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

To understand racism, kids must empathise with its impact — and teachers must embrace discomfort

According to an article in The Conversation, intercultural understanding is part of the Australian Curriculum and mandated by its “general capabilities” — which must be taught throughout all learning areas where appropriate. The current curriculum review recommends a reinforcement of this intercultural understanding. The draft changes offer greater emphasis on First Nations perspectives of Australian history and more acknowledgement of Australia’s multicultural society. But it’s not enough to just passively incorporate such education. Changing children’s attitudes towards race and, in particular, the idea (or irrelevance) of skin colour, can be best done if they learn by experiencing the negative feelings people of different races, and with different skin, colours can feel. This kind of education is known as “pedagogies of discomfort”. It involves teachers deliberately placing students in situations where they feel uneasy. In this way students can critically engage with difficult topics that are often unacknowledged or silenced in the classroom.

Corporate whistleblower policies falling short: ASIC

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the corporate watchdog is urging companies to update their whistleblower protection policies, after finding many firms had not kept up with laws aimed at supporting staff who raise the alarm. The reforms included changes to guard whistleblowers’ confidentiality, and to prevent them from being threatened for their actions. However, ASIC Commissioner Cathie Armour last Wednesday said the regulator’s review of company whistleblower policies had identified some “areas for improvement.” Ms Armour cited a few problems, including that close to half of the polices examined by ASIC did not fully explain how staff could report misconduct and qualify for legal protection. She added that 21 per cent of the policies reviewed by ASIC incorrectly said staff who blew the whistle anonymously would not qualify for protection. Despite the problems, Ms Armour’s comments also suggested the new regime had been successful in prompting more whistleblowers to come forward.

Experts call for changes to Australian ventilation standards in bid to pandemic-proof buildings

The ABC News reports that from Adelaide to Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, poor ventilation in medi-hotels has been blamed for coronavirus outbreaks and shutdowns across the country. It has led to calls for national medi-hotel ventilation standards, with critics saying hotel quarantine is not fit for purpose. But ventilation expert and University of Adelaide academic, Professor Geoff Hanmer, is going a step further. He wants to see Australia's National Construction Code (NCC) changed to reflect what he describes as "a stack of evidence" of aerosol transmission. Professor Hanmer is part of the International Code Council's pandemic task force — a global team of experts considering how building design can reduce the spread of disease. He says the ICC is particularly worried about buildings that rely on doors and windows for fresh air. "The biggest technical change that needs to be made is the way that we deal with naturally ventilated buildings. That's most aged care facilities or schools," he said.

Teens reap benefits of good connections with teachers

According to Macquarie University’s The Lighthouse, a positive relationship with teachers means a student is more likely to complete year 12. Students who finish year 12 are also less likely to go to prison or face unemployment, more likely to go into tertiary education and tend to earn more than those who don’t finish. They also report better health outcomes. The findings, based on 4700 students’ survey responses, underscore the importance of encouraging both teachers and students to forge better relationships, says Dr Emma Burns of Macquarie University, who conducted the analysis. The Federal Government-managed 2009 Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth, which started when participants were 15 years old, kept track of students over the following 10 years, contacting them annually until they turned 25. Among many other questions, students were asked to rate their relationships with all their teachers and asked whether they received support from them, if they felt the teachers cared about them and if they gave them constructive feedback.

Details are fuzzy: Children’s eyesight got worse during the pandemic

The Age reports that a largely unrecognised epidemic of near-sightedness, or myopia, is afflicting the eyes of children. The growing incidence of myopia is related to changes in children’s behaviour, especially how little time they spend outdoors, often staring at screens indoors instead of enjoying activities illuminated by daylight. And remote learning and lockdowns during the pandemic may be making matters worse. Research over the past year suggests that months of COVID-induced confinement may be hastening myopia’s progression among young children. A Canadian study that examined children’s physical activity, outdoor time, screen time and social media use during the COVID lockdown in early 2020 found that 8-year-olds spent an average of more than five hours a day on screens for leisure in addition to screen time needed for schoolwork. This report and a new study of school-aged children in China after five months of COVID-19 home confinement informed the title of an editorial, 2020 as the Year of Quarantine Myopia, in the January 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association Ophthalmology.

Draft school boarding guidelines

The VRQA has released a draft version of the Guidelines to the Minimum Standards and Requirements for the Registration of School Boarding Premises, which are set out in the Education and Training Reform Amendment Regulations 2021 (Vic). Schools and organisation can submit written feedback on the draft guidelines by Tuesday 18 May 2021 at 5.00 pm. The guidelines are intended to make meeting the school boarding minimum standards easier for schools and organisations. The guidelines will also make clear to schools where they may adapt or expand existing school policies and procedures to demonstrate compliance. The existing Guidelines on Bushfire Preparedness and Guidelines for the Enrolment of Overseas Students Aged Under 18 Years will also be amended to cover school boarding premises. Draft amended versions of both Guidelines have been published on the same webpage as the draft guidelines for school boarding premises. From 18 June 2021, existing school boarding premises will have three months to complete a deeming process for registration. This will be a two-step process involving the completion of a self-assessment and statutory declaration. Further information about the deeming process will be provided in the coming weeks.

New laws to ban aggressive school parents

The Age reports that parents who abuse teaching staff or principals can be banned from school grounds for up to 14 days under new legislation introduced to the Victorian Parliament last week by the State Government. The proposed laws would give public and non-government schools the ability to dictate the way aggressive parents or carers can interact with their children’s school. Those caught breaking orders could be fined up to $10,000. Acting Premier James Merlino said the Government had sought input from teacher unions, Legal Aid, school and parent associations and human rights organisations in developing the proposal. The Government’s proposal states that schools must ensure that people issued with the new orders are able to communicate with the school in some way and make sure their child continues to attend school activities. Parents will be able to challenge the orders via an internal merits review and external review at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal if they do not agree with the outcome. Andrew Dalgleish of the Victorian Principals Association endorsed the legislation, but also emphasised problem families were a minority of the school community.

New $148 million statutory authority to boost quality of Victorian teachers

The Mandarin reports that the Victorian Government is investing $148.2 million to establish a multi-site academy that will aim to develop high-quality teachers and foster a pipeline of emerging leaders. The Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, a statutory authority, will raise the bar on teacher quality in the state, according to Acting Premier and Education Minister James Merlino. Mr Merlino said the authority would deliver an Australian-first program of advanced professional learning for high-performing teachers in government, Catholic and independent schools. The CBD-based academy is expected to be open next January, with a site in Geelong to open by mid-2022. Regional centres located in Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura, Moe and Shepparton are scheduled to be operating by the end of 2022. A key program to be delivered by the authority will be the one-year intensive Teaching Excellence Program. The academy’s other programs will focus on developing a pipeline of emerging leaders and aspiring principals.

Some high school students “haven’t developed” after their year in lockdown

The Age reports that some year 7, 8 and 11 students who missed out on important transition years due to last year’s lockdowns are socially delayed, anxious and tend to behave unpredictably. Principals are reporting that, after almost two terms of remote learning last year, some students are having difficulties with readjusting to life at school. The problems seem especially acute among children who are now in years 7, 8 and 11 who were not in the classroom for the last year of primary school, the first year of secondary and the year before VCE. Colin Axup, President of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, said principals across the state were reporting students were more unsettled and friendships were taking longer to form. Brendan Watson, principal of Catholic Regional College Sydenham, told the Age Schools Summit the week before last that lockdown had held back the development of some students.

NSW schools get dedicated “Response and Recovery” team

The Educator reports that during the 2019/20 bushfires, the NSW Government established a “Response and Recovery” team to ensure the safety of staff and students, and the continuation of school operations across the state. Impacted schools benefitted from bespoke, targeted mental health support for as long as they felt necessary, along with a freeze on staffing numbers despite fluctuating enrolments to ensure stability for students and additional professional development for staff. Last week, Education Minister Sarah Mitchell and Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced that the “Response and Recovery” team would become a permanent fixture within the NSW Government to ensure schools get rapid support in the event of future crises. The newly established Response and Recovery team will work to assist schools with tangible teaching methods, remote learning techniques, evacuation protocols and safety measures to build resilient schools of the future.

INTERNATIONAL

Toronto Catholic schools will raise Pride flag for 1st time next month (Canada)

The CBC reports that the Toronto Catholic District School Board says it will celebrate Pride Month every June, starting this year, marking a victory for the LGBTQ community. The Board's trustees voted in favour of flying rainbow flags outside its office and all of its schools last Thursday night, after hearing from former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, a member of the LGBTQ and Christian communities. "Your position as the largest Catholic School Board in the province is one that I think comes with the responsibility to play a leadership role especially when it comes to those issues that continue to divide the Catholic community," Ms Wynne said. The decision comes 10 days after the Halton Catholic District School Board voted against flying the rainbow flag or recognising Pride Month. In response, all nine Catholic high schools in Halton Region posted a rainbow-themed message of support to LGBTQ students and parents. Pride Month honours the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, a rallying point for the LGBTQ community.

US mum horrified as school staff beat six-year-old daughter with wooden paddle (United States)

7news.com.au reports that a Florida school district is investigating an incident that happened at an elementary school after a mother secretly recorded her six-year-old being “paddled” on the buttocks by staff. The student’s mother said she received a call from Central Elementary School in Clewiston, Florida, on April 13 saying that her daughter had scratched a computer screen, according to the family’s attorney, Brent Probinsky. The mother was told to bring $US50 ($A64) to the school to pay for damages. She was also told that sometimes children were paddled - a form of corporal punishment in which a child is beaten on the buttocks with a wooden paddle. The mother was confused as to whether this was allowed, Mr Probinsky said, and when she came to the school, she was escorted into a room where her daughter was standing with two adult staff members. The mother was “frightened and confused” and started secretly recording, Mr Probinsky said. When asked if there were plans to pursue civil action, Mr Probinsky said they were waiting to see what the school board and state attorney’s office does.

What role can schools play to end violence and sexual harassment? (Global)

According to the World Education Blog, in the space of just a few months, we have been reminded yet again how vulnerable women still are to violence and harassment. Globally, about 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Comprehensive sexuality education classes are critical in equipping girls and boys with the skills they need to make responsible choices in their lives. But comprehensive sexual education is not taught everywhere. Australia and the UK should look to developing countries to find innovative examples that have been successful in tackling violence and sexual harassment among students in and outside schools. The demographic explosion in parts of Africa and Asia, coupled with the spike of HIV/AIDS infections in the 1990s, forced many governments to find ways to tackle early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. In doing so, they had to design programmes that addressed society’s deep-rooted unequal gender norms that are harmful towards girls and women.