Higher education and the federal budget have not led to any resolution in the fees debate. In Queensland, the role of the government continues to support the transition of Year 7 to the secondary education sphere.
I have included articles relevant to different areas of education. The first gives direction to the early childhood education and the NQF. In addressing this issue, further input can be found from Early Childhood Australia (ECA) which also contributes to what is necessary in adapting to this moving and living framework. ACE is also holding a webinar to find innovative ways to support children’s rights in early learning settings and provide the chance to share creative ideas and discussion.
In 2015 the National Children’s Commissioner and Early Childhood Australia launched the ‘Supporting Young Children’s Rights: Statement of Intent’. The document relates to the early childhood sector, day-to-day practice, the NQF and the UNCRC. It outlines key mechanisms for participants to provide ideas and examples of child rights in action.
The second article is about literacy and changes. With the school age commencement now for Prep, those children lagging behind in reading or literacy are hard pressed to keep up with what is being taught and expected of them when entering Years 1and 2. This interesting article points to the change in mindset from reading to literacy, encompassing much wider skills and knowledge, providing a wider scope for learning and involvement, particularly with children who have English as a second language or those experiencing delay or difficulties. It also gives us a glimpse into the management of rebranding and business uptake and stakeholder engagement. I hope they might be interesting lead-ins to further research if needed. Articles are accessible from the websites of ECA, ACECQA, and Wiley.
Warm regards- Helen McAllister (Education Advisor).
National Quality Framework -ACECQA Newsletter Issue 5 2015
The National Quality Framework raises quality and drives continuous improvement and consistency in Australian education and care services. Established in 2012, the NQF applies to most long day care, family day care, preschool/kindergarten and outside schools hours care services.
Educators and Providers-As an educator or service provider, you will find this section contains detailed information on the National Quality Framework, its implementation and how it applies to you.
Families- Our Families section outlines how quality education and care is vital to your child’s development and explains what the National Quality Framework means for you.
It provides practical information so you know what to look for, what questions to ask and where to find answers.
Regulatory Authorities-A regulatory authority in each state and territory regulates and assesses children’s education and care services. In this section regulatory authority staff will find information and resources to support their work.
The latest figures in the NQF Snapshot Q1 2015 show that the proportion of children’s education and care services to receive a quality rating has increased to 56 per cent, with 8287 services now rated.
The report contains information about the number of services rated as Exceeding or Meeting NQS as well as the number of services rated Working towards NQS. Highlights include:
14 827 children’s education and care services operate under the NQF across Australia; 34 per cent of services are rated as Working Towards NQ;66 per cent of services are rated as Exceeding or Meeting NQS; 33 services are rated Excellent by ACECQA.
Download the NQF Snapshot Q1 2015. Copyright http://www.acecqa.gov.au
Summit opens for historic Education Accord Minister for Education, Training and Employment
The Honourable John-Paul Langbroek
Thursday, 25 September 2014 4:06 AM
The future of schooling and the education pathway taken by Queensland children will be mapped out at an historic meeting in Brisbane, attended by hundreds of delegates from across the State.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the Education Accord Summit would have a major impact on Queensland, setting out a 30 year plan that would shape the State’s future. “Queensland’s future leaders, thinkers, employers and innovators will be going through our education system over the next three decades and we must have a vision for them,” Mr Langbroek said.
“We’re developing this Education Accord to determine priorities for schools and students for the next 30 years – a long term plan for educational improvement.
“The key people involved in the system across all school sectors – state, independent and Catholic will help chart this course.
“The summit reinforces the message that we all have a part to play and that we share a common goal of a high-quality education system.”
Mr Langbroek said he looked forward to hearing what delegates thought Queensland’s schools would look like in the decades to 2044.“Discussion topics include the major trends affecting school education, how to drive improvement in schools, and how all Queenslanders can contribute to that improvement,” he said.
Cairns School of Distance Education P&C President Rachael Wynberg said the Education Accord was an unprecedented opportunity for all participants in education – parents, tutors and teachers alike – to have input into the long-term plan for Education in Queensland.
“As a Home Tutor and parent home-schooling in North Queensland, I am passionate about delivering quality education that is focused on the amazing individuals whom we are responsible for guiding through life,” Ms Wynberg said.
“I believe this can be achieved with a holistic approach to learning that helps each child reach their full potential by focusing on their individual passions and nurturing these talents.”
Renowned speaker Dr Stefan Hajkowicz, who leads CSIRO Futures, will outline the global megatrends including digital technology development and the likely impact on the economy and education.
“Despite all our capabilities there are so many problems we can’t yet fully solve,” Dr Hajkowicz said. “The answer that truly works is crystallising in the mind of a bright kid at school in grade four who is thinking about things in an entirely new way… That’s why education matters
Other keynote speakers include Dr Ben Jensen, Chief Executive Officer of Learning First, Professor Peter Coaldrake, Vice-Chancellor, Queensland University of Technology and the Master of Ceremonies Mr John Daley, Chief Executive Officer of the Grattan Institute.
Premier Campbell Newman, Treasurer Tim Nicholls and Mr Langbroek will also address the summit. The government began community consultation in May with an online survey open to all Queenslanders. More than 600 responses were received to seven key questions drawn from the Queensland Plan and Members of Parliament have consulted with their constituents and industry leaders have given their views.
Queensland students get lessons on alcohol and drugs
Queensland secondary students will start a new education program to prevent alcohol and drug-related violence from Term 4, delivering on the election promise to revitalise frontline services.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the new program was part of a suite of initiatives developed under the Queensland Government’s ‘Safe Night Out Strategy’.
“The Alcohol and other drugs education program aims to help students understand the impact and consequences of alcohol and drug use and to behave responsibly,” Mr Langbroek said. “Prevention is critical and education is one key element in changing social and cultural attitudes to flag violent behaviour as being unacceptable.”
Mr Langbroek said students were encouraged to discuss alcohol and drug-related issues with their parents or caregivers and the education program was designed to support rather than replace these vital interactions. “The program promotes the ability to make responsible, safe and informed decisions so all Queenslanders can enjoy going out at night with safety,” he said.
Member for Brisbane Central Robert Cavallucci, who chairs the Safe Night Out Implementation Panel, said the program was based on research and best practice and would be rolled out next term for Years 11 and 12 and from Term 1, 2015 for Years 7 to 10.“The program includes online teacher guidelines and resources appropriate for each year level and five one-hour sessions per year level that can be delivered in flexible timeframes to suit each school community,” Mr Cavallucci said. “Content is based on the principle of harm minimisation and covers culture, attitudes and social expectations of drug and alcohol consumption, including the risk of binge drinking, illicit drug use and alcohol and drug-related violence.”
International expert Mr Paul Dillon, Director and founder of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia, said it was extremely exciting to see a new resource which provided secondary teachers with a program for all Year groups from 7 to 12.“This is something that few, if any other Australian resources have ever done, ensuring that young Queenslanders are as prepared as possible, with up-to-date and accurate information,” Mr Dillon said.
Andrew Pierpoint, President of the Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association, also welcomed the program. “It allows schools to tailor delivery in ways that suit the local context,” he said. “Families, schools and the wider community need to work together to ensure our young people have information that is factual and relevant to their lives.”
The program will be mandatory for all Year 7 to 12 state school students and it will be made available to all non-state secondary schools. Further information about the program is available at: http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/safe-night-out/
New laws to keep Queensland schools safe
Queensland principals will have more powers to make their schools even safer as part of the LNP Government’s plan to support local decision-making and improve outcomes for students. Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said a raft of new laws passed by Parliament delivered on the government’s commitment to make schools safe places to learn and work. “This government has an unrelenting focus on improving student discipline and empowering schools to achieve better outcomes for students,” Mr Langbroek said. “We know that principals and school communities are in the best position to make many of the decisions that impact on children’s safety at school and their learning. “Under the new laws, state school principals will have more power to deal with student behaviour and keep their schools safe – which is what Queensland families expect. “From 2015, principals will be better placed to make decisions on suspending students on the grounds that they are facing charges for serious offences such as murder, rape, attempted murder and arson. “Only the Director-General will have the power to obtain information from police to confirm whether a student has been charged with or convicted of a serious offence. “I can assure Queenslanders that strict protocols will be put in place to protect the storing and sharing of this information, which will be provided to principals if the Director-General deems it necessary for school safety.”
Mr Langbroek said principals would complete risk assessment training before they would be able to request and access the sensitive information. “From next year principals at both state and non-state schools will have the power to immediately deal with a hostile person on school grounds by telling them to leave and not to re-enter school grounds for up to 24 hours,” Mr Langbroek said. “Previously principals had to issue the direction in writing, which was an unnecessary and time consuming administrative burden.”
Other important changes include:
The Director-General will be able to delegate to the state’s seven regional directors the power to commence prosecution against parents who don’t send their children to school.
Changes to improve safety and educational outcomes in schools, including limiting the enrolment of mature age students to state schools specifically positioned to cater for them.
Principals of these schools, rather than central office, will be able to determine whether or not an adult is to be enrolled at their school, taking into account any criminal history information.
Amendments to the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001 to streamline the establishment of special assistance schools to support the re-engagement of disengaged youth in education.
Enhanced autonomy of non-state school principals by empowering them to grant exemptions from compulsory schooling obligations for periods of up to 110 school days. Currently, these decisions are made within the department. The Minister said the legislation reinforced the push to increase school autonomy, reduce red tape and improve educational outcomes. The Education and Innovation Committee reviewed the Bill and recommended it be passed.
Great Results guaranteed for students in 2015
The literacy and numeracy skills of Queensland children will improve, with $183 million going to all state schools in 2015 in the second round of the Great Results Guarantee. Premier Campbell Newman said the Queensland Government had a strong plan to achieve better student outcomes and revitalise frontline services. “I want Queensland to be among the top performers in literacy and numeracy in Australia by 2020,” Mr Newman said. “We have boosted funding and are targeting the money to where it’s needed most, to ensure our education system is world class now and in the future. “That’s why this annual funding comes with a guarantee that every Queensland state school student will either achieve the National Minimum Standard for literacy and numeracy for their year level or have a plan in place to address why they might be falling behind.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the investment was the result of the Abbott Government’s $794 million Students First – A fairer funding agreement for schools initiative to be delivered over the next four years. “Queensland is the only state or territory in Australia that is giving every single cent of this funding directly to schools,” Mr Langbroek said. “It has already empowered schools to put in place effective programs that drive lasting improvements and I have no doubt that we’ll see this continue into the future.” Mr Langbroek said the 2015 investment was $52 million more than the $131 million provided in 2014, the first year of the Great
Milton State School Principal Paul Zernike said the local decision making approach was a big win for schools. “The flexibility to decide how we invest our funding has had huge benefits, letting us target specific learning areas like spelling and reading through methods that work for us rather than a prescribed one-size-fits-all approach,” Mr Zernike said. “Here at Milton State School we’ve been able to expand our Visible Learning Program and also employ extra teaching staff, giving the students more one on one support from our teachers and teacher aides.
“Through the Great Results Guarantee funding, our teachers have been able to learn from international experts on inquiry learning and critical thinking skills, developing valuable teaching skills that will benefit students for many years to come. “For us, it’s about making sure every student is challenged and inspired and I’m very happy with how the Great Results Guarantee is helping us fulfil that commitment.”
Year 12 assessment and university entrance rankings are set to undergo their biggest transformation in more than two decades with the completion of a major review into Queensland’s Overall Position (OP) system. Minister for Education, Training and Employment John-Paul Langbroek said the independent review had been conducted over more than 12 months, including extensive consultation with educators, universities, parent associations and unions.
He said the government would use the Queensland Review of Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance Processes to develop a more modern and equitable alternative. “When it comes to education, the Queensland Government is determined to give students every opportunity to enjoy a bright future,” Mr Langbroek said.
“The OP system has served Queensland well since its introduction in 1992, but is becoming less relevant as education evolves. “Twenty years ago, Year 12 mainly comprised students who intended to go to university but today, most Year 12 students successfully combine an academic range of courses and vocational qualifications, providing options for further education, training and work.
“As a result we have seen a decrease in the percentage of Year 12 students awarded an OP. In 1992, about 80 per cent of Year 12 students received an OP. By 2013, this had dropped to 54 per cent. In contrast, 57 per cent of Year 12 students completed a vocational education and training qualification in 2009, increasing to 67 per cent in 2013. We want Queensland to be at the forefront of the best education practices nationally and internationally and to achieve this we must have a modern tertiary entrance system that reflects the needs of students.”
Led by Professor Geoff Masters and Doctor Gabrielle Matters, the review by the independent Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) includes a range of recommendations.
Mr Langbroek said the Queensland Government would carefully consider the content of the review before developing the official government response. “Any changes that arise from this process will likely be phased in over a number of years, to ensure senior students are able to plan their post-schooling pathways,” he said. “I need to stress that current Year 11 and 12 students will not be impacted when the government releases its response
“I’d like to thank Professor Masters and Doctor Matters for their hard work in preparing this extensive review – their efforts will be invaluable to educational reform in our state. Their work will help us develop a modern senior schooling and tertiary entrance system that accurately reflects the multitude of opportunities available to young Queenslanders today.”
The final report recommendations are available at: www.acer.edu.au/queenslandreview
Event puts plan into action Achieving the best outcomes for children in the years to come was the focus of the inaugural two-day Early Childhood Education and Care Network Event held in September at QUT Gardens Point.
Nearly 100 delegates heard from international and national speakers on key points of interest for Queensland’s early childhood education and care sector at the department’s‘Great beginnings. Promising futures. Early childhood and the Queensland Plan’ event.
Hosted by Education, Training and Employment Minister John-Paul Langbroek, presentation topics included quality service delivery, educational leadership, working with vulnerable children and the power of play-based learning.
Futurist Bernard Salt linked his insights on how early childhood needs in Queensland might evolve with the aspirations outlined in the State Government’s Queensland Plan. Commissioner Dr Wendy Craik gave an update on the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into childcare and early childhood learning.
Director-General Dr Jim Watterston highlighted the department’s increased focus on the early years, outlining the new operating model including the recent appointment of Early Childhood Education and Care Directors for each region. Delegates also heard about a model used in the Darling Downs South West region to ensure children enjoy a smooth transition from early childhood settings to school and delegates shared feedback on considerations for a statewide approach for transitions. Attendees from throughout Queensland included senior representatives from early childhood education and care organisations and early childhood development program providers, and senior government officers with responsibilities for the early years.
Queensland students have recorded some of their highest ever scores in the history of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests.
Following today’s release of the NAPLAN summary report, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek congratulated Queensland students on their impressive and improving performance.
“Our students have recorded results that are better than we’ve seen in the last seven years of testing,” Mr Langbroek said.
“Queensland now ranks fourth in the proportion of students achieving the national standard on all strands in Years 3 and 5 – with the exception of writing.
“This is a great result considering our ranking was seventh for these year levels in 2008.
“I’m thrilled to see that we are edging even closer to reaching our goal of being one of the top performing states by 2020.”
Mr Langbroek said the NAPLAN summary report provided a valuable snapshot of literacy and numeracy standards across the state, as well as identifying areas that need greater attention.
2014 NAPLAN Test Highlights
Year 3 and 5 students are the stand out performers again this year, recording Queensland’s highest NAPLAN performance to date in many areas.
More than 92 per cent of Year 3 and 5 students achieved at or above the national standard across reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.
Year 3 students posted their highest average results ever in reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy but they also posted their lowest result in writing.
A similar pattern is also evident for our Year 5 students.
More Queensland Year 3 and 5 students than ever before are achieving the upper bands of performance in NAPLAN in reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation and numeracy.
Year 7 and 9 students also scored well with more than 94 per cent of students achieving the national standard or better in numeracy.
On average, Year 9 students posted their best result on record in numeracy, whilst Year 7 students posted their best results on record in reading and grammar and punctuation.
Nine out of 10 Queensland students are achieving at or above the national standard in four out of five areas of testing.
Writing is the one NAPLAN area that continues to be a challenge for Queensland students across all year levels. The drop in writing scores was a nation-wide trend.
Looking at the 2014 mean scores, writing results in Australia are the worst on record for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
The national summary report of 2014 NAPLAN results will be released today by the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority. The report will be available online at www.naplan.edu.au.
NAPLAN results for each school will be published today on the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) website at www.qcaa.qld.edu.au.
Early Childhood Australia (QLD Branch ) invites you to join ECA in celebrating the launch of Under Eight’s Week and AGM, Wednesday 21 May 2014.
Guest speakers for the evening include Associate Professor Beverley Fluckiger, Associate Professor Julie Dunn, both from the Griffith University, Samantha Page, Early Childhood Australia CEO, Emma King -ECA Queensland Branch. It will be an enjoyable, informative evening and we look forward to seeing you there. Early Childhood Australia (Qld Branch).
Early Childhood Australia supports move to improve subsidies for early learning (May 1, 2014 media statement
The national children’s peak body Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has welcomed the Commission of Audit’s recommendation to merge the child care rebate and the child care benefit into one payment. However, ECA CEO Samantha Page has cautioned that the structure of the system mustn’t leave families worse off, especially those on lower household incomes. The calculation provided by the Commission of Audit, capping subsidies at $12,000 at the lowest end of the system, will leave families using fulltime care thousands of dollars worse off. ‘We are glad the report authors recognised the complexity of the current system and the issues of having two payments available to families’, said ECA CEO Samantha Page. ‘We have supported this move in our submission to the Commission of Audit, especially if it was paid directly to providers. By streamlining payments and paying subsidies to services, we can reduce out of pocket expenses for families and make long day more accessible.’
The Commission of Audit has also recommended that in-home care models such as nannies should be subsidised under the revised system to provide parents more flexibility.
The recommendation to introduce a voucher system for access to accredited early childhood services in Indigenous communities is another concern to ECA. ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are more than twice as likely to be developmentally vulnerable than non-Indigenous children. However, there is a strong evidence base that participation in high quality early childhood education and care services can turn this around’ said Ms Page. ‘ECA is concerned that by replacing funded programs with a voucher system, it will significantly impact our most vulnerable children.’
ECA supports the move to reduce the Paid Parental Leave scheme and increase investment in early childhood education and care services.
Application of a work, training, study test to the revised subsidy system will have a significant impact on disadvantaged children accessing early childhood programs for development purposes, where their parents are not working. These children will not be eligible for any support.
Other recommendations that impact on low-income households will have a major effect on the developmental outcomes of children in those environments
Childcare centre ratings and assessment process streamlined Childcare centres will face a streamlined assessment and ratings process from 1 July, with federal Assistant Education Minister Sussan Ley signing off with states and territories on a new regulatory regime. The ministerial council agreed to work with the national childcare regulator, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, to improve the assessment and rating process.
The review of the demand driven funding system report, conducted by Dr David Kemp and Mr Andrew Norton, was released today. The review was commissioned in November 2013 to examine the impact of the demand driven system on higher education provision. The report makes 19 findings and provides 17 recommendations that the Government will now consider. Terms of reference for the review ranged from the effectiveness of the demand driven system’s implementation to ensuring the maintenance of quality in teaching and the
Topics in Australian Education – ARACY discussion April 2014
Indigenous students skipping school to avoid bullying and racism Experiences of bullying and unfair treatment are a significant factor in explaining school attendance among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, according to Nicholas Biddle from the Australian National University and Naomi Priest of Deakin University. Biddle and Priest note, of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people interviewed, 14% of students aged 14 years and under in 2008 were reported by their carers to have been bullied or treated unfairly due to their Indigenous status in the previous 12 months. This rose to 23% for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students in non-remote parts of the country. Those who experienced bullying were more than twice as likely to miss school without permission.
Push for Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum to be adopted nationally The Federal Government is considering adopting the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum in schools across Australia. The curriculum was developed by the parents of murdered Sunshine Coast schoolboy Daniel Morcombe and the Queensland Government. Bruce Morcombe says Education Minister Christopher Pyne has asked the panel reviewing the Australian curriculum to consider the child safety initiative.
Schoolchildren are being exposed to internet pornography at an increasingly early age, a leading child protection expert says. Freda Briggs, who teaches about child protection at the University of South Australia, said “Some young children have been overexposed to pornography because although you may be a wonderfully protective parent, you often don’t know what your children are seeing on their electronic devices”.
A new Leading Learning in Education and Philanthropy (LLEAP) 2013 Survey Report, from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), looks at the issues around encouraging a culture of philanthropy between schools and communities. LLEAP surveyed schools, philanthropic foundations involved in structured forms of giving, and not-for-profits with programs or services that intersect with schools. A consistent finding of the LLEAP study is that the schools most in need are least equipped to access philanthropic support. Ninety per cent of schools are new or inexperienced when it comes to engaging with philanthropy via the traditional avenue of seeking and applying for grants.
Well-educated parents the key to children who are well-behaved, sociable and read better Well-educated parents produce children who behave, socialise and read better than their classmates, a new Australian study has found. The researchers found parents with a higher education were able to absorb more information about parenting and were then able to better advocate for the children. The project tracked the impact of parental education on a child’s wellbeing over the past 30 years, and found it has consistently remained a key factor in helping to determine whether kids will have behavioural difficulties or strong social and reading skills.
The national school curriculum unfairly assumes all students can do their homework using a computer and the internet at home, a submission to the federal government’s curriculum review has warned. Children’s education charity The Smith Family said a lack of access to a computer and the internet among disadvantaged families could undermine the implementation of the national curriculum. One in five children do not have access to the internet at home and that figure rises to one-third of children aged 5 to 14 in the most disadvantaged families, according to the submission.
Senate NAPLAN inquiry recommends removing school rankings from MySchool website: The senate committee report on Effectiveness of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), recommends: a quicker turnaround of results; the needs of students with disabilities and those from non-English-speaking backgrounds to be taken into account; and close monitoring to ensure published results assist targeted funding and not the development of league tables. The committee considered numerous submissions, including claims children felt ill, cried and lost sleep as a result of NAPLAN. A spokesman for Education Minister Christopher Pyne said the Government would respond “in due course” to the inquiry’s recommendations.
Information re Gonski :
Extract : As common sense suggests, and contrary to the Australian Education Union’s “I Give a Gonski” campaign, a more effective way to raise standards is to have a rigorous curriculum, qualified and committed teachers, strong parental engagement and schools, within broad guidelines, that have the flexibility to manage themselves.
An extract: While the debate rages on, Labor’s history curriculum has already been rolled out into many Australian classrooms. A number of history textbooks that closely reflect the contents of the curriculum are appearing on booklists everywhere. We came across the some of these textbooks while writing our critique of the national curriculum at the Institute of Public Affairs. These books contain so many outrageous statements and factual errors that they were worthy of a critique on their own.
Since Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne announced the review of the national curriculum in January this year, the national curriculum has been a topic of heated debate, and no area of the curriculum has received more attention than history.
The errors and distortions in these textbooks are not just problematic for their own sake: they reveal the fundamental ideological biases of the national curriculum itself.
