The Australian Greens are taking the policy of $4.6 billion in Gonski funding for students with disabilities – to be rolled out over the next four years – to the next election. Styling themselves as the only party to fund the needs of ...
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Run all school-based apprenticeships through group training: peak body
If the peak body for group training organisations gets its way, the upcoming federal Budget will contain proposals to run all school-based apprenticeships through group training. Group training is an employment arrangement whereby a GTO recruits apprentices, and places them with host ...
More »Quality early education isn’t available for all: report
One-third of children nationwide don’t attend enough preschool, leaving one-fifth of children, many from the poorest backgrounds, developmentally unprepared for school – a new report has identified. Quality Early Education for All: Fostering creative, entrepreneurial, resilient and capable learners by ...
More »The best inclusive schools are subtle: architect
Inclusiveness should be integrated subtly into a school's design, an architect has argued. Wayne Stephens, a partner at Melbourne architects ClarkeHopkinsClarke, said the best inclusive environments are those designed to be so “without it being very evident”. There is also no one-size-fits-all approach ...
More »TAs often asked to perform tasks beyond their training
The tens of thousands of teaching assistants (TAs) working in Australian schools may be more of a hindrance than a help to children’s learning because many are under-qualified and poorly managed, experts warned. As of the last count in 2014, there were ...
More »Inclusive culture for gender diversity begins with awareness: expert
The most important schooling need for gender-diverse children is an accepting culture – and that is created through basic awareness, an expert argued. Dr Elizabeth Riley, Sydney-based gender counsellor, said awareness should begin with educating staff. This should then trickle-down ...
More »Australia-first study examines happiness in teens with autism
Deakin University researchers are examining happiness through the eyes of adolescents with autism. Wellbeing and autism researchers from Deakin's School of Psychology – led by professor Nicole Rinehart – said they hoped the results of this study would give a ...
More »Southern Cross, Liverpool FC pitch in for soccer academy
Southern Cross University has partnered with English Premier League club Liverpool FC to score a goal for local school-aged soccer fans. The football club has opened its Australian International Academy; extending its global reach. Similar centres operate all around the world, teaching local children ...
More »Two hours of sun a day helps keep the myopia away: research
Children need to spend two hours a day outdoors to combat the increasing risk of short-sightedness, new research has found. Short-sightedness – otherwise known as myopia or nearsightedness – is caused when light received by the eye doesn’t focus directly on the retina, but ...
More »Fieldwork shows teacher ‘what it means to be a scientist’
As well as gaining “a whole new appreciation about seaweed”, one school science teacher who went out in actual fieldwork said the experience helped her understand what it means to be a scientist – and bring that insight into her ...
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