AUSTRALIA

Alarm as primary school children as young as 10 caught sexting

The Herald Sun reports that sexting has hit primary schools with principals becoming increasingly concerned over the age of the children involved. Some students as young as 10 are sending naked and semi-naked photographs of themselves to other students, often disseminating pictures to many people at once. The problem is reportedly stemming from the easy access to explicit material online and the availability of social media. Experts are warning parents of the dangers of ignoring social media policies at home to protect their children from engaging in this behaviour. Dr Michael Carr-Gregg of the National Centre Against Bullying said children 'don't have the social and emotional maturity [under the age of 13] to manage their digital footprint.'

Tasmanian Government seeks Upper House support for major education overhaul

ABC News reports that the Tasmanian Education Bill has encouraged former psychologist, Steve Biddulph to condemn the changes as a 'frightening experiment.' The amendments may see a lower school starting age of four and a half, which is voluntary, as well as further truancy penalties. The Opposition has criticised the plan, but Premier Will Hodgman believes that the need for change is too great to ignore. 'Our results for too long have not been good enough, and my government is taking action,' he said. He told Parliament about 2,000 Tasmanians were not finishing year 12, and the state continued to lag behind other states on literacy and numeracy.

Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman rejects call for sacking

Brisbane Times reports that Shannon Fentiman, the Child Safety Member in Queensland, will not step down from her position. This comes after an expert panel has recently been appointed to help review child safety systems following the case of Logan schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer who was allegedly murdered while in foster care. Ms Fentiman claims she is 'under pressure' but denies that it is a crisis. The Opposition has labelled Ms Fentiman 'incompetent' and 'embarrassing', they also believe she should be sacked. Ms Fentiman told ABC Radio that people were 'telling me that they want to work with me.'

Q&A: Simon Birmingham says some private schools 'over-funded'

Sydney Morning Herald reports that Simon Birmingham, the Federal Education Minister, has said that many private schools are overfunded. He has refused to provide a 'hit list' to name and shame these schools. However, the SMH has since released Education Department data that identifies a number of high profile schools. On ABC's Q&A program on Monday night, Mr Birmingham responded to host Tony Jones' who pressed him on school funding. A report shared by Fairfax Media last week showed NSW would lose $100 million if the Federal funding plans proceed - with many public schools suffering. The NSW Education Minister, Adrian Piccoli, believes the states will be 'fighting regularly' over this issue.

INTERNATIONAL

North Jersey teacher should be fired for bullying students, arbitrator rules

NJ.com reports that a gym teacher at George Washington Middle School has been condemned by an arbitrator for his bullying behaviour towards students. The Wayne Township Board of Education brought charges against Mr Howard Smith earlier this year which he has appealed. Smith allegedly told a student, 'I take [profanity] bigger than you,' in a comment about the student's size. He also said to a male student that he was actually female and had a sexually transmitted disease. His other comments included making inciting public comments of a humiliating and sexual nature.

North Carolina teacher suspended without pay for stomping on US flag in First Amendment lesson

ABC News reports that a teacher has been suspended without pay after he stomped on the American flag during a lesson on the First Amendment. Lee Francis, a history teacher from North Carolina was taking his class at Massey Hill Classical High School in Fayetteville on Supreme Court rulings on flag burning in relation to freedom of speech when he desecrated the flag. Mr Francis has told CBS that his actions were reasonable in the context. One student took a photograph of him stomping on the flag and it was then uploaded to Facebook by his mother.

The evolving classroom: Education's biggest revamp in 30 years

Stuff reports that New Zealand schools are going through a significant change being led by Education Minister Hekia Parata. The majority of schools are not pleased with the changes however, some high schools have adapted to the needs of sleepy teenagers by pushing back start times. Other changes include changes to the starting age of students and that special education funding is on the rise, moving up by 29 per cent from 2009. Further, an advisory committee has been set up to look at various funding proposals going forward.

Gender-neutral school washrooms in Ottawa are part of change sweeping Canada

Ottawa Citizen reports that an Ottawan public school board has introduced its first gender-neutral washrooms in three of their high schools, soon to expand to all schools on the board. The decision has been driven by the change occurring across Canada over the last few years. Many transgender students and their parents have been speaking up for recognition. The move also falls in line with laws and policies that protect people from discrimination due to gender identity or gender expression. Gender-neutral washrooms are heralded as an improvement for young people who feel uncomfortable being associated with the gender they were assigned at birth.