News for Tasmanian Teachers

Archive for June 2016

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FEDERAL ELECTION
Streaming is the solution
The Mercury (opinion by Hans Willink), 30 Jun 2016
A return to streaming in high schools would help to solve a lot of the problems facing today's teachers, a Senate candidate writes...

TERRORISM
Turkish bombing
ABC News, 29 Jun 2016
At least 36 people have been killed by suicide bombers at Turkey's Istanbul international airport...

TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Oatlands upgraded
Tas Govt media release, 28 Jun 2016
A $500,000 upgrade at Oatlands District High School was opened today by education minister Jeremy Rockliff...

FEDERAL ELECTION
STEM business link promised
The Advocate, 27 Jun 2016
Parklands High and Burnie High have each been promised a $300,000 participation in the Pathways to Technology program in a future Coalition government. Labor points out that it has policies on promoting STEM such as giving all students the opportunity to learn computer coding...

STUDENT HEALTH
Teen smokers keep falling
The Mercury, 27 Jun 2016
Tobacco use among secondary school students is continuing to fall, a Cancer Council survey shows...

LITERACY AND NUMERACY
Another school in LIFT
The Advocate, 26 Jun 2016
Sprent Primary School has joined 80 others in taking up the Learning in Families Together (LIFT) program...

TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Big Picture School opens
Tas Govt media release, 24 Jun 2016
As a demonstration school the enhanced Big Picture School in Launceston is only the fourth of its kind in Australia...

WORLD NEWS
Shock Brexit poll: UK votes to leave the EU
PM David Cameron to resign by October
ABC News, 24 Jun 2016
The United Kingdom has voted 51.9 per cent to 48.1 per cent to leave the European Union. Prime Minister David Cameron has announced he will resign later this year. The British pound has tumbled 10 per cent...
See BBC results figures
Second Scottish independence vote now likely, BBC, 24 Jun 2016

LITERACY
Dyslexie doubts
The Conversation (opinion by Eva Marinus and Kevin Wheldall), 22 Jun 2016
The claimed benefits of the Dyslexie font are small and largely due to letter spacing rather than the special shape of the letters themselves, two researchers say...

STEM
Make maths and science compulsory?
The Examiner, 21 Jun 2016
The range of abilities up to Year 12 level would have to be catered for if the Prime Minister's call for science and maths to be compulsory was put into practice, UTAS professor Kim Beswick says...

LITERACY
Reading Challenge underway
The Examiner, 21 Jun 2016
The 10-week Premier's Reading Challenge has begun at Summerdale Primary and many other schools across Tasmania...

LITERACY AND NUMERACY
Tas, Vic and NSW top three NAPLAN states relatively speaking
The Mercury, 19 Jun 2016
Tasmania's primary school children are punching above their weight when socio-economic circumstances are taken into account in examining their 2015 Year 3 NAPLAN results, the Australian Local Government Association's 2016-17 State of the Regions Report shows...

EARLY LEARNING
B4 coalition to aim for A1 outcomes
Tas Govt media release, 18 Jun 2016
The Chair of the Early Years Foundation of Tasmania, Elizabeth Daly, and the Commissioner for Children, Mark Morrissey, will co-chair B4, an early years coalition whose aim is to improve early years outcomes in Tasmania, education minister Jeremy Rockliff said today...
B4 established as school starting age issues loom, ABC News, 18 Jun 2016

TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Flood damage problem for Dunalley Primary
ABC News, 18 Jun 2016
Dunalley Primary School was ravished by bushfires in 2013, and now the rebuilt school gets flooded by heavy rains...

SCHOOL STARTING AGE
So what will they learn?
Tas Greens media release, 14 Jun 2016
Although education minister Jeremy Rockliff has said allowances will be made for four-and-a-half year-olds who are not ready to enter the classroom but are required to start school under proposed changes to the Education Act, he has not shed light on just what education they will be part of, Greens education spokesperson Andrea Dawkins says...

LITERACY AND NUMERACY
LIFT brings in parents
The Examiner, 13 Jun 2016
Sheffield School is one of 80 Tasmanian schools implementing the Learning in Families Together (LIFT) program to improve student learning opportunities...

GENES AND NURTURE
Genes important
The Conversation (opinion by Brian Byrne, Katrina Grasby and Richard Olson), 13 Jun 2016
Although children's genes can have up to an 80 per cent influence on their academic success there are still reasons to spend money on education, three academics write...

BASSLINK
Basslink back
ABC News, 13 Jun 2016
The Basslink cable resumed operation at 11.51am today. The Internet connection has been working since Friday...
Basslink cable returns to full service, The Mercury, 13 Jun 2016
Return to service welcomed, Tas Govt media release, 13 Jun 2016

TERRORISM
Over 100 shot in nightclub
ABC News, 13 Jun 2016
The United States has suffered its worst mass shooting with 50 people being killed and 53 injured by a lone gunman in an Orlando, Florida, gay nightclub...

SCHOOL STARTING AGE
Naptime: NAPLAN and nappies to coalesce?
ABC News, 12 Jun 2016
The state government's plan to lower the kindergarten starting age to three-and-a-half years has sparked controversy with some children being still in nappies at that age and the potential for disadvantaged students to be labelled negatively earlier - all at a time when the possibility of introducing NAPLAN-style testing in the early years has been raised...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Body's identity confirmed
ABC News, 11 Jun 2016
The body found on a beach in Brazil has been identified as that of missing Tasmanian Rye Hunt...

TASMANIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
Years 9-12 to be reviewed
Tas Govt media release, 11 Jun 2016
The state government is to commission a review of the Years 9-12 component of Tasmania's education system, the draft report to be provided to education minister Jeremy Rockliff by November this year...

MINISTERIAL INTEGRITY
Minister suspended
ABC News, 10 Jun 2016
Mining minister Adam Brooks has been suspended temporarily after having denied using his company email account but later saying he had misunderstood the question about it...
Email audit could take several weeks, Will Hodgman, Premier, 10 Jun 2016
Adam Brooks has resigned from Cabinet, Tas Govt media release, 13 Jun 2016

BASSLINK
Basslink returns on Tuesday
ABC Radio, 10 Jun 2016
Basslink have announced that the Basslink cable and Internet connection are expected to return to normal use on Tuesday 14 June 2016...

TASMANIAN FLOODS
Port of Devonport to re-open today
ABC Radio, 10 Jun 2016
The Port of Devonport will re-open at 10.00am today...
TasPorts news page
Spirit of Tasmania ferries to resume tonight, ABC News, 10 Jun 2016

STUDENT HEALTH
Quit competition opens
quittas.org.au, 9 Jun 2016
Anti-smoking educational and support group Quit Tasmania has launched the 2016 Critics' Choice anti-tobacco schools program and competition for students. Students and schools can win prizes...

STUDENT SUPPORT
Disability boost
Tas Govt media release, 8 Jun 2016
Education minister Jeremy Rockliff says the 2016-17 Budget provides an additional $4.09 million for students with a disability and that the new taskforce recommendations implementation group, "Inclusion Advisory Panel - Disability Focus", will have its first meeting today...

BASSLINK
Basslink cable joined
The Examiner, 8 Jun 2016
The Basslink cable has finally been repaired and will now be tested...

TEACHER NUMBERS
More teachers now
Tas Govt media release, 6 Jun 2016
Education minister Jeremy Rockliff says that as there are now 17.7 more full-time equivalent teachers in DoE schools than in 2014 it is nonsense to still call for teacher numbers to be restored to the 2014 level...
A selected base month could be hiding an actual reduction in teacher numbers, Andrea Dawkins, Greens education spokesperson, 8 Jun 2016

SPORT
Muhammad Ali dies
ABC News, 4 Jun 2016

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74....

WEATHER ALERT
Severe weather coming
The Mercury, 4 Jun 2016
Strong winds and heavy rain are forecast for much of Tasmania on Sunday and Monday...
Current weather warnings (BoM)

BULLYING AND SEX ED
Safe Schools co-founder suspended
The Age, 2 Jun 2016
A controversy over the extent to which academics have freedom of speech has erupted following La Trobe University's suspension of Safe Schools Coalition co-founder Roz Ward after she posted a Facebook message that referred to "the racist Australian flag"...
Safe Schools co-founder reinstated after suspension, ABC News, 4 Jun 2016

COMPUTER SECURITY
Another stolen passwords alert
Aust Govt DCA website, 2 Jun 2016
Three social media sites (Reddit, Tumblr and Myspace) are advising users to change their passwords immediately and to be alert to phishing attempts, following thefts of passwords and email addresses...
Reddit message
Tumblr message
Myspace message

With $5 million from the state government and $10 million from the Paul Ramsay Foundation the Beacon Foundation will work with students in selected Tasmanian schools over the next five years in a pilot program to build an effective bridge between individual schools and local businesses...