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

NAPLAN National Report 2022 released

According to The Educator, the literacy outcomes of Australian students have remained mostly stable for a second year in a row, defying predictions of drastic falls due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the NAPLAN National Report 2022 has found. The only areas that saw a decrease were Year 5 numeracy and Year 9 spelling, where the latter’s increases in the early years of NAPLAN are reversing. Despite the decline this year in Year 5 numeracy, the long-term trend is positive, with steady rises in Years 3 and 5 reading. There have also been improvements in Years 3, 5 and 7 spelling. The overall findings of the latest report are likely to be met with a strong sense of relief, as the first major study from the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) recently found that by Year 9, 85 per cent of students were constructing sentences at or below the level expected of Year 7 students.

What the Federal Budget means for independent schools

Independent Schools Australia (ISA) has welcomed the Australian Government’s Budget, which affirmed election commitments of continued support for the wellbeing of students and addressing the shortage of teachers. ISA also welcomes the funding ($10.8 million) to develop a free voluntary mental health check tool to assist teachers and schools to identify students with, or at risk of, declining mental health. Funding Respectful Relationship Education ($77 million) also confirms an election promise. The Budget also provides for attracting and retaining high-quality teachers and improving student outcomes ($310.4 million over 9 years from 2022–23, and $7.9 million per year ongoing). The Budget also includes the expansion of the High Achieving Teachers program to support an additional 1,500 high-achieving professionals to transition into teaching through employment-based pathways ($78.8 million over 5 years from 2022–23).

Classroom crisis as teachers head for exit, survey finds

According to The Australian, violent students and “entitled” parents have made three-quarters of teachers feel unsafe at work, and many plan to quit due to burnout-level stress and workload, a new survey shows. As federal, state and territory education ministers work on ways to train and retain more teachers, the Australian Teachers’ Perceptions of their Work Report 2022 shows that fewer than half the teachers surveyed are satisfied with their roles. The proportion of teachers planning to quit before retirement age soared from 58 per cent in 2019 to 72 per cent this year. Paperwork and data collection are bugbears for most teachers, with one stating that, “I became a teacher to educate and inspire students, not to push agendas and collect data.’’ “I love teaching and I love working with the children but the admin burden is beginning to outweigh the teaching,’’ another respondent wrote.

Senate to investigate growing trend of “school refusal” after Covid pandemic classroom disruptions

The Guardian reports that the Senate will investigate the emerging trend of “school refusal” – a phenomenon that experts say is linked to distress or separation anxiety and is on the rise since the lockdowns and classroom closures of the Covid pandemic. The issue will be investigated by Parliament’s education committee after the Senate backed a motion from the Greens’ schools spokesperson, Senator Penny Allman-Payne. “It’s distinct from truancy, and much deeper than that,” said Allman-Payne. “Many children experience genuine and severe emotional distress when they’re required to attend school and will refuse to go, a phenomenon on the rise since the Covid pandemic.” Allman-Payne’s motion called on the education and employment references committee to investigate “the national trend of school refusal or ‘School Can’t’ – as distinct from truancy – that is affecting primary and secondary school-age children, who are unable to attend school regularly or on a consistent basis.”

2023 NSW HSC rules and procedures

According to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), the 2023 HSC Rules and Procedures Guide is now available online. Print copies have also been sent to schools. Students and schools can access the checklists and other helpful resources on the NESA website. All students entered for any HSC course in 2023 must read the HSC Rules and Procedures Guide. The main rules and requirements for the HSC are set out in the Guide. Students can obtain more detailed explanations of the rules and requirements by referring to the Assessment Certification Examination website.

Pay of almost $150,000 for “expert teachers” in NSW reform proposal

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that salaries of almost $150,000 are on the table for top-performing teachers, as eight in 10 educators say that new roles with higher pay are needed to keep them from leaving the classroom. Under a policy proposal released by the NSW State Government, educators who are assessed as “expert teachers” would earn bigger salaries “in recognition of their skills and impact” in public school classrooms across the State. A NSW Department of Education survey of 1350 public school teachers found that more than two-thirds would be interested in taking on one of the proposed roles, and 79 per cent agreed that it was necessary to create new teaching jobs to stop educators abandoning classrooms for deputy principal roles with better remuneration. About half of respondents said that creating the new positions would make teaching a more attractive profession.

NSW parents to be trained as “first responders” to aid suicide prevention

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that NSW parents are being called up to the front line of Australia’s mental health crisis as experts brace for the cumulative impact of the pandemic, climate disasters and rising cost of living pressures. Data from the NSW Suicide Monitoring System showed that suspected deaths in NSW this year have trended above the numbers recorded over the past three years. From mid-November, the NSW Government will train 200,000 parents to be “first responders” to identify people at risk of suicide, develop a safety plan and refer them for help. Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor said that she believed that the program would be the largest single suicide prevention training effort in the world. “We know that mental health issues emerge 12 to 18 months after a traumatic period, so we have been focusing on implementing a comprehensive recovery package since January this year,” she said.

Victorian school camps face the chop because of new teacher pay deal

The Age reports that state schools are cancelling, deferring and reducing their plans for school camps because increases to time in lieu provisions for teachers will stretch school budgets and make overnight experiences for students less affordable. A new workplace agreement provides government school teachers with hour-for-hour time in lieu for out-of-hours work on school activities including camps, excursions and information nights. But the deal between the Andrews Government and the Australian Education Union provides no extra funding for the time off, forcing principals to choose between cutting camp costs, dipping into school budgets to pay staff for extra hours or hiring casual relief teachers so that teachers can leave or start early. Australian Principals Federation president Tina King said that principals supported paying teachers for work outside a standard 38-hour week but that the Department of Education and Training, not schools, should fund time in lieu accrued.

Chinese language teachers underpayment allegations expose “grey area” in Victorian education system

ABC News reports that Linda Shen is part of a group of teachers alleging that they are owed unpaid wages and entitlements due to incorrect employment categorisation, which has shed light on a "grey area" of Victoria's education system. Those allegations are currently being investigated by the Fair Work Ombudsman and Shen’s employer has been told to get legal advice by the peak body that represents the schools, given ambiguities in the law. Many Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) languages curriculum teachers have also been working without registration, which the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET) has said is a breach of Victoria's education laws. However, the organisation that represents the community schools disputes whether some of these workers are even technically "teachers" at all.

Queensland non-state school framework set for review

According to Mirage News, the Palaszczuk Government has announced a comprehensive independent review of the accreditation framework used for non-state schools in Queensland. Education Minister Grace Grace said that she wanted to make sure that the powers that the Non State Schools Accreditation Board (NSSAB) have are fit for purpose. “The review will look at the regulation of non-state schools in other jurisdictions, assess the powers currently in place, consider the balance between imposing standards and minimising any regulatory burden, and make recommendations for improvements.” Minister Grace said that the review would also consider the powers that NSSAB has to help protect the wellbeing of students. Queensland Catholic Education Commission Executive Director Dr Lee-Anne Perry said that the review would provide an opportunity to ensure the accreditation framework serves the current needs of students, families, schools and systems.

Western Australian laws requiring ministers of religion to report child sexual abuse come into effect

According to the Government of Western Australia, ministers of religion are now legally required to report information about child sexual abuse, including information gained in confession. The changes are part of new laws introduced by the McGowan Government and came into effect on Tuesday. Failure to make a mandatory report is an offence with a maximum penalty of $6,000. A minister of religion will not be excused from criminal responsibility for failing to make a report because their belief is based on information disclosed during a religious confession. The Children and Community Services Amendment Act 2021 (WA) implements key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The changes also extend mandatory reporting requirements to early childhood, out of home care and youth justice workers, as well as registered psychologists and school counsellors.

Peter Dutton calls for Royal Commission into sexual abuse in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities

According to NT News, the Federal Opposition leader has been accused of using “Aboriginal children as a political football” amid new calls for a Royal Commission. Peter Dutton has called for a Royal Commission to examine child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities. It comes a week after his visit to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. “Women and mothers despairingly told us about rampant child sexual abuse,” Mr Dutton told Parliament. “What’s happening on the fringe of communities is abominable. Children are sleeping during the day and missing out on classes to avoid being at home during the hours of darkness in fear of being sexually abused or assaulted.” Mr Dutton said that the proposal to specifically investigate Indigenous communities was “not about creating another Stolen Generation”. Mr Dutton said that the Coalition would support “immediate action” from both the Federal and Northern Territory governments.

INTERNATIONAL

One in five girls in England don’t feel safe at school – survey (United Kingdom)

The Guardian reports that girls and young women in the north of England feel less safe and less happy than their counterparts in London and the south, according to a survey by the Girlguiding charity, which is concerned about “stark” regional differences in attitudes. More than one in five (22 per cent) girls and young women in the north aged 11-16 who took part in the survey blamed fear of sexual harassment for holding them back at school. The figure was significantly lower, at 16 per cent, in London and the south. Similarly, more than a quarter in the north (26 per cent) said that gender stereotyping was holding them back at school, compared with 18 per cent in London and the south. The problem was particularly acute among LGBTQ+ girls and young women, with almost two in five (37 per cent) complaining of gender stereotyping at school. Girls and young women of colour are also less likely to feel safe at school than their white counterparts (65 per cent against 70 per cent).

Principal of school hit with allegations used credit card for personal spending (New Zealand)

According to rnz.co.nz, a school principal accused of failing to address playground sexual incidents and multiple bullying allegations used the school's credit card for personal spending and to collect rewards. The under-fire principal made some personal purchases on the school's credit card and collected reward points for personal use. The school is accused of failing to properly act on complaints of bullying and sexualised behaviour for several years. Multiple families and former trustees have told RNZ that they believe the problem lies with the school's long-standing principal. They are calling for the principal to change their approach or resign. Despite concerns over academic achievement, as well as bullying allegations, the principal received a glowing appraisal in 2019. A newly elected Board of Trustees at the school declined to be interviewed. In a statement, its chair said that a review of financial policies and procedures has been completed.