The information in the Weekly Wrap is aggregated from other news sources to provide you with news that is relevant to the education sector across Australia and worldwide. Each paragraph is a summary of the subject matter covered in the particular news article. The information does not necessarily reflect the views of CompliSpace.

AUSTRALIA

Australian schools are tackling vaping by installing detectors in bathrooms. But how do they work?

ABC News reports that Vape Detection Australia's David Pugh said that two years ago many schools had told him that they did not need vape detectors "because we have good kids and our kids don't vape". He said that those conversations had changed to: "When can we get them? Everyone's vaping and it's gotten out of control." He said that most schools he had worked with wanted the detectors installed in bathrooms, where "they've been incredibly effective". Mr Pugh went on to explain that the units worked by picking up the specific chemical reaction let off by the vapes. The devices remotely connect to a computer program, then email or text teachers in real time to tell them vaping had been detected. Mr Pugh said that, while the units were effective, particularly as a deterrent, ventilation in the bathrooms could sometimes prevent chemicals from being detected.

Schools facing new challenges as camps, excursions resume

According to The Educator, as school exchange programs and camps resume in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, principals are facing a host of new challenges that threaten to disrupt their 2023 plans, experts are warning. Paul Trotter, Security and Intelligence Lead at World Travel Protection, says that, while the pandemic has caused significant changes in many countries, there have also been changes unrelated to the pandemic that have gone unnoticed by many organisations, due in large part to the loss of a continuous presence in those destinations. “Additionally, the pandemic has affected how students react to travelling abroad, with an increased number of incidents related to deteriorating mental health,” Trotter said. Trotter said that school leaders must be aware of the risks associated with scholastic travel and conduct strategic planning and risk assessments to better prepare for resuming overseas travel.

Australian schools could face shortage of principals, studies show

According to The Educator, while past surveys have shown that most Australian principals report high job satisfaction, a new study suggests that's now changing, with a staggering number of school leaders saying that they plan on leaving the profession. In recent years, a growing body of research suggests that as older principals retire, their deputies are reluctant to take up the job due to the workloads, stress and burnout that comes with the job. According to data released by the Australian Catholic University, the number of Australian principals planning to quit or retire has tripled since 2019, with teacher shortages a main driver of the profession’s stress. This has added to fears that Australian schools may be facing a double-whammy shortage of both teachers and principals.

Sex and lies are used to sell vapes online. Even we were surprised at the marketing tactics we found

The Conversation investigated 20 Australian and New Zealand online retailers of vapes and vaping products. They looked at their product range, how they verified buyers’ ages, as well as their marketing strategies and claims. Most websites only needed buyers to click on a box to confirm that they were 18 years old or over. When buyers clicked through, they could find a range of nicotine and no-nicotine vapes and vaping liquids. Some didn’t ask buyers’ ages at all. Only one site needed buyers to verify their age with formal identification. Unsubstantiated or blatantly false health claims were the most common claims found. According to the article, stopping the promotion of, and easy access to, vaping products through online retailers will require improved surveillance, monitoring, and regulations that curb the online sale and importation of vapes, along with improved border controls.

NSW appoints schools behaviour adviser to tackle worsening student conduct

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the NSW Government has appointed its first chief behaviour adviser to work across public, Catholic and independent school sectors in a bid to improve increasingly difficult student behaviour. Child health advocate and academic Donna Cross will be tasked with helping schools tackle worsening student conduct, including cyberbullying, school refusal, truancy and challenging behaviour in classrooms. Schools across NSW are dealing with increasingly difficult and disruptive classroom behaviour that principals warn has been intensified following lockdowns, social isolation, remote learning and changes to school suspension policies. Cross will report to the Education Minister’s school advisory council and help implement best-practice behaviour and inclusion in education, support teachers, and improve student learning outcomes.

Schools close amid heatwave warning for NSW with temperatures set to exceed 40°C in some areas

ABC News reports that around 30 schools closed in rural NSW on Monday as emergency services prepared for dangerous fire conditions across the State. Most were primary level in rural areas near Bathurst, Lithgow and Mudgee, although the Lithgow and Oberon High Schools were also affected. The closures were due to the extreme fire danger forecast for the central ranges, lower central west plains, and Greater Sydney due to soaring temperatures and high winds. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a heatwave warning, with parts of the State experiencing potentially severe conditions until Wednesday.

Victorian private school fights plan for mental health hospital next door

The Age reports that a grammar school in Melbourne’s inner north-east is fighting a proposal to convert a nearby former aged care home into a mental health hospital, arguing that its students could be exposed to drug-affected or predatory patients. “Many of the objections raised concerns in relation to the risk that the patients of the facility would pose to the community,” a report to councillors says. “This appears to be the prominent concern raised and often relied on the misrepresentation of the inpatients as being dangerous or convicted criminals.” Alphington Grammar School principal Vivianne Nikou said that the proposed hospital presented clear risks to the school community. “The school recognises mental health issues. We’re not trying to stigmatise mental health conditions in any shape or form,” she said. Nikou said that the proposal did not rule out admitting patients who could be sex offenders.

Melbourne school showed “dereliction of duty” to students alleging antisemitic discrimination, court told

The Guardian reports that the leadership at Melbourne’s Brighton Secondary College was accused of a “dereliction of duty” on the final day of a court case in which it is alleged that they failed to protect five Jewish students from antisemitic discrimination and bullying. The Federal Court recently heard the closing submissions in the case brought by the five former students, who are suing the State of Victoria and the government-funded high school for negligence and failing to protect them as Jewish students from racial discrimination. The plaintiffs alleged that their former school and the State of Victoria failed in their obligations under Australia’s Racial Discrimination Act and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The respondents denied all allegations. Barrister Adam Butt, representing the former students, told the court that the alleged failure of the high school principal and teachers to act on his clients’ complaints equated to a “dereliction of duty”.

Outrage as Victorian children locked in solitary confinement for 22 hours a day

The Age reports that Indigenous and other vulnerable teenage detainees are being kept locked alone in their cells with limited human contact for more than 22 hours a day amid a crisis at Victoria’s biggest juvenile justice facility. Whistleblowers have raised concerns about the rampant use of isolation at the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre in Parkville, prompting the intervention of federal MPs and Victoria’s Ombudsman, who has urged the Andrews Government to appoint an independent juvenile and adult prison watchdog. One whistleblower, a former teacher at Parkville, recently resigned claiming that isolation was “so rampant” that “boys were threatening to kill themselves so that they could be put on constant observation, giving them someone at their cell door to talk to”. Minister Erdogan said that the Government’s top priority was ensuring the safety and wellbeing of staff and young people at youth justice centres, and the use of isolation was “always a last resort”.

Religious instruction Qld: Brisbane Citipointe Church West discusses “harvesting schools for disciples” in leaked video

According to The Courier Mail, members of a Brisbane church spoke about using controversial religious instruction as a platform to “harvest” state school children and “disciple them afterwards”, prompting further calls for an overhaul. Video footage showed Citipointe Church West members discussing going into Brisbane schools and using the program as an “amazing mission field”. It’s sparked further calls for Education Minister Grace Grace to review Queensland’s religious instruction policy, which allows faith groups to enter schools for an hour a week to give lessons to students who have been given consent from parents. In the video, the volunteer said, “Like we pray, we go to church, we do things. It’s almost like having a church in the school system. You can have a potential to harvest hundreds for the Lord. And disciple them afterwards.” It follows a recent Monash University study which outlined concerns that church groups were using the lessons to indoctrinate children.

Blue Card rule investigation after Queensland state school denies Year 1 history talk

According to The Courier Mail, complaints have been lodged about Queensland’s blue card rules after a primary school refused a guest speaker entry and then added a special clause to tighten the school’s rules. Malanda State School stopped Norman Waugh from giving his annual history talk to students in his wife’s Year 1 and 2 classes last month because he did not have a blue card. Two days later, the school’s business manager emailed parents spelling out the blue card rules, with a new condition. “Under the rules, a person does not need a blue card if they are a paid employee, volunteer, or student and work for no more than seven days in a calendar year,” the email said. “This is not limited to one school … and because we have no means of knowing whether someone has been engaged for seven or more days, it is our position that all people attending Malanda State School require (sic) to have a blue card.”

Queensland schools trial shorter week for students

According to 9now, students in Queensland are about to get an early mark with schools in the state trialling shortened school days. But while a split timetable system has been around in some high schools for years, questions have been asked why more schools don't implement it. Teachers Professional Association of Queensland's Tracy Tully told Today that while it's good for senior students to prepare them for university, it can be a logistical nightmare in the grander scheme of things. "The big schools can manage it because they have the resources, but for the smaller schools, they don't have the physical resources to do so," she said. But Tully also said that it would give students an adaptable, flexible feel to their learning and accommodate them if they aren't early risers and give them more time if studying late at night. Child Psychologist Andrew Greenfield told Today that a shorter school week would also be advantageous to students' mental health.

South Australian school mobile phone ban campaign launched

The Government of South Australia has launched a new campaign to build awareness in the community about why it is so important to ban mobile phones in public high schools. The policy, requiring that students’ mobile phones be “off and away” at school, comes into place in all public high schools from the start of Term 3. The awareness campaign, suggested by the South Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (SASPA), will see advertising run across a range of mediums throughout the year and will highlight the value of phones being switched off while school is underway. It will also feature a dedicated website, phonesoff.sa.gov.au, to learn more about the policy and answer any frequently asked questions. Schools that have already implemented the ban have reported that they have seen a reduction in the inappropriate use of mobile phones by students, and an improvement in the overall learning environment – while reducing screentime and encouraging physical activity.

INTERNATIONAL

Maths teacher accused of misgendering pupil on religious grounds (United Kingdom)

The Guardian reports that a maths teacher “failed to separate the teacher from the preacher” when he allegedly misgendered a transgender pupil repeatedly and inappropriately shared his religious beliefs in the classroom, a misconduct panel heard. Joshua Sutcliffe, 32, was accused by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) of “conduct that negatively affected pupils” on multiple occasions during his time at schools in Oxford and London. He denies the charges of professional misconduct. In 2017, Sutcliffe took legal action against the Cherwell school in Oxford after he was disciplined and eventually dismissed for allegedly failing to use a pupil’s preferred pronoun on multiple occasions due to his religious conviction. He went on to give an interview on television breakfast show This Morning about the issue, which “made it likely” the pupil, referred to only as Pupil A, would be identified, said Andrew Cullen, for the TRA.

Climate strikes: Thousands march around New Zealand to demand action from government (New Zealand)

According to rnz.co.nz, thousands of people turned up for climate strikes across New Zealand recently and briefly staged a sit in at Christchurch City Council. School students and others around the country protested for climate change action from the New Zealand Government. School Strike 4 Climate Christchurch spokesperson Aurora Garner-Randolph, 17, said that she expected between 15,000 to 20,000 people to participate. After the fallout from the Auckland floods and the devastating effects of Cyclone Gabrielle across the North Island, the organisers of the protest have five demands, including no new fossil fuel mining or exploration and a rebate for e-bikes. Other demands include greater marine protection, funding a transition to regenerative farming and lowering the voting age to 16. In Wellington, the protesters marched down Lambton Quay before gathering at Parliament. The last school climate strikes took place in September.

Pupils could face disciplinary action if they stage “TikTok-inspired” protests (Ireland)

According to The Irish News, pupils who take part in “unacceptable” protests in schools – which are said to have been inspired by videos shared on TikTok – are likely to face disciplinary action, a headteachers’ union has warned. Students have posted “abusive” material online about staff and displayed “disorderly behaviour” during school protests, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said. The union has received “a number of reports” about student protests taking place at schools across the country over the past week and a half – and it said that the majority are connected to rules about school uniforms or toilet use. “This appears to have spread through students posting material on TikTok leading to copycat protests at other schools,” Mr Barton said. The Department for Education has been made aware of the protests and ASCL has said that it will reach out to TikTok directly about the trend.