Australia

Violent threats in WA schools

The West Australian has reported on 'dozens' of violent incidents in WA public schools. It says that 15 of the 185 incidents over 4 weeks involved threats using weapons such as knives, scissors or knuckle dusters.

Vic school fights to keep welfare worker

A Vic school is fighting to keep the secular welfare worker that it is set to lose under the terms of funding in the new School Chaplains program. ABC News reports that a petition that has garnered over 1,600 signatures will soon be presented to Parliament.

Vic parents move to out of city private schools

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Victorians in Melbourne looking to educate their children in non-government schools are being driven to enrol their children in non-metropolitan private schools. It goes on to state that the main reason this is happening is because of good academic performance and lower fees.

NSW Education Minister 'berated' by schools association 

The NSW Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli, has been 'berated' by the Christian Schools Association for suggesting that independent schools turn their backs on needy students, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. The comments were in reaction to an anecdote Mr Piccoli told about a non-government school that he said turned away a needy child.

International

Hazing allegations at elite NZ school

An elite school in Auckland, NZ is the subject of allegations reported by the NZ Herald that year 9 students were hazed. Hazing involves rituals or other activities intended to harass, abuse or humiliate subordinates or newcomers. The allegations include that they were made to march like 'prisons of war'. The school is investigating.

UK relaxes term-time holiday rules

In the UK, the new Education Secretary has altered the strict guidelines that banned term-time holidays for students. According to theDaily Mail, the new guidelines clarify that students will be allowed leave for reasons such as visiting a seriously ill relative as well as certain religious holidays.

US teacher called a hero after confronting student gunman

A 24-year-old US high school teacher has been lauded a hero after she attempted to stop a student gunman who killed 1 and wounded 4 more students. The Telegraph reports that she managed to stop him while he was reloading.

UK debates teacher bureaucracy

In the UK, there is debate over the excessive bureaucracy required of teachers, including the need to 'mark up to 100 books a day, write comments in different colours and carry out multiple risk assessment exercises for school trips'. The Deputy Prime Minister is set to launch an initiative aimed at curbing this workload, according to the Telegraph.