Parents routinely roll their eyes any time a school announces a student-free professional learning day for its teachers. Many parents consider these days an inconvenience and struggle to see their purpose. High quality, continuous professional learning (as opposed to one-off, snapshot professional ...
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Australia’s principal crisis: How to improve mental health and mentally prepare principals for the top job
Amid growing concerns about the mental health of those in the teaching profession, a recent article in The Age underscored a looming crisis: a critical shortage of principals in Australian schools. With research consistently pointing to high levels of stress ...
More »NSW parents angered by schools’ ‘high-pressure tactics’
Has a parent ever complained to you about voluntary school contributions – whether they be excursion, textbook or extracurricular activity-related? If so, you're far from alone. Parents and Citizens Associations of New South Wales, the peak body for NSW school parents, believes ...
More »Common image privacy traps for schools
As an educator, you’re responsible for a great deal of information about the students in your care, from contact and demographic details to information about their religious affiliation or sexuality. This can affect everything from a student’s support needs and ...
More »How parents decide on a private school
As is the practice in some circles, Jessie has already private high school-shopped for her toddler. Her multi-ethnic three-year-old is advanced for her age, so Jessie knew she wanted to choose a school that embraced both multiculturalism and academic excellence. ...
More »‘Too bad’ if feathers are ruffled: literacy expert savages teaching methods
It may nearly be a new school year, but the age old debate over how to teach literacy remains. Incendiarising it is linguist and literacy consultant, Lyn Stone. Her new book, Reading for Life: High quality literacy instruction for all, represents ...
More »Being media-minded: why the education sector needs good PR
Trust in educational institutions is in deficit. From the boardroom mismanagement of private and independent schools to the revelations of the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, parents of students and the surrounding community have become wary about the staff ...
More »Climate change is scorching schools, endangering kids
President-elect of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has signalled his intention to further deforest the Amazon. In a campaign speech last year, he vowed to reclaim indigenous land – much of which lies within the largest rainforest in the world – for the "wealth ...
More »Bringing educators closer to their communities
Leaders in education have individually benefitted from using social media for their school. Educators can derive a myriad of benefits for themselves and their schools by successfully leveraging the power of social media. For schools, it is a powerful communication ...
More »How to prevent deaths in the great outdoors
Can you guess how many people have died during school outdoor education experiences in Australia between 1960 and 2002? At 128, it might be more than you imagined. Yet the number of deaths – shocking as it is – isn't the most sobering detail ...
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