AUSTRALIA

Tasmanian Government reveals details of child protection reform

The ABC reports that the Tasmanian Government has revealed further details about the State’s proposed ‘revolutionised’ child protection system. The largest portion of the new $20 million system will be spent on providing case workers with specialised support teams who will take over any court work and reunification planning with families and foster carers.

Lawyers could be coming to a school near you

The Age reports that Victoria Legal Aid has confirmed that is considering a trial of on-site lawyers at a school in Victoria’s south west. These school lawyers will help students and parents with legal issues ranging from family violence to public transport fines. It is reported that a lot of their work will also involve resolving employment issues like workplace bullying, underpayment and a lack of contracts and pay slips.

Female student at Catholic school wins in fight to wear pants

A Victorian Catholic school criticised for not allowing a female student to wear the boys’ school uniform pants has now vowed to allow the student to switch uniforms. The Age reports that the mother of the female student launched a petition claiming that her daughter wanted to wear the pants because she was uncomfortable playing sport in a heavy school tunic and stockings. The petition received 9000 signatures in three days. The school has stated that it will review its uniform policy.

Grammar training manual will show teachers some simple literacy

The Daily Telegraph reports that a ‘how-to-teach grammar’ manual has been written for NSW teachers because many of the State’s 63,000 primary teachers struggle to teach key literacy. Public Schools Principals’ Forum chair Cheryl McBride has challenged the need for such a manual stating “the assumption is that primary school teachers don’t know (grammar) but they do.” Ms McBride also reiterated that there are already textbooks, professional development and mentors available to teachers, as well as a 10-week course to bring themselves up to speed if they feel they need it. Teachers will be charged $20 for the manual.

Multimillion-dollar cost blowout in Victoria’s Education Department IT project

The Herald Sun reports that a ‘catastrophic’ multimillion-dollar budget blowout has hit another information technology project in the Victorian Education Department. Auditors have been called in to investigate what has been described as ‘severe financial mismanagement’ of the eduPass program for online accounts and passwords for teachers. Leaked documents reveal that $2.6 million has already been expended, but only 27 per cent of the project has been completed.

Conditions on promised Tasmanian schools funding divisive, onerous, principals say

Tasmanian principals have warned that the new conditions attached to millions of dollars of funding provided for the State’s schools will be divisive and onerous. The ABC reports that principals are concerned that the new conditions put teacher against teacher with its new performance-based pay funding strategy. Tasmanian Principals Association President Malcom Elliot has said that there is no evidence that performance-based pay works and that ‘it’s quite a divisive strategy because it’s very hard for two people working in the classroom beside each other to be compared, there are so many variables.’

INTERNATIONAL

School bans unvaccinated students and teachers from attending

A school in New Zealand has banned staff and students from returning to school until they can provide vaccination evidence after a measles outbreak closed the school. The Sunshine Coast Daily reports that any student or teacher who had not received two vaccinations are being made to stay home for a minimum of 14 days from their last known contact with affected students. Teachers who were born before 1969 were considered to have a natural immunity and may return to work immediately.

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The ABC reports that US President Barack Obama’s administration has written to the country’s schools telling them that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice. Although non-binding, schools that fail to comply with this guidance could potentially face legal action or reduced federal funding. The guidance has triggered an immediate backlash from conservatives, with a top Texas official refusing to comply, referring to the move as ‘blackmail’.