Australia

WA bans more than 60 teachers in a state-wide review of the Working with Children scheme

Western Australia’s review of Working with Children card holders has seen more than 60 teachers banned in the past year after revelations that they posed a danger to children. News.com reports that the bans were issued for offences including child pornography, indecent dealing with a child or other serious offences.

Students suspended after Cambodian school trip

The Herald Sun reports that four Victorian high school students attempted to buy illegal substances while on a school trip to Cambodia. The school has released a statement stating that the students engaged in behaviour that ‘breached the standards and expectations of students’ and have been suspended pending further inquiries about the incident.

Queensland teacher who groomed children banned for 5 years

A Queensland teacher has been banned from re-applying for registration for five years after claims he was grooming children for abuse were substantiated. The Brisbane Times reported that the man was found to have demonstrated a repeated pattern of behaviour with three children of a similar age and in similar circumstances, breaching his position of trust and authority and had crossed over the professional teacher-student boundaries.

‘No jab, no play’ campaign to include phone calls to parents

The Queensland Government’s new initiative in the ‘no jab, no play’ campaign will see the Health Department contact the parents of children under five that are not vaccinated to remind them that from 2016 their children will be unable to enrol in childcare or kindergarten unless they’re vaccinated. The Brisbane Timesreports that parents can expect phone calls from the Health Department from next week.

Victoria primary school ethics class a success

Year 5 and 6 students at three Melbourne primary schools participated in ethics classes as part of a trial by the Humanist Society of Victoria. The classes focused on teaching students how to think, rather than what to think. The Age reports that the Humanist Society plans to extend the initiative to more schools after the success of the first trial.

Wooden box to ‘calm’ autistic students

The Age reports that Australia’s largest autism service provider is under investigation after staff built a large wooden box to lock up distressed students at a Melbourne day centre. The two-metre-tall box was referred to internally as the ‘desensitising box’ said to be used as a calming device. The Disability Services Commissioner is now conducting a wide-ranging investigation into all procedures at the centre.

Calls for a trial of an 11am start to the school day

Sleep experts have proposed a solution to students’ lack of sleep: later start times. The Educator reports that researchers at Oxford and Harvard Universities believe that a 10am start for Year 10 students and 11am for older students would benefit both students and educators. The South Australian Association of State School Organisations’ David Knuckley believes that a trial of the new times should take place to ascertain whether a later start time would work in Australia’s schools.

International

50% of teachers in England to quit in next two years

According to a recent poll in England more than half of all teachers are considering leaving the profession in the next two years due to long hours, low morale and a heavy workload. The Guardian reported that the survey revealed a 67% drop in morale over the past five years.

NZ schools funded according to student achievement

Education Minister Hekia Parata has stated that while the Government is at the early stages of reviewing the current school funding model, student performance will be a part of it much to the dissatisfaction of teachers. Currently, New Zealand schools are given a rating of 1 to 10 based on their socio-economic status. A higher number represents a wealthier school community, resulting in less funding.

Childcare worker accused of hitting children re-hired

The New Zealand Herald reports that a childcare centre has again hired a teacher who resigned following allegations of striking children three years prior. Education officials are ‘extremely concerned’ and have put the centre on a provisional licence and barred the teacher from having any contact with children.