What's newA National Plan for School Improvement: PM's speech to National Press ClubNews update: the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has delivered a speech to the National Press Club on the Australian Government's goals for schools. See transcript 3 September 2012 and Curriculum Leadership's further news updates on Twitter. A national response to global calls for investment in teachers and school leaders (AITSL)The Chief Executive Officer of AITSL, Margery Evans, has issued a statement on global calls for investment in teachers and school leaders. Teacher quality depends on culture of development: Tony MackayTony Mackay, Chair of AITSL, has heralded the arrival of the Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework and the Australian Charter for the Professional Learning of Teachers and School Leaders as 'truly a transformational time for the profession'. See opinion piece in The Sydney Morning Herald 20 August 2012. Great Teaching, Inspired Learning online forum NSWThe Great Teaching, Inspired Learning forum has been launched online for the education and broader community to have their say on what can be done to improve the quality of teaching in NSW classrooms. The forum will run 24 August to 5 October 2012. Staffing reforms NSWNSW Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli, has announced that a new staffing policy will be implemented in NSW government schools from Day 1, Term 4, 2012. See article in The Sydney Morning Herald 24 August 2012 and Curriculum Leadership's news updates on Twitter. New start-up grants for language programs in Victorian schoolsThousands more students will be learning a language in 2013 under a Victorian Government plan to increase and revamp the teaching of languages in Victorian schools. Education Minister, Martin Dixon, has announced Languages Start-Up Grants that will allow schools without an existing language program to introduce a language in 2013. Staffing changes in Victorian education departmentNews update: an article in The Age 1 September 2012 describes a staffing restructure affecting senior levels of the Victorian Department of Education, Employment and Childhood Development. Study advocates tough measures for high school dropoutsA University of Melbourne study has backed tough government measures to 'coerce' early school leavers back into education. Researchers investigated what happens to teenagers who leave school prematurely and what likelihood there is of them re-engaging in learning. The study – A Second Chance at Education for Early School Leavers – found the longer a teenager stays away from study, the less likely they are to return. See University of Melbourne media release 24 August 2012. Concern over rising levels of classroom disruptionAlmost 164,000 Australian students were suspended from state schools in 2011, with over 2600 judged to be so disruptive they 'were told never to come back' according to an article in The Courier-Mail 27 August 2012. A separate article in The Courier-Mail 28 August 2012 describes the claim from a high school teacher in Queensland that disruptions in the classroom are 'the No.1 factor that is holding public schools back'. Follow CL journal on TwitterFor news updates between editions of the journal follow Curriculum Leadership on Twitter. |