TasLearnNewsArchive

News for Tasmanian Teachers

 

Archive for November 2014

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Winnie the Pooh (Image from Herald-Sun)PROTECTING CHILDREN
Ban on Winnie the Pooh prompts list of Pooh Bear lessons
HeraldSun, 27 Nov 2014
Following a Polish council's ban on Winnie the Pooh on the grounds he is not dressed below the waist and is not an appropriate role model for children as he lacks genitalia, a reporter lists ten life lessons we can learn from Pooh Bear
...

Bullet Polish council bans Winnie the Pooh, news.com.au, 21 Nov 2014

Candy cane (Image from Microsoft)HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Queensland schools ban Christmas candy canes
CourierMail, 29 Nov 2014
At least six Queensland schools have banned students from exchanging Christmas candy canes and other lollies because of their high sugar content...

Victorian election 2014
Labor wins
LIVE RESULTS
ABC News

 


INDUSTRIAL ACTION

Parents facing effects of school cuts
The Mercury, 29 Nov 2014
Industrial action
Parents are assessing how cuts to school staff numbers will affect a range of special programs...

Bullet Too late for a pay freeze now, The Mercury (opinion by Peter Gutwein), 29 Nov 2014
Bullet It was the government that rejected the pay freeze, The Mercury (opinion by Tom Lynch), 29 Nov 2014

 

STUDENT SEXUAL ABUSE
Masterclass in betrayal
The Mercury, 29 Nov 2014
Justice
The Mercury sums up the five days of hearings recently held in Hobart by the Royal Commission into Institutional Reponses to Child Sexual Abuse...

Bullet Apologies should have been given to more students, The Mercury, 29 Nov 2014
Bullet Shining a light into the dark, The Mercury (editorial), 29 Nov 2014

Teen issuesSTUDENT SUPPORT
Jump in suicides by very young teens
ABC (The World Today), 28 Nov 2014
Newly released Australian statistics show an incredibly alarming rise in deaths from self harm by 12- and 13-year-olds...

Bullet Children as young as three self-harming, The Mercury, 30 Nov 2014

NW TasmaniaSCHOOL MERGERS
New Penguin school congratulated
Tas Govt media release, 28 Nov 2014
The Minister for Education and Training, Jeremy Rockliff, today congratulated the new Penguin District High School, which results from a merger between Penguin Primary and Penguin High, for surviving its first year...

Industrial actionINDUSTRIAL ACTION
More protests ahead
The Mercury, 28 Nov 2014
Parents say they will be running their own campaigns against cuts to jobs in government schools...

Bullet Unions threaten further action, The Examiner, 28 Nov 2014

SPORT
Cricketer dies
ABC News, 27 Nov 2014
Cricketer Phillip Hughes has died after receiving a head injury at the Sydney Cricket Ground two days ago...

INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Work to rule, unions vow
The Mercury, 27 Nov 2014
Industrial action
Public sector union members have supported sanctions to work to rule and stop providing unpaid overtime, and urged the state government to implement the unions' pay freeze proposal...

Bullet
Strike chaos,The Mercury, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet Thousands to take action, AEU website, 27 Nov 2014

Bullet Thousands rally, ABC News, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet Thousands protest, The Examiner, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet Thousands stand against cuts, The Examiner, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet Put freeze on election promises spending, Michelle O'Byrne, Opposition education spokesperson, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet Premier should have intervened, Kim Booth, Greens leader, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet Message to Parliament - media release from public sector unions, AEU website, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet Message to Parliament on wage freeze - from public sector unions [pdf], AEU website, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet Government not budging,  The Mercury, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet The pay freeze is now off the table, Peter Gutwein, Treasurer, 27 Nov 2014
Bullet Government rejects AEU's attempt to involve the Industrial Commission, Peter Gutwein, Treasurer, 27 Nov 2014

AEUStop Work Meetings
Thursday, 27 November 2014

See AEU Stop Work Meetings web page

 

INDUSTRIAL ACTION
No sackings, says Minister
Tas Govt media release, 26 Nov 2014
Industrial action
Department of Education savings equivalent to 266 full-time equivalent staff will not be made through sackings but by other methods such as the Workforce Renewal Incentive Program which has already received 556 expressions of interest from DoE employees, education minister Jeremy Rockliff says...

Bullet Public servants keen to leave, The Examiner, 26 Nov 2014
Bullet Parents back teachers in strike, ABC News, 26 Nov 2014
Bullet Education union gives government 'a chance', The Advocate, 26 Nov 2014

INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Parents upset over student-free day
The Examiner, 26 Nov 2014
Industrial action
Parents have expressed concerns about rushed child care arrangements, having to take time off work and children being left alone at home due to the full day being declared a student-free day tomorrow...

Bullet Parents caught in the middle, The Mercury, 26 Nov 2014
Bullet Parents scramble to arrange carers, The Advocate, 25 Nov 2014

STUDENT SEXUAL ABUSE
Hutchins head and teacher had admitted abuse, says police commissioner
ABC News, 25 Nov 2014
JusticeF
ormer police commissioner Richard McCreadie told the abuse royal commission today that a former Hutchins headmaster and a teacher had admitted sexually abusing students but that they then fled to Britain and South Africa...

Bullet Staff confessed abuse, The Mercury, 25 Nov 2014
Bullet School misguided not to apologise, says headmaster, ABC News, 25 Nov 2014

STUDENT SEXUAL ABUSE
Hutchins board showed lack of compassion, says bishop
The Mercury, 25 Nov 2014
Justice
The Hutchins board should have given sexual abuse victims an apology, the Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, John Harrower, told a royal commission yesterday...

Bullet A matter for the board, not the headmaster, says bishop, The Examiner, 24 Nov 2014

INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Thursday to be student free day
Tas Govt media release, 24 Nov 2014
Industrial action
Thursday this week, 27 November, will be a student free day in view of the attendance of staff at stop-work meetings to be held over the pay freeze issue and job losses. Education minister Jeremy Rockliff says the day will be deducted from next year's allocation of student free days...

Bullet Government cancels public school classes, The Mercury, 24 Nov 2014
Bullet No pay for time taken off work on Thursday, Peter Gutwein Treasurer, 24 Nov 2014
Bullet Schools hold emergency meetings, ABC News, 24 Nov 2014
Bullet School doors close as teachers take action, The Advocate, 25 Nov 2014
Bullet Political impact not student safety the aim, says Opposition, ABC News, 25 Nov 2014
Bullet Some schools could have accommodated students, says Opposition leader, The Mercury, 25 Nov 2014
Bullet Previous government was more harsh than us but unions didn't strike then, says Treasurer, Tas Govt media release, 25 Nov 2014
Bullet Education minister reiterates student safety concern and says unions could have held stop-work at 3pm to reduce disruption, Tas Govt media release, 25 Nov 2014
Bullet Union members will be back at school by 10.30am yet the Government will lock students out, AEU news release, 25 Nov 2014
Bullet AEU Stop Work Meetings web page
Bullet AEU news releases

Bullet Negotiate, says principals' group president, The Advocate, 25 Nov 2014

TEACHING METHODS
'Chalk and talk' lessons might be best after all
The Conversation (opinion by Kevin Donnelly), 24 Nov 2014
Chinese flag
An observation of Chinese teaching methods by UK teachers has concluded that the traditional teacher-directed approach appears to be more effective than the kind of collaborative and inquiry-based approach adopted in the UK and Australia...

Bullet On the other hand, see Why are East Asian children so far ahead?, The Conversation, 9 Oct 2014

STUDENT SEXUAL ABUSE
Hutchins headmaster says handling old abuse claims not his job
ABC News, 24 Nov 2014
Justice
A former headmaster of the Hutchins School has told the child sexual abuse royal commission that handling old abuse claims was not his 'active jurisdiction'...

Bullet Up to the board, not me, The Examiner, 24 Nov 2014

JusticeSTUDENT SEXUAL ABUSE
Hutchins employee told to hang up on certain callers
ABC News, 23 Nov 2014
Documents released to the sexual abuse royal commission show that a Hutchins employee was told to hang up on 'people masquerading as media'...

PUBLIC SECTOR JOB CUTS
AEU campaigns against job cuts
The Mercury, 22 Nov 2014
AEU
The AEU has begun a campaign to highlight the impact of public sector job cuts on Tasmanian students and schools...

Bullet AEU releases figures to show job cuts are to pay for election promises, AEU website, 19 Nov 2014
Bullet Moonah Primary parent concerned fundraising will now be needed for basic services, The Mercury, 23 Nov 2014
Bullet Teacher job cuts due to unions being selfish in rejecting pay freeze, says Minister, Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Education and Training, 23 Nov 2014

FINANCIAL LITERACY
Focus on teens and financial literacy 
Curriculum & Leadership Journal (Peter Kell), 21 Nov 2014
Coins (Microsoft image)
In the light of an ASIC-funded PISA survey of teenagers' financial literacy skills the ASIC Deputy Chairman, Peter Kell, highlights the need for such literacy and the outlines the key components of the Australian Government's current educational strategy embodied in the MoneySmart program...

Bullet How to turn a teenager into a money-savvy adult, The Age, 17 Nov 2014
Bullet Financing the Future: Australian students' results in the PISA 2012 Financial Literacy assessment [pdf], ACER, 2014

STUDENT SEXUAL ABUSE
Anglican Church had no power over Anglican school, bishop says
ABC News, 21 Nov 2014
Justice
A former assistant bishop of the Anglican diocese told the sexual abuse royal commission that he had no authority over Hutchins School matters...

Bullet Lawyers told Hutchins of danger a sexual abuse victim might go public, The Mercury, 21 Nov 2014

Bullet Church should not investigate itself, bishop says, The Examiner, 21 Nov 2014
Bullet Former headmaster denies cover-up, The Mercury, 22 Nov 2014

Computer (Image from Microsoft)TEACHING COMPUTER CODING
Outsiders needed for coding skills support
The Age, 21 Nov 2014
A shortage of teachers who can teach computer coding is forcing schools to call on the assistance of professional coders...

Girl at computer (Image from Microsoft)COMPUTER LITERACY
Girls now beat boys in computer literacy
SMH, 20 Nov 2014
An international study has found that Australian girls are more computer literate than Australian boys...

Bullet Tas students below Australian average in computer literacy but compare well with other countries, The Mercury, 21 Nov 2014

STUDENT SEXUAL ABUSE
Hutchins apologises for sexual abuse - after 20 years
The Mercury, 20 Nov 2014
Justice
A former Hutchins student who had been sexually abused by the principal in the mid-1960s first requested an apology during the 1990s but received one only a month ago as the Royal Commission loomed...

Bullet Second abused student told he should be ashamed of himself, ABC News, 19 Nov 2014
Bullet Headmaster in 2002 said current school community did not consider itself accountable, The Examiner, 19 Nov 2014
Bullet Six teachers were believed to be pedophiles, says former teacher, The Examiner, 20 Nov 2014
Bullet Up to eight involved in 1960s sexual abuse, inquiry told, ABC News, 20 Nov 2014
Bullet School covered up abuse, former teacher tells Royal Commission, The Mercury, 20 Nov 2014
Bullet Teacher 'sick of working with pedophiles', The Mercury, 21 Nov 2014

TasmaniaRETENTION TO YEAR 12
Tas retention study highlights the problems
The Mercury (opinion by Neil Cranston), 19 Nov 2014
There is quite a range of reasons why a low proportion of Tasmanian students continue their education through to the end of Year 12, writes Professor Neil Cranston following a joint study by the University of Tasmania and the Department of Education...

 

VISIT OF THE CHINESE PRESIDENT TO HOBART
Tue 18 Nov 2014
Traffic and bus disruptions

UPDATE 4.10pm: The Chinese president's movements appear to be about an hour and a half behind schedule, so take this delay into account when checking the following links.
See
Metro busBullet
Metro website, especially points 2, 3 and 4 concerning Hobart's inner southern suburbs. All bus services including school services will run, but with possible delays.
See also
Bullet Police website: Traffic disruptions, and
Bullet
The Mercury, 17 Nov 2014.

 

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
Spatial technology for three schools
Tas Govt media release, 18 Nov 2014
Taroona High, Devonport High and Lilydale District School are the first Tasmanian schools to have GPS satellite receiver stations to link into a Spatial Discovery program...

President Xi JinpingPRESIDENTIAL VISITS
Chinese president to meet Tas Grade 5 class
The Examiner, 17 Nov 2014
China's President Xi Jinping will plant a tree in Hobart with 21 Grade 5 students from Launceston's Scotch Oakburn College...

Bullet Play and study in China, says President Xi to students, The Examiner, 18 Nov 2014

Michelle O'ByrnePUBLIC SECTOR JOB CUTS
Threat to school programs and class sizes
The Examiner, 16 Nov 2014
Cutting staff from the Education Department will have an adverse effect on school programs and class sizes, Opposition education spokesperson Michelle O'Byrne says ...

Bullet Public servants could individually appeal, says former TIC President, The Mercury, 17 Nov 2014

Metro busSTUDENT TRANSPORT
Get student bus card by 2 January
Tas Govt media release, 16 Nov 2014
Students are encouraged to apply early for their Student GreenCard, infrastructure minister Rene Hidding says ...

STUDENT HEALTH AND SAFETY
Sun protection reminder
The Examiner, 16 Nov 2014
Cancer Council of Tasmania
Richie Benaud's skin cancer revelation has prompted a warning for children from the Cancer Council of Tasmania and a comment by parents' group president Jenny Eddington that teachers find it hard to ensure high school students comply with the DoE's sun protection policy...

Bullet SunSmart program for schools, Cancer Council of Tasmania
Bullet
Sun Protection Policy [pdf], Department of Education

Jimmy Fallon inhales helium (Daily Mail image)STUDENT SAFETY
Inhaling helium can kill
news.com.au, 15 Nov 2014
The Donald Duck voice people get by inhaling helium from balloons is no laughing matter with statistics showing that an alarming number of people die in the process...

EDUCATION SYSTEMS
Why do Finland's kids do so well in tests?
FinlandThe Conversation (comment by Arja Virta and Kristina Heikkila), 14 Nov 2014
Finnish children spend less time at school and their government spends a lower proportion of the budget on education than do many other countries, but Finland often tops international league tables - perhaps partly because there is little variation between schools...

PUBLIC SECTOR JOB CUTS
How job cuts will affect schools
Tas Govt media release, 13 Nov 2014
Jeremy Rockliff
Education minister Jeremy Rockliff says implementation of the public sector job cuts will involve a maximum of two full-time staff being cut from schools and four from colleges, but that sixteen small schools will be exempt...

Bullet Schools and colleges to shed jobs (includes list of schools exempted), ABC News, 13 Nov 2014
Bullet Freeze should be on unaffordable election promises instead, Bryan Green, Leader of the Opposition, 13 Nov 2014
Bullet Student-to-staff ratio will still be better than the national average, Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Education and Training, 13 Nov 2014
Bullet Big impact from school cuts, The Examiner, 13 Nov 2014
Bullet Govt giving money for Gonski reforms but clawing back funds through job cuts, Nick McKim, Greens education spokesperson, 13 Nov 2014

Frank MacDonaldANZAC COMMEMORATIONS
Anzac competition prize winners announced
Tas Govt media release, 13 Nov 2014
The six Tasmanian students who have won the 2014-15 Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize have been named ...

NATIONAL CURRICULUM REVIEW
What's next for the curriculum review?
The Conversation (comment by Marie Brennan), 13 Nov 2014
Australian Curriculum
Will the Review of the Australian Curriculum have an impact on  what is taught in schools? When will key decisions be made? ...

TASMANIAN STUDENTS
History Challenge winners announced
Tas Govt media release, 12 Nov 2014
The Premier, Will Hodgman, has congratulated the five Tasmanian students who have won prizes in the National History Challenge Awards...

PUBLIC SECTOR PAY FREEZE
Tas public sector strike set for 27 November
ABC News, 11 Nov 2014
Industrial action
Public sector workers are set to strike for two hours on Thursday, 27 November over the Tasmanian government's pay freeze ultimatum...

Bullet Two-hour strike looms, The Mercury, 11 Nov 2014
Bullet No supervision until 10.30am, says AEU, The Examiner, 11 Nov 2014
Bullet Pay freeze now off the table, Peter Gutwein, Treasurer, 12 Nov 2014

Professor Kate Warner (From ABC image)New Tasmanian Governor announced
ABC News, 10 Nov 2014
Professor Kate Warner from the Law Faculty of the University of Tasmania is to be the next Governor of Tasmania.

STUDENT DISCIPLINE
Uniform policy enforced very strictly
Northern Star, 9 Nov 2014
United Kingdom
The head teacher of a UK secondary school sent home 152 students in one day for not wearing the correct school uniform...

TQASTUDENT ASSESSMENT
Exams loom
Tas Govt media release, 8 Nov 2014
The end-of-year TCE examinations begin on Monday for over 7,100 Tasmanian Year 11 and 12 students...

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Back to the negotiating table for Catholic schools
The Advocate, 8 Nov 2014
Catholic school staff have voted down a proposed single enterprise agreement...

Disability fundingSTUDENT SUPPORT
Disability submissions call
Tas Govt media release, 7 Nov 2014
The Tasmanian government's education for students with a disability taskforce is calling for submissions, the due date being 19 December 2014...

EDUCATION JOB CUTS
70 TasTAFE jobs to go
ABC News, 6 Nov 2014
TasTAFE
Education minister Jeremy Rockliff has confirmed that 70 jobs across TasTAFE will be cut to meet state government savings requirements...

Bullet TasTAFE Team Leaders and team numbers to be reduced, too, Nick McKim, Greens education spokesperson, 6 Nov 2014
Bullet TasTAFE becoming more effective and competitive, Jeremy Rockliff, education minister, 6 Nov 2014

PUBLIC SECTOR PAY FREEZE
Pay freeze dispute to return to TIC
ABC News, 6 Nov 2014
MoneyThe public sector pay freeze dispute is to return to the Industrial Commission following the revelation that the government had prepared an offer to be made to the unions...

Bullet Offer to unions still stands, Peter Gutwein, Treasurer, 6 Nov 2014
Bullet Offer with costings must be formally made to unions, Kim Booth, Greens leader, 6 Nov 2014

Disability fundingSTUDENT SUPPORT
Parents fear disability funding cuts
The Mercury, 6 Nov 2014
Parents of students with a disability are concerned that in-school support funding for their children will be reduced next year...

Southern TasmaniaSTUDENT SUPPORT
Autism unit for Lindisfarne North
The Mercury, 5 Nov 2014
The relocated Lindisfarne North Primary School will trial an autism unit from Term 2 2015, education minister Jeremy Rockliff says...

Teacher teachingTEACHING PRACTICE
'No consequences' education harmful
The Conversation (comment by Rachael Sharman), 5 Nov 2014
UK research has found that heaping continual unwarranted praise on students may set many up to be unemployable...

SCHOOL CHAPLAINS
School chaplains secured
Tas Govt media release, 4 Nov 2014
School chaplains
The Tasmanian and Australian governments have finally signed a school chaplaincy agreement, but the Feds have got their way in insisting that no secular welfare workers be funded through the agreement...

Bullet Backdown a blow to school autonomy, Nick McKim Greens education spokesperson, 4 Nov 2014
Bullet Failure an ominous warning of what more could come, Michelle O'Byrne, Labor education spokesperson, 4 Nov 2014
Bullet Nationwide job loss for hundreds of student welfare officers, The Age, 4 Nov 2014

DRIVER EDUCATION
Speedier licence for learner drivers
Tas Govt media release, 4 Nov 2014
L-plateThe state government has removed an unnecessary delay from the process of acquiring a learners driving licence, infrastructure minister Rene Hidding says...

Bullet Rotary Youth Driver Awareness program targets Year 10 students, Rene Hidding, Minister for Infrastructure, 23 Oct 2014

PUBLIC SECTOR PAY FREEZE
Govt rejects TIC pay freeze recommendation
The Mercury, 3 Nov 2014
MoneyThe Tasmanian government has rejected the recommendation of the Tasmanian Industrial Commission to freeze government employees' pay for 12 months...

Bullet Recommendation does not provide required savings, Peter Gutwein, Treasurer, 3 Dec 2014
Bullet Gutwein rejects umpire's pay freeze recommendation, ABC News, 3 Dec 2014
Bullet Unions are saving face, Peter Gutwein, Treasurer, 4 Nov 2014

EDUCATION
The state of education in Tasmania
The Mercury, 1 Nov 2014
TasmaniaA number of community leaders have provided their views on what needs to be done to improve the Tasmanian education system...

NAPLAN
NAPLAN results a reliable performance predictor
NAPLANThe Age, 1 Nov 2014
Students' Year 9 NAPLAN results are a useful predictor of their success in gaining entry to university, research shows...

 

 

 

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