News for Tasmanian Teachers

Archive for July 2022

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CORONAVIRUS
New COVID cases drop below 1,000
Tas Govt media release, 30 Jul 2022
The number of new Coronavirus cases in Tasmania has fallen to 923.
Sunday's figure of 649 new cases is lower still, Tas Govt media release, 31 Jul 2022

RETENTION TO YEARS 11 AND 12
Retention rates rise
Tas Govt media release, 28 Jul 2022
Of the 2019 Year 10 cohort, 86.1 per cent continued to Year 11 and 76.9 per cent to Year 12, both significant rises in retention rates, TASC data shows.

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
Curriculum culture war looming?
The Conversation (opinion by Stewart Riddle), 27 Jul 2022
New federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton says the school curriculum and education reform will be among his priorities, but an education academic stresses it is the education authorities that determine curriculum in Australia.

TASMANIAN POLITICS
Yet another Minister resigns
Tas Govt media release, 25 Jul 2022
Tasmania's Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Jacquie Petrusma, has resigned.
New MP Felix Ellis will join the Cabinet.

TEACHING PROFESSION
Teaching for Tasmania
Tas Govt media release, 21 Jul 2022

The Tasmanian government will spend an additional $1.3 million on the Teach for Australia program which will convert non-teaching graduates into Tasmanian teachers, education minister Roger Jaensch says.

COVID AND SCHOOLS
Masks necessary in schools
Tas Greens website, 19 Jul 2022
With Victoria's students in grade 8 and above being required to wear masks indoors in winter, there needs to be a similar expectation in Tasmania, not just a recommendation, Greens health spokesperson Rosalie Woodruff says.
Plan for school COVID outbreaks needed, Josh Willie, Labor education spokesperson, 22 Jul 2022
Masks "strongly recommended", Roger Jaensch,  Minister for Education, 22 Jul 2022

COVID AND STUDENT LEARNING
Masks have only mild impact on learning
The Conversation (opinion by Julia Schwarz), 19 Jul 2022
A small study suggests that the change in a person's voice caused by a mask inhibits children's understanding more than the hiding of lip movements does. However, the overall adverse effect of masks on learning was found to be relatively mild.

ASTRONOMY
World starstruck
The Conversation (opinion by Karl Glazebrook and Simon Driver), 13 Jul 2022

Incredible images of galaxies far away that you thought you would never see have been released

WOMEN
Women needed for Roll
Tas Govt media release, 12 Jul 2022
Nominations of Tasmanian women and women's organisations for the 2023 Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women are needed by Sunday 2 October 2022, Minister for Women Jo Palmer says.

TEACHING PROFESSION
The cost of teacher bashing
The Conversation (opinion by Nicole Mockler), 11 Jul 2022
Disproportionately negative comments about teachers by the media have discouraged young people from joining the profession, the author of a book on the issue says.

CORONAVIRUS
Antiviral access widened
Tas Govt media release, 10 Jul 2022
From tomorrow (Monday) the government will make it easier for eligible people to obtain antivirals which help to fight off the more serious effects of COVID-19 if taken shortly after testing positive.

JAPAN
Shinzo Abe shot
ABC News, 8 Jul 2022
Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has been shot from behind while delivering a speech.
UPDATE 3.47pm: Abe is in a critical condition in hospital.
UPDATE 7.00pm: Shinzo Abe is reported to have died in hospital.

UK POLITICS
Boris agrees to resign
BBC News, 7 Jul 2022
British PM Boris Johnson has announced his resignation but he will not leave immediately in order to allow for a new Prime Minister to be found.

UK POLITICS
Boris doomed?
BBC News, 7 Jul 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suffered a massive loss of support from his ministers yet he appears to be fighting to hold on.

His address to the nation, due to occur at 9.30pm AEST, may indicate what his next step is.

ANZAC COMMEMORATIONS
Anzac essay entries invited
Tas Govt media release, 6 Jul 2022
Year 9 students interested in Australia's military history are invited to enter the Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize Essay Competition which focuses on World War 1 and its impact, Minister for Veterans' Affairs Guy Barnett has announced.

COVID AND SCHOOLS
Term 3 COVID plan released
Tas Govt media release, 5 Jul 2022
The Tasmanian COVID-safe schools plan for Term 3 has been released.

COVID-safe schools operational plan (DoE)

TEACHING PROFESSION
Online learning to the rescue?
The Conversation (opinion by Ken Purnell), 1 Jul 2022
A hybrid model combining face-to-face teaching and online learning could help to solve Australia's teacher shortage problem, an education professor suggests.