on the website in September in the format that schools submitted it. See statement 8 August from Education Minister, Hekia Parata. See also statement 9 August from the New Zealand Principals' Federation; statement 8 August from Business New Zealand; and statement 8 August from New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI). Students to learn about homelessness onlineThe Australian Government is to launch an online education service allowing students across Australia to learn how they may help to reduce homelessness and disadvantage. Follow CL journal on TwitterFor news updates between editions of the journal follow Curriculum Leadership on Twitter. |