Teachers urged to talk about effects of NAPLAN
Josephine Tovey Teachers and principals should take advantage of parliamentary privilege and speak honestly about the effects of the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy testing at an upcoming snap...
Principal tells parents they can opt out of NAPLAN
Josephine Tovey As more than 1 million students sit down to NAPLAN tests from Tuesday, one principal has a clear message for parents and students: don't believe the hype.
NAPLAN results used as entry criteria for private schools
Josephine Tovey Private schools are asking for students' NAPLAN test results as part of their enrolment applications and selection process, a move some education experts warn could fuel pressure on children to...
Fish oil ads linked to test results are removed
Josephine Tovey A company has withdrawn advertisements linking children's dietary supplements and NAPLAN test results after just two days following a public backlash.
Money for the less fortunate - it's about investment
Josephine Tovey Seeing students from poorer backgrounds fall behind is not easy for a passionate principal to observe.
Premiers baulk at $14b school funding plans
Josephine Tovey, Jacqueline Maley Prime Minister Julia Gillard is facing hostility from some Coalition states after announcing $14.5 billion in new school funding that will form the centrepiece of her re-election campaign.
Tax ruling on ethics classes criticised
Josephine Tovey Former NSW Labor education minister Verity Firth has criticised the Gillard government's refusal to give ethics classes the same tax status as scripture classes, arguing it is inequitable and unfair...
Quarter more income for independent school pupils
Josephine Tovey, Amy McNeilage The average income per child in an independent school in Australia is more than 25 per cent higher than their public school counterparts and nearly 40 per cent higher than those in the Catholic...
Tailored solutions help students boost test scores
Josephine Tovey, Amy McNeilage Linda Wickham, the principal of Yagoona Public School, said she had tears in her eyes when she found out her school had been highlighted as one where students had significantly improved their...
Support for teacher standards
Josephine Tovey Amy McNeilage Universities have thrown their support behind new federal government standards for teachers, which include assessing an applicant's personal capacity and drive to enter the profession.
Dropping maths doesn't add up, says Ridout
Josephine Tovey, Amy McNeilage THE falling rates of students, especially girls, studying maths in senior high school is ''very worrying'' and a risk to Australia's future economic prosperity, Reserve Bank board member Heather...
High marks 'not the key' to better teachers
Josephine Tovey The perception unis are turning out low-quality teachers is wrong, an education expert says.
School choice is not just keeping the faith
Josephine Tovey, Georgina Mitchell At Eddie Sharp's Jewish high school, certain foods were contraband. ''We'd skip school to run to the 7-Eleven to get a sausage roll … it was a really rebellious thing to do,'' Sharp says.
Independents far more primed to apply for HSC help
Josephine Tovey MORE than one in 10 HSC students at independent schools made an application for disability provisions last year, almost twice the rate of public school students, new figures show.
Rocket science takes off as universities battle for the brainy
Josephine Tovey, Amy McNeilage WELL, it is rocket science. A Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronic) (Space) at the University of Sydney had the highest Australian Tertiary Admission Rank cut-off of any of the degrees in the main...
Gap years can add a degree of motivation
Josephine Tovey PACKING a suitcase and heading overseas for a year is not only an increasingly popular choice for high school leavers but also a smart one - new research suggests gap years can have a positive effect...
Sex abuse unit will be able to prosecute
Bianca Hall, Michelle Grattan, Josephine Tovey AN investigation unit designed to prosecute sex offenders will be established as part of the royal commission on the sexual abuse of children due to begin later this year.
Teacher quality under scrutiny
Josephine Tovey THE quality of teaching, especially in primary schools, must be urgently addressed if Australia is to improve its dismal performance in international tests, experts say.
Maths and English - nation could do better
Josephine Tovey AUSTRALIAN schoolchildren's results in maths and science have flat-lined over two decades, while their reading ability is lagging many developed nations, including the United States, England and...
Jail threat for clergy who hide abuse
Josephine Tovey, Phillip Coorey MEMBERS of the clergy would face jail for failing to report knowledge of sexual abuse gained during confession, with pressure growing to lift the confidentiality laws that protect them.
