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

OECD’s Education at a Glance report 2019 released

According to The Educator, the OECD has released its 2019 Education at a Glance report, comparing the education systems of the OECD's 36 member countries, including Australia, as well as 10 other countries. On the whole, the global snapshot revealed a positive report card for Australia’s schools. According to the OECD data, Australian primary and secondary students spend more time in school than almost all OECD countries – 11,000 hours in 11 years which is 3,410 hours more than the global average. Australian children’s participation in formal early childhood education is also on the rise, and on par with the rest of the OECD nations. In terms of teacher pay, the report found Australian educators are paid 36 per cent more than the OECD average at primary level, 32 per cent more at lower secondary level and 22 per cent more at upper secondary level. Australia’s principals are also paid well paid by global standards, with the nation’s school leaders earning 59 per cent more than the OECD average.

States urged to hurry classroom phone ban

According to Channel 9, the Federal Government is leaning on the nation's schools to impose an immediate ban on school students using mobile phones in classrooms. Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan on Friday met with state and territory counterparts to convince them that prohibiting phones during class could help combat cyberbullying, anxiety and depression among young people. There are also academic benefits. Evidence from Canada has found that banning mobile phones in schools could increase performance by six per cent, which is the equivalent to one hour a week, or five days a year, the Minister told reporters in Melbourne. For low performing students, data showed there was an increase in test scores when mobile phones were removed, but removing phones did not make a difference for high-achieving students, Carleton University Professor Louis-Philippe Beland said. Mr Tehan welcomed Victoria's decision to introduce a phone ban in state schools from next year, but he encouraged other states and territories to act now.

Parents are the problem with school kids' mobile phones

According to the Financial Review, parents have reacted badly to a trial ban on mobile phones in a Victorian school, with one principal blaming mums and dads for texting and calling their kids all day and having to be "weaned off" the habit of endless communication. The principal of McKinnon Secondary College in south-east Melbourne, Pitsa Binnon, told COAG education ministers that in some cases it had been harder to get the parents to drop the habit than the children. Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan congratulated Victoria for showing leadership and said other states should follow their lead. But the article says that he was scathing of Victoria, Queensland and NSW for "lacking leadership" by launching their own review of NAPLAN. He said literacy and numeracy in the three states had flatlined since 2008, and instead of blaming NAPLAN they should be looking at what was going wrong in their schools. Mr Tehan said the Federal Government was doing a review of the national curriculum to declutter it, so teachers and principals could focus on the main issues. Meanwhile COAG ministers decided to put NAPLAN online testing in the hands of the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority – which designed the original paper test. This year's online test was plagued by connection problems, which gave ammunition to critics. There have been four reviews of NAPLAN in the past 18 months. On Friday COAG ministers were given a report by Deloitte that said there were governance problems with the online test.

“It's time for a shake-up”: NAPLAN to undergo review

The Educator reports that NAPLAN is set for a shake-up after the governments of Victoria, NSW and Queensland released the terms of reference for their own separate review of the controversial test. The terms, announced last week, include defining the objectives of standardised testing; improving support for individual student growth and school improvement; and improving information for parents on school and student performance. The review – the sixth since the test began in 2008 – will determine the broader objectives of standardised testing and assess how well NAPLAN is meeting those objectives, as well as looking at alternatives. Federal Education Minister, Dan Tehan, remains opposed to a full review of the controversial test, saying it would be “premature” to commission a full review of NAPLAN while other reviews are still outstanding. An interim report will be provided to Education Council later this year and Stage 2 of the review will be presented to Education Council in 2020.

Students set to face new literacy and numeracy tests in VCE revamp

According to The Age, all Victorian year 11 and 12 students will sit a revamped general achievement test by 2021 in which their literacy, writing and numeracy skills will be scored for potential employers to see. For the first time, students sitting VCE alternative, the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, will also have to sit the test, as will those completing an unscored VCE who do not sit exams. The test is being reformed in Victoria at the request of industry groups who have complained that some secondary school graduates can barely read or write properly. The revamped general achievement test, known as "the GAT", is a key part of a major VCE overhaul first announced by the Andrews government in October last year. The current general assessment does not count towards VCE results and most VCE students do not study for it. The new format would significantly raise the stakes for students.

The “ripple effect” of toxic executives in schools

According to The Educator, new analysis conducted by leading Australian education experts has explored the dark side of leadership in our primary and high schools. In the new International Journal of Leadership in Education paper, Dr George Odhiambo and Dr Rachel Wilson of the Sydney School of Education and Social Work, together with Dr Pam Ryan of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney, deconstruct how top-down negativity affects the whole school ecosystem. The authors define destructive leadership as leadership that is “perceived to cause physiological, psychological, organisational or environmental harm”. Manifestations of destructive leadership include incompetence; immorality; manipulation; fraudulence; abuse; tyranny; deviancy; and illegality. Though there is little literature on the subject, the first national online survey of workplace bullying in schools, conducted in 2011, found that it was pervasive and often perpetrated by executive leaders.

We need to stop perpetuating the myth that children grow out of autism

According to the ABC News, around 1 per cent of the population has an autism spectrum disorder, with estimates ranging from one in 70 to one in 150. While people differ in the range and severity of their symptoms, common features include difficulties with communication and social interaction, restrictive and repetitive behaviours and interests, and sensory sensitivities. According to the 2017 Autism in Australia report, autism is most prevalent among children aged five to 14, with 83 per cent of Australians with an autism diagnosis aged under 25. But while children are more likely to have a diagnosis of autism than adults, this doesn't mean children "grow out" of autism. There are a number of reasons why the prevalence of autism is higher among school-aged children than adults, starting with the measurement. "Prevalence" refers to the rate of diagnosis and/or self-reports, not the rate of actually having autism. As autism is a lifelong condition, it's more likely the rates of actually having autism are stable across adults and children.

Laws forcing priests to report child abuse passed in Victorian parliament

According to The Age, Victoria’s Parliament passed laws on Tuesday carrying sentences of up to three years for failing to report abuse, but Premier Daniel Andrews said on Wednesday morning that he did not know of any convictions under Victoria's broader mandatory reporting laws, in place for 25 years. The Premier said the laws, and the new legislation passed on Tuesday, were intended to create a culture in which all abuse or mistreatment of children was reported, regardless of how it came to light. The changes will bring religious leaders into line with police, teachers, doctors, nurses, school counsellors and youth justice workers who are required to report child abuse to authorities. The introduction of the legislation follows a recommendation in the 2017 final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse that clergy and confession no longer be exempt from mandatory reporting. The Northern Territory and South Australia have introduced mandatory reporting laws to which clergy are subject, and Western Australia and Tasmania have committed to doing so.

New online service spots undetected depression in teens

According to The Educator, an Australian-first web-based mental health service piloted in NSW high schools has helped identify students experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, 80 per cent of whom weren’t previously known to their school counsellors. With up to 50 per cent of all mental health disorders emerging during adolescence, many with potentially lifelong consequences, these results demonstrate the need for effective preventive interventions for young people, and makes schools the ideal setting to reach them. “This pilot confirms the Smooth Sailing program is safe and potentially effective, presenting a new way to reach at-risk young people if delivered at scale,” Scientia Professor and Director of the Black Dog Institute, Helen Christensen AO, said.

Police investigate allegations student leaked explicit images

According to The Courier Mail, detectives are investigating allegations involving two Mackay high school students after receiving reports that private explicit images were leaked over social media. Police were informed about an incident at a Catholic Education school, which allegedly occurred last week. It is understood a mobile phone belonging to a younger pupil was allegedly hacked by an older student and sensitive images were distributed on social media and between other students. Police Media confirmed detectives attended the school yesterday morning and were investigating the allegations. It is unknown if any charges have been laid. The Daily Mercury contacted the school, which has not been named for legal reasons, for comment. A Catholic Education spokeswoman said police were involved in the matter. "The college followed strict student protection procedures, which involved notifying police," the spokeswoman said. Earlier this year State Government passed laws making the sharing of intimate images without consent a crime punishable by up to three years' jail.

Bushwalking and bowls in schools: we need to teach kids activities they’ll go on to enjoy

According to an article in The Conversation, physical education is one of the most popular subjects for children in their early school years. Yet by secondary school less favourable attitudes towards what’s known in the Australian school curriculum as Health and Physical Education (HPE) can start to creep in. By adulthood, the mention of HPE brings on both pleasant (for those who enjoyed HPE at school or completed HPE activities well) and unpleasant memories (those who suffered embarrassment, bullying or injuries). These attitudes towards HPE are important as early life experiences can be linked to our health later on. Adults with positive memories of HPE are more likely to be physically active throughout their lives. That’s why we need to get students hooked on a range of activities they don’t give up on and can enjoy doing for many years after they leave school.

INTERNATIONAL

Hong Kong school students join pro-democracy protests, prompting criticism of curriculum (Hong Kong)

According to the ABC News, students' involvement in demonstrations has seen increased scrutiny of Hong Kong's school curriculum, which some claim is radicalising the city's youth. Pro-Beijing politician Priscilla Leung is among those critical of Hong Kong's schools. In particular, the barrister and academic has taken aim at liberal studies, a subject compulsory for any high school student who wants to attend university. According to curriculum documents, liberal studies is designed to help Hong Kong students become independent and critical thinkers. One broad liberal studies learning outcome is "to evaluate different aspects of life in Hong Kong with respect to the rights and responsibilities of individuals, social groups and the government". There are also modules called "Hong Kong today" and "modern China".

New Zealand history to be taught in all Kiwi schools from 2022 (New Zealand)

According to Newshub, the Government will make changes to the education curriculum to "make clear the expectation" that New Zealand history is taught in all schools and kura (the Maori word for school) from 2022. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement on Thursday, saying that the Government was "committed to a better New Zealand" and "recognises the value of every New Zealander". Currently, the national education curriculum allows schools and kura to make their own decisions over how New Zealand history is covered. But Ardern said that leaves too much to chance. "It makes sense for the National Curriculum to make clear the expectation that our history is part of the local curriculum and marau ā kura (localised curriculum) in every school and kura. Topics expected to be included in the curriculum changes include: arrival of Māori in New Zealand; colonisation; the Treaty of Waitangi; and New Zealand's role in the Pacific.