The Gonski Review and its impact on education may seem to have disappeared quite rapidly from the centre of interest in education but this does not give a true reflection as to what is happening around Australia, as it moves through a consultation stage.

Details of the consultations taking place can be found at the Your School Our Future site. These list recent consultation events as well as planned events. As well, you can access media releases from The Hon Peter Garrett MP Minister for School Education, Minister for Early Childhood and Youth, detailing the events which he has attended across Australia relating to school funding.

If you are unable to access one of the community forums, then you should consider making your views known at the Have Your Say - Online Submission section of the Your School Our Future website.

At the same time, a number of reports and articles have started to surface indicating there are a number of private schools it is believed will be severely affected by a decline in funding as a result of any implementation. Some figures, as suggested in Gonski : Top Losing Schools Named [SMH] are quite staggering. It will be interesting in the light of such a listing from just one state [but almost certainly similar in other states], whether the statement not long ago, of no school will be worse off, [ABC News] will still be implemented and, if so, just how this will be handled. The obvious cry of Private Schools Warn[ing] of Fee Rises [SMH] links in to this concern. Interesting times remain in this area.

While the funding debate may not be as obvious a topic at the moment, one which is consistently spoken about has again come to the fore. This is the argument about the value, and even the validity, of testing such as NAPLAN in the overall education of children. Call to Boycott Education Tests [The Age] reflects the views of a ‘group, made up of teachers, consultants and academics, [which] says the testing - now in its fifth year - is providing poor quality information about students’ abilities in the classroom, and is compromising students’ attitudes to learning’. This reflects one view as to their value which is not all that uncommon. A commentary on this can be found in an editorial in The Sydney Morning Herald on 30 April [scroll down to the second section] which suggest there are abuses of the testing system, but takes a more positive view that we can get around these by finessing the system rather than just boycotting or banning it.

This is not the only group who sees weaknesses with this sytem and/or other ways of learning as being superior. In The Problem Is Bigger Than a Pineapple [Education Week], Diane Ravitch indicates a ‘backlash against high-stakes standardised testing is growing into a genuine nationwide revolt’ in the US. For a fuller explanation of the title used, and some of the implications of the uses to which the results are put, visit this NYC Public School Parents blog page.

In addition there have been a number of other alternatives suggested as can be seen in articles such as Fresher, Bolder Strategies, Will Transform Our Schools [The Age] and Right Programs Can Storm-Proof Kids [SMH].

Tertiary Admissions resulting from the expansion of student entry to universities is coming under some scrutiny, with concern being expressed over the ATAR levels being demanded in some areas, though this would not be implied if you read Record University Growth Matching The Skills Demands of The Economy, a media release from Senator the Hon Chris Evans. A number of articles from The Australian, such as Entry Standards For Teaching Hit[s] Skids, Warning Standard Slipping at Universities, Sub-par Uni Students Let Into Courses Despite Low Scores and Low Score No Barrier to Entry at Victoria University and also Lower Entry Scores - What Does This Mean for The Profession ? from The Institute of Chartered Accountants, however, suggest there are problems developing.

No one wishes to deny places at university for anyone who is qualified for such a place but, if these concerns impact other factors, especially the quality levels for those who either finish [or fail] courses, and the overall quality of the courses being offered, then there are potentially greater impacts on the system as a whole. This is really an area which needs to be monitored and steps taken to ensure that quality remains high irrespective of other factors.

‘AITSL is working with stakeholders to develop an Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework. The Framework will be underpinned by the National Professional Standards for Teachers which describe what teachers should know and be able to do at each career stage. A draft Framework has been developed informed by research, mapping and analysis of existing practices across Australia and national and international experts in the field. This is now the subject of national consultation with the profession’. In addition, a copy of the Minister’s Press Release entitled Annual Performance Goals for Every Australian Teacher can be accessed here. It indicates ‘the draft framework released today will provide the first national set of guidelines for performance assessments for the teaching profession. Teachers will have a clear understanding of what they will be expected to achieve every year, and a clear understanding of how their performance will be measured’. Further information on this can be found at Annual Appraisal Plan Includes Observing Teachers in Classroom [SMH]. The final result of this process, as presently perceived, may be attained but from memory, this concept has been a sticking point in previous processes. It will be interesting to see what the final framework is and whether it leads to the same position it has in the past.

Finally, there are a number of other items you may find interesting :

• Technology is presently becoming a dominant factor in education. Mainly it is about the usage of technology. In an interesting podcast entitled Digital Classrooms and Computer Coding [Future Tense - ABC] the use of technology is investigated. As they say, ‘technology plays a central role in the modern classroom. But what are the pros and cons of ditching the chalk and going digital ? And do we need to go beyond teaching kids how to use software and get them to learn about the nuts and bolts of computer programming itself ? We explore the challenges of using technology in the classroom and pick up on the growing international push for children to rediscover the fun of coding’. You can listen online, download the audio or see a copy of the transcript.
• In an interesting twist, ABC News in Tasmania reported that Teachers Fight Move on Holidays [about when holidays are set]. This was a situation I was not aware of and an interesting one between teachers and the Minister.
• In an article in the Courier-Mail entitled Queensland Educators React Angrily Over Release of New School Comparison Website we are not revisiting the MySchool website. Instead they are referring to the Queensland Schools Guide Website which has just been launched [via the Courier-Mail]. A range of concerns are expressed but, as with the MySchool website, it does seem to be popular, at least in the first days. If you live in Queensland and want to check it out, use the link above. If you live elsewhere and want to see what the process offers, also use the link provided.
• The Empowering Local Schools initiative continues to roll out with media releases detailing aspects of this under titles such as More Power for Queensland School Principals and Communities, More Power for Tasmanian School Principals and Communities and More Autonomy for WA Catholic and Independent Schools. A full listing of these can be found at the The Hon Peter Garrett MP Minister for School Education, Minister for Early Childhood and Youth media site. If you want to know what is being done in your area, visit this site and check the media release as a starting point.
• Engaging Parents and Families in Learning and School [DEEWR]. ‘The Family-School and Community Partnership Bureau will be hosting the Engaging Parents and Families in Learning and School National Symposium. The Symposium will bring together educators, parents and researchers from Australia and the world to explore and progress parent/family engagement theory and practice. More information can be found from the site. This has now been completed, but follow-up information may be found on the site.

Updated

• The calendar has been updated and future dates have continued to be added as far as possible.
• The Conferences pages continue to expand. We continually add to them. However, if you are aware of any conferences or major events we have missed, please let us know.
• We continue link checking the remaining pages and now have only one small section to complete.
• Links have been added and other modifications made as indicated.

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