Is “Principal power” really a good thing?
The Prime Minister launched her “Let Julia Be Julia” gambit on Sunday, accompanied by a proclamation that one of her key second term goals is to give schools autonomy – “Principal power”. According to an article in the Fin Review [...]
“Let Julia Be Julia”
Julia Gillard has just been on ABC News 24, saying she’s tearing up the script, and will henceforth campaign in a manner that eschews scripted lines. This is the “Let Julia Be Julia” strategy, which will be familiar to the [...]
Teacher bashing round #176838
Sheesh, election years can be depressing some times. If it’s not having the green lycra clad form of Action Man Abbott on the tv screen for 9 days in a row, or craven policy reversals on brown people in boats, [...]
The reception and implementation of the National History Curriculum
A while back, Kevin Rudd proclaimed the history wars over. He may have been right, at least insofar as the combatants left on the field are looking decidely ghostly; witness the non-event of the launch of Keith Windschuttle’s latest tome. [...]
Teach for Queensland
The Queensland government is pondering the introduction of the ‘Teach for Australia‘ model into state schools. The idea, trialled in Victoria and inspired by an American programme, is to fast track graduates with Bachelor’s degrees in any discipline into classrooms [...]
Signs and wonders! Miracles! Courtesy of John Howard…
When John Howard’s government announced funding for school chaplains in public schools, then Education Minister Julie Bishop (remember her?) claimed it was all about instilling “values” in the kiddies. Apparently, the fruits of the program have exceeded expectations: GOD has [...]
Allegations of academic bias in universities and schools: The Senate Report
As a parting gift to the nation, the Coalition majority in the Senate set up an inquiry into academic bias, at the instigation of the Young Liberals. It’s been discussed extensively before at LP on a number of occasions. The [...]
"Bill Henson principal" cleared
Hardly any great surprise here: An investigation by the Victorian Education Department has cleared the principal who allowed artist Bill Henson to scout St Kilda Park Primary School for talent of any wrongdoing. The State Government is also refusing to [...]
History's children
Reporting of the initial proposals from the National Curriculum Board for directions for history teaching in schools is concentrating on the suggestion that Australian history be embedded within global contexts. Given that there has already been a predictable furore of [...]
Happy World Teachers' Day!
A bit of a shoutout to all the teachers out there on the intertubes – we love youse all! Today is World Teachers’ Day. I’m sure there are very few of us who don’t remember teachers who made significant differences [...]
Rudd unwhacked
By Mark Bahnisch on March 2, 2010
Newspoll came in last night with essentially a status quo result, with both parties one point up on primaries (and the 2PP changing one point down each way to 52-48 because of a measured fall in The Greens’ primary.) I [...]
Posted in Elections, Media, Politics, Polls | Tagged ALP, Apology, Aston by-election, Coalition, commentariat, contrition, education revolution, Elections, Federal Election 2010, gordon brown, health policy, hospitals, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Labor, Media, national curriculum, Newspoll, Peter Beattie, political communication, polling, Polls, rhetoric, school education, The Greens, Tony Abbott | 61 Responses