Talking about a(n Education) Revolution
With apologies to Tracy Chapman. The Gonski Review into School Funding is to report shortly, and yesterday an Essential Research poll found opinion split largely on partisan lines over the BER projects, but intriguingly with a much more favourable view [...]
Culture Wars: Self fulfilling prophecy time
The peak body representing Australian Universities has adopted The National Best Practice Framework for Indigenous Cultural Competency in Australian Universities. Not something, if you read the key points, I’d have thought should be overly controversial.
More distortions on the BER
The front-page article in The Australian on Saturday, July 9 under the headline “BER waste blows out to $1.1bn” is an example of the crap mentioned by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the National Press Club on Thursday, July 14.
Qanda, faith and reason, Fred Nile and ethics classes
Fred Nile today is threatening to torpedo Barry O’Farrell’s public sector wages squeeze if ethics classes aren’t abolished. I can’t even begin to list the ironies. But I’ll try.
The last publicly-educated generation?
If we remain complacent, it is quite likely that children born this year will be the last to enjoy free, secular and universal secondary education in NSW. (OH&S warning: Long and winding post. No overtaking for 2000 words. Snack recommended.) [...]
Scaring the children
Children are being scared by doomsday climate change scenarios presented in schools, according to an article in The Daily Telegraph. The paper also ran an editorial and there was a story in the Oz last month. Material produced by the [...]
A CEF anomaly: postgraduate scholarship students
While the main thrust of the Clean Energy Future (can we call it the CEF from now on?) package seems reasonable, there was inevitably going to be a case or two that needs clarification. One such case is that of [...]
The Victorian State Budget: “What the…?”
In the Victorian State budget brought down yesterday, the Baillieu government was keen to tell us that we were in for austerity in education spending – they’re aiming for over $300 million in cuts in the next 4 years “in [...]
Literacy skills not only lacking in the trades
If saw the front page of the Opposition Organ or ABC online yesterday, you’ll have seen stories about Millions behind on basic skills, or Report shows 8 million workers lack job skills. It’s also attracted the attention of Harry Clarke. [...]
I can’t say I get this Bible = Western civ thing
Stupid talking point of Ozpolitics of the day – Julia Gillard’s view that the Bible should be taught so that the kiddies can understand where literature and Western culture is coming from (hint – second bit more important, for all [...]
Schools funding: beyond the dog’s breakfast?
The funding of schools has for over forty years been a source of strident debate and sectarian conflict in Australia, the subject of a seemingly inexorable blame-game fought between the Federal and State Governments, and a fight for resources waged [...]
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