Education Review - Jun 2013 by Racs Salcedo

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Issue 4 June 2013 www.educationreview.com.au

Changing views: What people need to know about your profession

Developing an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Asia literateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; teaching workforce

Teaching around the world Can-do spirit for teachers in Nepal

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contents EDITOR Antonia Maiolo (02) 9936 8618 antonia.maiolo@apned.com.au

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© Copyright. No part of this publication can be used or reproduced in any format without express permission in writing from APN Educational Media. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication, does not indicate the publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the publisher, its agents, company officers or employees.

06 news 04 Swan’s school spend

Audited 15,635 as at Sept 2012

20 Asia literacy: urgent

Teaching the teachers

in the classroom 24 Schools do matter

Labor’s lasting legacy to education

06 NAPLAN inquiry

Unveiling their role in tertiary entrance rankings

Senate committee to mark the high-stakes test

25 Online education

08 Schools approved

Opening doors for professional development

Dismay over new private schools in Canberra

10 NSW seeks clarity

on Gonski What’s the plan for the state’s independents? Professional development for pre-service teachers

Principals to earn professional status

28 Going places

community focus 32 Heartland School: Nepal

12 Public school payments

Beating poverty with learning

Fees to remain voluntary

workforce 35 Keeping up to speed

13 Community against closures QLD govt promises consultation

Awareness of what teachers do

26 Certified leaders

Broadening educators horizons through travel

11 Learning online

industry & policy 15 Building perception

Putting development first for teachers

38 Rural scholarships

Leadership training a boost for small schools

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June 2013 | 3

news

Swan’s

10-year plan for education

Billions have been allocated for education reform under Gillard, but it will be 2019 before schools receive total funding. By Antonia Maiolo

he Gillard government has locked in billions in funding for its education reforms, forming a significant part of the spending allocated in Labor’s recent budget announcement. Treasurer Wayne Swan outlined a 10year plan for extra school funding under the Gonski scheme, which is said to be worth $28 billion. The scheme has since passed through the lower house of parliament. Australia’s schools will receive $9.8 billion over six years for a new needsbased funding model, with an annual education spending increase by the federal government of 4.7 per cent. For the first time, the plan includes a base funding amount for each student, with the prime minister promising that even the most affluent independent schools will not lose a dollar. “Our current school funding system is 4 | June 2013

broken, it’s failing our children,” Swan said in his budget announcement. “That’s why we are transforming our nation’s schools by investing $9.8 billion in new school funding.” In his speech, Swan admitted that the proposed new funding scheme would take six years to be fully executed. The budget papers also revealed that public schools will have to wait until 2019 to get the full amount of increased funding, with schools set to receive less than half a billion dollars next year. Labor’s investment into the schools education funding scheme will be partly paid for through pre-announced savings from the higher education budget, scrapping of the baby bonus and cuts to family benefits. Swan said although we are facing fiscal challenges in the short-term, with current figuring showing the country has an $18 billion budget deficit; we also have to make “smart investments for the future”. “The thing to do in the circumstance we are in at the moment is, don’t starve the future, and make the investments in education which will drive prosperity of the future ...” Swan said. At a press conference Angelo Gavrielatos, federal president of the Australian Education Union, responded

to the 2013 federal budget, calling it a “new era” in schools funding. Gavrielatos said the announcement is not only significant in terms of structural reform for school education but it’s also significant social reform and also economic reform for the country. This will set up the future for each child but it will also set up our future as a nation as a whole,” he said. Gavrielatos said the growth in funding will for the first time be directed to address disadvantage. “With this additional funding our schools will be able to implement programs that will lift the overall student performance but also start to close the achievement gaps which continue to be a great concern to all educators across the country.” Gavrielatos also called on the opposition to assure the Australian public that the schools funds provided in the forward estimates won’t be scrapped. Negotiations with states and territories over their commitment to schools’ funding, which was first announced in April ahead of COAG, remains open until 30 June. So far NSW is the only state to sign up to the schools funding proposal. In his response to the budget, opposition leader Tony Abbott said that under a Coalition government, Gonski would be killed off, saying it was too costly. n

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June 2013 | 5

news

An inquiry into the effectiveness of NAPLAN will be held amid growing fears over the stress and pressure it is having on teachers, students and parents. By Antonia Maiolo

senate committee will look into the unintended effects that the controversial standardised test is having on teaching and learning practices. The body responsible for National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), has welcomed the senate inquiry and will be providing a submission. A spokesman for ACARA said, “Most schools and parents take NAPLAN seriously as an assessment of student progress, but do not see the need to overprepare through repetitive drilling or study.” The decision follows concerns about the booming industry of so-called “support products” such as vitamins and study guides which are said to be adding pressure to parents and students. Vitamin company Nature’s Way sparked outrage when its television advertisements for Kids Smart Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements finished with the line “NAPLAN testing starts May 14”. The advertisements linking NAPLAN results to the tablets were pulled just two days after airing following public backlash on Twitter and Facebook. Other companies are also trying to cash in, with NAPLAN test booklets making the top 10 bestseller list at book retailer Dymocks in the week that lead up to this year’s annual tests. Another company specialising in educational toys is marketing special NAPLAN teddy bears to help kids “manage their feelings”. The NAPLAN test has also been criticised for promoting to use of private

Tough

questions about NAPLAN

tutoring, narrowing the curriculum and the misuse of results. Greens senator Penny Wright called for the inquiry to investigate whether the tests actually benefit students. Wright said the tests have caused “significant stress” among teachers and students, in light of the most recent tests which saw approximately one million students around Australia in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit for the annual NAPLAN test. “NAPLAN was intended to provide

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important information on student performance and highlight students most in need of help. “Instead it has become a high-stakes test that is narrowing the curriculum and being used to compare schools through the MySchool site.” Wright said NAPLAN, designed to measure students’ literacy and numeracy skills, was introduced so there could be proper data about student achievement and to be able to identify and address

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educational disadvantage. “Instead, we have NAPLAN training books on bestseller lists, young children having private tutoring for the tests and some secondary schools requiring NAPLAN results in their admissions process,” she said. Australian Education Union (AEU) president Angelo Gavrielatos is supportive of a senate inquiry, saying it is “appropriate” to review the test to ensure it is being used for the purpose for which it was intended.

“There is no doubt that NAPLAN is contributing to growing levels of anxiety amongst parents and students, and teachers and principals,” Gavrielatos said. He said the high stakes associated with NAPLAN are concerning especially with vitamin companies advertising their product claiming it will assist student performance in the test and NAPLAN style test booklets ranked as top seller in children book lists. Gavrielatos said NAPLAN remains, at best, a one-point-in-time snapshot of student literacy and numeracy skills, adding, “given that it takes months for NAPLAN results to be returned to school, it is of limited, if any, diagnostic value”. Save Our Schools national convener Trevor Cobbold blames MySchool and the publishing of league tables in newspapers for making NAPLAN a high stakes test. “The reputations of schools and the careers of principals and teachers are all affected by school results published on My School,” Cobbold said. He said teacher pay is also starting to depend on NAPLAN results, with monetary rewards being promoted for governments, schools and teachers for improving results. Cobbold described it as “ … a cancer eating away at good education”. He also said long hours spent practicing the test in the classroom and at home has taken time away from other subjects such as science, history, language, art and music. According to the results of a 2012 survey by Dr Greg Thompson, a researcher from the School of Education at Murdoch University, teachers believe that the test is not achieving its core goals of improving literacy and numeracy among school children. Thompson, a former high school teacher in rural and metropolitan Western Australia, found in his survey of just under 1000 teachers from WA and South

[NAPLAN] is a cancer eating away at good education. Australia that the tests create less inclusive classroom environments and lower student engagement. “The majority of teachers surveyed said that NAPLAN is having a negative impact on their classrooms,” Thompson said. Teachers in WA and SA also expressed concern that NAPLAN is resulting in narrowed curriculum focus, requiring teachers to teach the test and adopt pedagogies that may not suit the best interests of all their learners. Seventy-seven per cent of teachers reported that preparation for the NAPLAN tests are taking time away from other curriculum areas, while 50 per cent of teachers said that they felt forced to give dull, repetitive lessons because of NAPLAN. International studies from the US and UK show similar results, being that the perceived effects of high-stakes tests in classroom environments are less, rather than more, inclusive. Another survey of teachers by the University of Melbourne last year found a significant number of teachers raising concern over NAPLAN. Seventy-five per cent of teachers said they teach to the test because of a focus on NAPLAN and 70 per cent said that less time is spent on other subjects in schools. About 55 per cent said that the focus on NAPLAN has narrowed the range of teaching strategies they use. Education minister Peter Garrett said 2013 NAPLAN tests will help target more help to schools and students struggling with literacy and mathematics, but said while NAPLAN is “important”, students should not be placed under too much pressure. The senate committee is expected to report back by June 27. n

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June 2013 | 7

news

Concerns over approval of ACT

private schools ACT education minister Joy Burch

BY AILEEN MACALINTAL

wo planned private schools in the ACT threaten the viability of public schools, say concerned groups. The Australian Education Union and Save Our Schools lobby have submitted their grounds for refusal of the ACT’s approval of the new private schools. SOS campaigner Trevor Cobbold said their concerns relate to a new campus for Brindabella Christian College in the suburb of Charnwood, in the northwest Belconnen, and a new campus of Canberra Christian School in the new Molonglo development. Under the ACT education act, for a new private school/ campus to be given an in-principle approval, the school must not undermine the viability of existing schools and the new school/ campus must have adequate demand. “We consider that the minister failed to give proper consideration to these factors and treated the provisions of the act as a mere formality. She has not properly assessed the impact of the two schools or considered the lack of evidence of demand for these schools,” said Cobbold. He said a new school in Belconnen will draw enrolments from existing schools in the area, add to excess capacity and threaten the future of some schools. “The new campus of Brindabella Christian School in Charnwood is within a few hundred metres of two existing schools – Charnwood-Dunlop PS and St Thomas Aquinas PS,” said Cobbold. 8 | June 2013

He said nearly 2000 excess places are in government schools in north-west Belconnen and average capacity use is only 69 per cent. Projected population growth in Belconnen to 2021 is estimated at only 0.3 per cent per annum, compared to the ACT average of 1.4 per cent, and is not sufficient to bring existing schools up to capacity. He added the school has indicative enrolments of only 31 to meet its initial enrolment plan of 75 by next year and 194 by 2018. “The minister’s approval of this school defies all logic. It contradicts the ACT government’s own long-term policy to reduce excess school capacity in the region.” “The approval given for the new campus of Canberra Christian School is truly bizarre. The current school is a tiny school of 32 K-6 enrolments in the southern suburb of Mawson,” Cobbold said. “It has been given approval for a new campus of 480 enrolments in the new Molonglo development. Its application showed only two indicative enrolments and these were from families whose children are already enrolled at the Mawson school. This is just absurd.” AEU ACT secretary Glenn Fowler said “We believe that the decision was rushed, and it was the wrong decision. We’ve asked the government to review it and, if appropriate, to reverse it. “We’re also going to take up the chief minister’s offer to make submissions so that we can improve the education act to ensure that we don’t have schools being

approved in this manner in the future.” Fowler said the approval process needs to be more rigorous and open for appeal. “We don’t think the act is being followed. It’s up to the government to explain or reassure the schools in the area that they won’t lose students to these new schools.” “Schools will be undergoing a registration process. We will be monitoring that process to ensure that the community can take some reassurance that public schools in these areas will not be undermined.” ACT education minister Joy Burch said “The ACT government’s firm belief is that the continued growth and community confidence in government school is achieved through our continued investment in our schools – in quality teachers, and quality infrastructure.” She said departmental advice to the minister showed that Brindabella Christian College enrolments at a Charnwood campus were unlikely to be from other schools in the Belconnen Area, either government or non-government. She added, the 2013 Census of ACT schools shows that government primary schools in the north Belconnen area have seen continued growth in enrolments, “up 135 enrolments from 2012.” “With respect to the other school, for a K-6 campus for Canberra Christian School in the new housing development region of East Molonglo, there will be considerable population growth in the surrounding suburbs over the next few years, as thousands of people move into the new estates.” Save Our Schools has called for minister Joy Burch to be sacked for her mishandling of the process. ACT chief minister Katy Gallagher said the government would not overturn the decisions but would consider legislative changes to the way new private schools are approved in the future. n

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news

Independents

better off

under Gonski

The Association of Independent Schools in NSW has welcomed a $5 billion increase in funding to all schools in NSW over the next six years.

epresentatives from the AISNSW have met with officials from NSW and Australian government to discuss funding circumstances for NSW schools for 2014 onwards. AISNSW executive director Dr Geoff Newcombe said, “It is clear that the agreement signed by the NSW premier with the commonwealth will provide a significant funding increase over the next six years for sector overall in NSW. This is a very positive outcome for independent schools in NSW.” Data presented at the meeting showed that the increase will come with additional funding of $73 million to the NSW independent schools sector in 2014. Further significant funding will be seen each year towards 2018-19.

Government and independent school representatives at the meeting also agreed on quality processing and distribution of individual school data. In April, the NSW government signed the Gonski agreement with the commonwealth, resulting in an additional $5 billion education funding for the state over the next six years to 2019. Education minister Adrian Piccoli said, “As part of the agreement the NSW non-government sector will be $1.3 billion better off over six years. “This is a great deal for all schools in NSW, because both government and non-government sectors will receive more funding from 2014 onwards than they would have under the current funding arrangements.”

The NSW government has considered the ongoing concerns of the nongovernment sector in relation to the details of the agreement. “Given this the NSW government urges the commonwealth to provide as a matter of priority the school-by-school Student Resource Standard for all NSW catholic and independent schools,” he said. “This information will assist the Catholic Education Commission of NSW and our independent schools to prepare for the 2014 school year.” Earlier, there had been reports of confusion and uncertainty from schools regarding information on education funding reforms and school budget next year. In an Independent Education Union survey of 1600 teachers from Catholic and independent schools at NSW, 73 per cent believed that school funding is very important. However, a total of 568 respondents, or 36 per cent, answered they don’t know if their school will be better or worse off under the federal government’s funding model from 2014. While 35 per cent believed they will be worse off, 21 per cent believed that the school, as well as funding available for students, will be about the same. Only seven per cent believed they will be better off. n

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e b i r c s b u S today C omprehensive and diverse range of topics  I ndependent and insightful articles making our publications essential reading ll our websites feature interactive areas A where users can comment directly on the conversation and debate the topics that face your industry, today and in the future elivered free of charge, and you will  D also receive weekly online updates and special content. APN Educational Media is a division of APN News and Media, serving the education and health sectors. It has a stable of publications, which combine to cover all aspects of secondary, tertiary and further education, together with a range of related professions and careers. Using the latest technology to address this range of niche publishing markets, the company has access through its books, magazines, newspapers and the internet to virtually every teacher, university student, academic and health professional in the country. APN Educational Media has identified the importance and dynamism of the education and health sectors and is growing and adapting with these industries, working in successful partnership with a large range of educational and health institutions and industry bodies. APN Educational Media is not just covering the education and health industries - it is a part of them. SUBSCRIPTIONS Aged Care INsite

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The latest news and resources for schools and teachers At Education Review we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of ever changing teaching practices. We provide an independent source of news, and cover the issues relevant to teachers and the classroom giving an informative, practical and insightful view into day to day life in schools. • Latest updates in technology and enhanced teaching strategies • Comprehensive coverage of a diverse range of topics • VET in schools and higher education • What’s happening in public and private schools • Analysis of major issues facing the education sector • Weekly news update emails. Enjoy the convenience of having Education Review delivered directly to your door. Your subscription also includes 4 issues of Education Review Techguide which serves to demystify new technology and present case studies of ‘best practice’ solutions in our schools.

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news

Professional development

program online

An online learning program designed for pre-service teachers is giving them the support they need, and putting them in touch with other educators.

free online teacher professional learning program has been released to assist teachers and schools in providing support to pre-service teachers on professional experience placements. Developed by the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) in partnership with the New South Wales Institute of Teachers and the Queensland College of Teachers, the Supervising Preservice Teachers program delivers four interactive online modules. The program is self-paced, self-directed and flexible so teachers can decide what is important to them and allocate their time commitment accordingly. It also allows teachers to connect with other educators from across the country through discussion threads and forum spaces within the program. AITSL chief executive Margery Evans said the online program is designed

to enhance the knowledge, skills and confidence of those who supervise preservice teachers. “It is a great way for supervising teachers to engage with content as well as share experiences with others through online discussion threads, and better support our pre-service teachers,” Evans said. John Loughran, dean of the faculty of education at Monash University said these modules are important to the work of developing beginning teachers in a flexible way. “One aspect of the functionality of these modules was in recognition that teachers are busy. So trying to find ways to invite teachers into the modules without forcing you along a particular line was around that idea of ‘just in time’,” Loughran said. He said the program focuses on what is it that a teacher might need, and “when and how can it put in a way that can be useful, meaningful and helpful to you [the teacher].”

It focuses on skills in effective partnerships; practice analysis; making judgements and unpacking the Graduate Standards. Loughran said the program offers new methods of evaluating evidence. The Supervising Pre-service Teacher program also has a strong focus on mentoring, which Loughran said is “key” to helping a pre-service teacher develop. The program also incorporates assessments upon completion of each module. Participants can study any or all of the modules according to their interest and will be certified according to the modules they complete. These certificates can be used in professional portfolios in support of registration requirements. n

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June 2013 | 11

news

Consultation

before closure

No school in Queensland will be closed without consultation with school communities, said the Newman government. By Aileen Macalintal

ueensland’s minister for education, training and employment, John-Paul Langbroek, said only after listening to what school communities have to say about the matter will the government decide upon the closure of more schools. “Last year I received advice from the department that 55 schools were potentially unviable. I rejected this out of hand,” Langbroek said. “Since enrolment data was collected on day eight, we have looked at all of these schools and identified nine that require further consideration.” Langbroek said Brisbane schools including Coorparoo Secondary College, Everton Park State High School, Nyanda State High School, Fortitude Valley State School and Old Yarranlea State School would start consultation ahead of possible closure. Also on the list are Stuart State School in Townsville, Wyreema State School on the Darling Downs, Charlton State School between Toowoomba and Oakey, and Toowoomba South State School. “The government fully understands these communities are proud of their local schools, but this has to be weighed against the ability of a small school to provide opportunities for its students. “Let me be clear, this does not mean these schools will automatically close. We now need to have a calm, mature conversation about the opportunities

available at these schools and whether students will be better off elsewhere,” Langbroek said. “The most important thing is that we listen to the local community and achieve the best result for the students.” “Not only do we need to look at our current schools but we also need to be more innovative in how we plan for new schools, in how we design new schools and in how we fund new schools. In the next 10 years, Queensland will need 100 schools to accommodate growth.” He added that the Newman government has already announced ten new schools to be built to accommodate up to 10,800 students. Every dollar raised from the sale of a school site would be reinvested into new classrooms and new schools, he said. P&C Queensland, the peak parent body that represents the interests of state school parents and citizens associations throughout Queensland, is working with members to help them through the ongoing consultation process. Peter Levett, CEO of P&C Queensland, said, “Potential closure of any school is a difficult issue and one that no community wants to be involved in.” “When school closures are proposed, P&C Queensland expects full consultation to occur and for the school community to be provided with the support necessary,” he said. “This is not a new development and

we have seen closures in the past. What is new is the policy on school viability that Education Queensland has recently introduced.” In response to possible Queensland school closures, groups have put up Facebook pages including “Save Nyanda State High” which posts updates and information on what the group is doing “to fight against the proposed closure of Nyanda State High School”. Another page, “Save Everton Park High” recently posted: “As a community we understand the importance a school has to this area, Everton Park needs a high school, this school! The school is surrounded by at least 6 primary schools, and that is quite a few. It’s the closest high school to most of these primary schools and if they take this local base away then all the students within these areas who want to go here will be forced to travel outside of their catchment to attend a school a lot of them don’t want to go to. And we know these schools have huge numbers already, and that’s not including the move of the Year 7s in 2015. “In the next few years this area will become more populated, more developments are going up, and that means more families will be moving into the area but there will be no local high school. If an area is going to become more populated and a new huge shopping centre is being built with apartments, why take the local high school away?” n

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Contribution fees

to remain voluntary

t has been decided that the schools contribution system will remain voluntary, following reports that it would either be increased or made compulsory. Western Australian education minister Peter Collier said, “The Liberal-National government will not be changing the voluntary contribution system to make it a compulsory fee.” “Public education is provided to all, regardless of people’s financial position and no child is disadvantaged if their parents cannot pay at all, or cannot pay the full amount,” Collier said. But Collier said voluntary contributions are significant in expanding the students’ learning opportunities. “The money goes towards the cost of certain materials, services and facilities used directly by students. This can include stationery items, art and craft materials, text books and photocopy materials,” he said. Under the state’s school regulations, the Department of Education has to review

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the voluntary contribution system, at least once every three years, while consulting with principals, schools and parents. After the review, the WA Council of State School Organisations (WACSSO) is hoping to see changes that will make the system more equitable for schools. WACSSO president Kylie Catto said, “We would like to see a system where schools and in effect students educational outcomes are not disadvantaged based on whether parents can afford to pay.” She said the education minister’s statement – that there will be no move by the government to implement a compulsory fee system – is a huge relief, especially for families who already struggle with rising costs of education. “If all families could afford to pay, the foreseeable benefit would be in increased resources for the school, but overwhelmingly a compulsory fee system would not be beneficial. “If voluntary contributions are increased and parents are already unable to pay,

then there is a huge risk of even fewer parents contributing, so even less money for already struggling schools,” she said. John Fischer, acting deputy director general of finance and administration for the department of education, said that under the School Education Regulations 2000, public schools could request a voluntary contribution up to a maximum of $60 a student per year for kindergarten to Year 7, and up to a maximum of $235 per year for students in Years 8-10. He said the total voluntary contributions collected from public school parents in 2012 increased by approximately $700,000 – or seven per cent – from $9.7 million in 2011 to $10.4 million in 2012. The average collection rate for the secondary sector was 52.88 per cent for 2012, compared to 52.77 per cent in 2011. The average collection rate for the primary sector was 56.36 per cent for 2012, a slight increase on the 55.71 per cent collected in 2011. n

June 2013 | 13

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a i s A e c n e i r e Exp as an international volunteer... Or maybe you’d rather share your skills in the Pacific, Africa or the Middle East? There are many places you can work as an international volunteer, as well as a variety of education roles to choose from. Our partners overseas need people with skills in: > EFL teacher training

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Australian Volunteers for International Development is an Australian Government, AusAID initiative.

industry & policy

Teaching

truths

athy Andrzej Bieleckia has seen it all. Not only has she taught at both primary and secondary schools, but she has also taught in public and private classrooms in Australia and England. “I have taught in some of the poorer schools in London and believe me – Australian schools have it better,” Bieleckia says. “But the reality remains that there are now so many hours outside of teaching, it is encroaching upon teacher’s private lives. “Teachers in primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges, spend up to nine hours within the school in Australia. On top of this, there are one or two days

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a week when they are obliged to attend school meetings for up to three hours as well as teachers meetings, parent meetings and other school happenings such as open nights, theatre nights or other community happenings. “Primary teachers on the whole have no time off during the day, bar breaks and lunch, and usually have two or three duties a week. Secondary teachers usually have around a lesson a day off, although a full timetable is usual one day a week. College teachers have more time off within school hours but their time is taken up in various ways with students.” Bieleckia still works as a relief teacher in Canberra, working up to three days a week. Occasionally, she works up to three or four weeks in a row to fill a gap, and still teaches across primary and secondary schools. “Class preparation depends on the individual but in the early years this is very time consuming for teachers new to the industry,” she says. “When they have built up their knowledge and information

One of the most popular misconceptions about teachers centres on the hours they work. But the myth, as usual, is far from the reality. By Louis White

folders, things get easier but with the new curriculum lots of catch-up has had to be done by all teachers. “Again, marking depends to a large extent on the individual teacher, but most spend several evenings a week marking work for between one and five hours a night. Many teachers help after school with various sports and at the weekend. Sport would not happen if teaching hours were longer. “Pay varies from state to state in Australia, which I think is ridiculous. Conditions in Australia are pretty good as most schools really care about their staff.” There is no doubt that there is a misconception about the hours teachers work from the general public. If anything, the hours put in by teachers outside of the classroom has actually increased due to the increased availability of resources. Rather than cut down teacher preparation time, the internet has increased the workload out of teaching hours. Teachers now have to check a variety of online sites, access their suitability for the

June 2013 | 15

industry & policy classroom as well as verify the claims that they are making. Students and parents also expect more in terms of resources that their children can use outside of the classroom putting further stress upon teachers. Teachers not only have to prepare for a full working day but constantly search for new and exciting resources that children and teenagers can access in their spare time. “It is impossible to calculate a meaningful average of the number of hours a teacher would spend working each week in addition to classroom time,” Norm Hart, president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, says. “There is an expectation that daily lesson preparation occurs, either before or after school. “For most teachers this would require one to two hours. There is additional time each day required to counsel students, facilitate sporting and cultural activities, engage with parents and work collaboratively with colleagues. For most teachers this would be up to two hours each day. “Weekly preparation and production of teaching resources will take at least four hours each week for most teachers. Correction of student work will normally

take from one to 10 hours each week depending on the curriculum plan being implemented. “Professional reading, learning activities and long-term planning may not happen each week but certainly require at least ten hours each month for most teachers. In my opinion there would be very few effective teachers who do not spend at least 20 hours working each week in addition to their classroom contact time.” Hart is also of the belief that the general public does not understand or appreciate the amount of hours teachers spend out of the classroom. “Some of the extra-curricular work that teachers undertake is observed by parents and the general public,” he says. “For instance, facilitating student activities outside school hours is appreciated by parents but some of the other work that teachers do at home or with colleagues is not witnessed by the general public. Many people would be surprised by the amount of time and the professionalism teachers give to these tasks.” The reality is that most teachers are diligent in their duties. The public generally thinks because of the four-term school year and long summer break that teachers have a good life.

“Teachers who are conscientious are very stretched,” Dr John Collier, head of St Andrew’s Cathedral School, says. “Not only has the internet increased the workload on teachers but there are more assessments now than ever before. The advent of email means that people are contactable all the time and parents expect responses.” As well as being principal, Collier also teaches keep himself in tune with what is going on in the classroom. “I believe that actively teaching enables me to make decisions for the betterment of the school,” he says. St Andrew’s Cathedral School is a coeducational, independent Anglican school offering junior and middle school as well as senior college. It employs in excess of 100 teachers for its 1000 students. “What we are also finding with the availability of the internet as a teaching resource is that parents are starting to expect more individual learning programs for their students,” Collier says. “This is particularly the case of feepaying parents. While we do our best to accommodate everyone’s needs we do point out that this is a school of multiple students.” The age-old debate of teacher salaries is

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industry & policy Rather than cut down teacher preparation time, the internet has increased the workload out of teaching hours. Teachers now have to check a variety of online sites, access their suitability for the classroom as well as verify the claims that they are making. also another factor in the motivation of teachers. Believe it or not, Australian teacher starting salaries are either at par or above most graduate starting salaries but the real issues lies in where they are capped. Australian teacher salaries also compare favourably on an international scale too. “I think the biggest deterrent is that we cap teacher salaries,” Collier says. “You don’t see that in other industries but I honestly believe that people don’t enter the teaching profession motivated by money. They simply love teaching. That said, they need to live but it is difficult for governments to increase teacher salaries due to the vast amount of teachers around the country and the impact it would have upon the budget.” In an article for the publication Teaching and Teacher Education, entitled ‘Motivations for choosing teaching as a career: An international comparison’ using the FIT-Choice scale discovered the motivations for teaching in Australia, America, Germany and Norway were similar f amore s s p g 1 8than 5 x they 1 3 1were 5 1 different. 1 7 4 5 The - FIT 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 5 - 3 1 T1 7 : 4 9 : 3 4 + 1 0 : 0 0 (Factors Influencing Teaching) model revealed that

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industry & policy the motivations that related most strongly to high initial career satisfaction included the altruistic-type motivations most frequently emphasised in the teacher education literature, the intrinsic value individuals attached to teaching, and selfevaluations of their teaching-related. “In particular, intrinsic value and ability beliefs, emphasised as major influences in the expectancy-value framework, were found to be among the highest rated motivations for Australian pre-service teachers choosing a teaching career rated similarly high to the social utility factors which have been the main focus of the teacher education research to date. “Salary scales for teachers vary considerably across the OECD countries. Comparison of the salary scales in United States dollars (converted using Purchasing Power Parities), indicate that primary/elementary and lower secondary teachers in Germany, the US, Australia, and Norway have starting salaries above the mean OECD teaching salary; starting salaries for upper secondary teachers in Norway fall slightly below, while the US and

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industry & policy Australia are well above, and Germany is highest of all. “After 15 years of teaching experience, salaries for elementary, lower secondary, and upper secondary teachers in Norway are well below the OECD mean; teachers in Germany, the US, and Australia are well above it. German upper secondary teachers are located ahead of their counterparts in the US and Australia; upper secondary teachers in Norway fall into the bottom quartile of the distribution.” Chris Bonner, former high school principal, and former president of the NSW Secondary Principals Council believes that salaries are only a step in the foundation of teaching. “Salaries are really important when combined with more stringent hoops that people must jump through if they want to become teachers,” he says. “And higher salaries for the profession as a whole, ahead of such things as class sizes, are found in better performing school systems.” Bonner, who co-authored The Stupid Country – How Australia is dismantling public education with Jane Caro, believes that governments need to address the system as a whole to encourage people to both want to join the profession and ultimately stay in teaching. “Improvements to the teaching system need to be driven by how students learn and what structures and teaching styles are needed to ensure that this happens,” he says. “External drivers – such as curriculum and testing, changes in technology, changes in class sizes, school type and size, length of school day – must take second place and both reflect and serve the priority of authentic engagement, learning and assessment. “Effective models of personalised learning require significant changes within classrooms, in school structure, in how technology is used and in the role of curriculum and assessment.

“If we place personalised learning at the centre, then our current institutionalised schooling structures, such as learning in externally designed silos, restrictive curriculum and lock-step progression, will have to change. They must anyway, because they are failing to serve large numbers of students.” n

Pay for public school teachers across Australia in 2013

State

Graduate Pay

Top teacher pay

QLD NSW NT ACT SA TAS WA VIC

$60,016 $59,706 $62,017 $58,911 $61,418 $57,716 $60,545 $60,220

$87,866 $89,050 $114,737 (specialist) $88,184 $89,079 $85,868 $101,853 $101,853

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industry & policy

Developing

‘Asia literate’ teachers

One of the great challenges facing Australia is how to connect with our Asian neighbours. By Eeqbal Hassim

ecent reform in Australian education has been driven by a strong focus on leadership and change management within the context of national goals for Australian schooling, for example, the Melbourne Declaration (2008), the Australian Curriculum, and the Australian Professional Standard for Principals. Within this reform environment, school leaders have had to come to terms with the challenges facing Australians in the 21st century, including the need to engage and build strong relationships with Asia. In a recent research publication, What Works 2: Leading school change to support the development of Asia relevant capabilities, the Asia Education Foundation (AEF) has sought to illustrate and translate the theory of school leadership in the context of developing Asia capable schools. The featured schools in What Works 2 established leadership at various levels within and beyond the school, and they have used an evidence-informed approach (research, best practice and program evaluation) to discover ‘what works’ and ‘what is possible’. This article focuses on one aspect of the What Works 2 research, namely building leadership capacity to initiate and/ or support deep and meaningful change for Asia capability in Australian schools. It utilises the key lessons learned from the research as well as relevant school illustrations linked to the research.

Context

The key role that educators play in equipping Australian students with Asia-related capabilities has most recently been emphasised in Australian government policy, such as the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper (2012), the White Paper Implementation Plan, and the National Plan for School Improvement. The policy focus on Asia capability is reflected further in Australia’s engagement with Asia cross-curriculum priority and intercultural understanding general capability within the Australian curriculum, and six Asian languages being identified in the Languages learning area: Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Hindi. 20 | June 2013

industry & policy In this context, it is timely for school leaders to consider: 1. How their schools can develop students’ knowledge, skills and understandings of the histories, geographies, literature, arts, cultures and languages of the Asia region. 2. How their schools can foster intercultural understanding so that Australian students can interact with others readily and confidently in an increasingly diversified nation, region and world. An ‘Asia-engaged’ school is one where leaders, motivated by a moral imperative, drive curriculum and pedagogic change to meet this need and achieve the results they want. Leaders in an Asia-engaged school are guided by an ethical, futures-oriented perspective – they acknowledge that Asia capable students will be successful learners, capable of making sense of their world, who appreciate cultural, social and religious diversity, and relate well to others. These leaders also recognise that supporting meaningful and sustainable change for Asia capability in schools requires more than just discrete cultural projects or ‘a good idea’. As a starting point, they (and their staff) commence by learning about Asia-relevant capabilities ‘more deeply in context’, which helps build demand within the school and catalyse curriculum and pedagogic change. This demand and catalyst needs then to be linked to their knowledge and understanding about change and innovation to drive enduring educational reform. The following are the key lessons learned from What Works 2: 1. Leaders with a strong sense of moral purpose for building Asia literacy effect deep and sustainable change in their schools. 2. Leaders who provide inspirational motivation to their staff are able to

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enact deep and sustainable change. 3. Research and evidence-informed practice allows leaders to: (a) understand the significance of Asia literacy; and (b) select the most effective curriculum and pedagogic approaches to build Asia literacy in their schools. 4. Teacher-leaders can effect change with support provided by a distributed leadership model and a professional culture that prioritises student learning as its core. 5. Sustainable leadership builds Asia literacy from what has happened in the past and connects this to a vision of what is desirable for the future. Leaders who understand the importance of Asia capability in the 21st (Asian) century feel a deep sense of moral obligation to their students, to ensure they develop Asia-relevant capabilities such as the confidence and readiness to interact with the diverse peoples, cultures and religions of the Asia region. These leaders are able to imagine the world their students will inhabit in the future and the significant role that Asia will play.

Inspirational motivation

Leaders who lead by example provide inspirational motivation to their colleagues, challenge others to contribute to change, evaluation and improvement, and are positive about the impact of these actions on student learning. They combine their ‘vision’ with practical and relevant solutions to develop Asia capability initiatives in their school. An example of this is the leadership structure initiated at Margaret River Primary School (WA). A total of 16 leaders support the principal’s vision to implement wholeschool change. In working to develop a focus on studies of Asia across the school, in line with the Australian curriculum, these leaders have created and consolidated a consistent approach to curriculum

planning and pedagogy. These leaders support teachers to deliver an Asiafocused curriculum and to plan for student learning using 21st century pedagogies based on inquiry, higher-order thinking skills, web 2.0 technologies, and design. The principal of Margaret River Primary School has also demonstrated his motivation for building an Asia capable school through active membership on the school’s ‘Asia Engagement Committee’. The combined effect of this model is that all leaders in the school inspire and motivate teachers, students and parents to view Asia engagement as a whole-of-school priority. The research shows that in developing a shared vision for an Asia capable school, leaders and teacher-leaders must draw upon inspirational motivation, and so give meaning, challenge and optimism to their work. Inspirational motivation is linked to building the capacities of teachers to deliver an Asia-focused curriculum, and these capacities ‘generate clarity, skills and success’. School leaders can also exert a powerful influence on change through establishing cross-school peer collaboration and support. This focus on motivation for change and improvement is dependent upon professional capital. Professional capital has three components: human, social, and decisional. Human capital centres on the qualities of individuals. It must be complemented by social capital – groups working hard in focused and committed ways to bring about substantial improvements. Decisional capital involves making decisions in complex situations. When the vast majority of teachers possess the power of professional capital, they become committed and collegial, thoughtful and wise. Their moral purpose is expressed in their relentless, expert-driven pursuit of serving their students and their communities, and always learning how to do better.

June 2013 | 21

industry & policy Research and evidence-informed practice Engaging with research and evidenceinformed practice allows leaders to find out about ‘what works’ in building Asia-relevant capabilities and ‘what might work best’ for their school. This dynamic form of evidence gathering creates and sustains momentum for change. The principal of Huntingdale Primary School (VIC) aimed to extend the school’s bi-literacy by facilitating a whole-school approach to the teaching and learning of literacy and language. Her research had shown that the school needed a shared approach to teaching literacy in both English and Japanese. She invested in the creation of mid-level leadership – consisting of classroom and Japanese teachers – to drive change towards a bi-literacy approach in the school. These teacher-leaders then attended a one-year professional learning program on evidence-informed literacy practice. The role of these teacher-leaders has since been to use the evidence they have gathered to design a consistent approach to literacy in English and Japanese, and to mentor colleagues to use this approach consistently across the school. To embed

this shift in pedagogy across the whole school, a number of structural, policy and procedural changes have been put in place, foremost of which is the imperative to develop evidence-informed practice based on the latest research. Research on the role of reflection in leadership and change suggests that knowledge mobilisation is key. Knowledge mobilisation involves the willingness of leaders to find well-communicated research and create effective ways to share and use this work with their staff and colleagues. Professional judgement is also important; leaders need to be confident to analyse the research and decide how best to apply the knowledge they have gained to their contexts. School leaders aiming to develop Asia capable schools need to connect research to the tasks and challenges facing them. They need to develop an institutional culture within the school to find, share and use the growing evidence-base in intercultural understanding, Asian languages teaching, and studies of Asia

curriculum and pedagogy. This may, for example, involve nominating one member of staff to be responsible for finding and sharing research related to developing students’ Asia-relevant capabilities. Indeed, the discussion of research, including the limits of current knowledge, should function as an essential feature of all professional development.

Distributed leadership

The unique leadership structure at Margaret River Primary School was established to ensure sustainable change towards a more Asia capable school: The shared ownership and leadership of curriculum renewal across the whole school enabled the ‘Asia Engagement Committee’ at Margaret River to collect data from staff to inform an action plan for change, including: the design of a practical planning framework; targeted professional development; the review of relevant curriculum resources; and the engagement of the parent community in consultation and support for student learning. n Eeqbal Hassim is senior manager, Australian Curriculum and Research, Asia Education Foundation at The University of Melbourne.

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in the classroom

What about

the school Schools play a role in impacting tertiary entrance rankings and university enrolment. By Tom Karmel

n a climate where tertiary education is becoming increasingly important, it is almost inarguable that it’s the school’s responsibility to ensure a large percentage of its students obtain the required tertiary entrance rankings. Some may suggest that a student’s socio-economic status is the primary determinant of a high tertiary entrance rank and the likelihood of going to university, while others may believe peer pressure is a key factor. What about the school itself? A recent report by Sinan Gemici, Patrick Lim and Tom Karmel, entitled The impact of schools on young people’s transition to university – based on data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) and published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) – explores the impact of school characteristics over and above young people’s individual background, such as academic ability, educational aspirations or parental background. The report focuses on school characteristics such as sector and location; structural characteristics, such as whether the school is single-sex or coeducational; resource base, such as class size and student-teacher ratio; demographics, such as the average socio-economic status of students at the school; and cultural factors such as the extent to which parents put pressure on the school to achieve high academic results. The authors find that schools do matter. They found that although young people’s individual characteristics are the main contributors to university entrance, the school characteristics are responsible for almost 20 per cent of the variation in tertiary entrance rankings. Included in its findings, the report concludes that the most important school attributes for university entrance rankings are sector, (that is, catholic and independent vs. government), gender mix (that is, single-sex vs. coeducational), and the extent to which a school is “academic”. 24 | June 2013

One of the findings tantalises: while schools account for almost 20 per cent of the variation in tertiary entrance rankings, the measured characteristics only account for around a third of this 20 per cent. The implication is that characteristics that have not been measured – things such as the school’s ethos and the quality of its teachings and educational leadership – are crucial. One striking finding is that for tertiary entrance rankings, the school’s average socio-economic status does not emerge as an important factor, after controlling for individual characteristics including academic achievement and socioeconomic status (and other school characteristics). The characteristics of schools also matter for the probability of going to university, even after accounting for the tertiary entrance rankings of individuals.

The three most important attributes are the proportion of students from non-English speaking backgrounds, sector and the school’s socio-economic make-up. The report used LSAY data which tracked young people aged 15-25 as they moved from school to further study, work and other destinations. Analysis of LSAY is produced by NCVER on behalf of the Australian, state and territory governments with funding provided through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). n The report can be accessed at: www.lsay. edu.au/publications/2541.html Dr Tom Karmel is NCVER’s managing director.

in the classroom

Open learning

changing the game

A free online education platform is opening up training and development courses to teachers Australia-wide, giving them flexibility to engage in further study while working. By Antonia Maiolo

ith the demand for online higher education at record highs, Open Universities Australia this year launched ‘Open2Study’ – an online platform facilitating the delivery of Massive Open Online Courses or “MOOCs”. Now OUA – one Australia’s leading players in online education – has announced that its Open2Study program has completion rates of above 25 per cent – almost four times higher than the industry average. Paul Wappett, OUA CEO, said free online education will give teachers the chance to continue to learn. “Just like everyone else, teachers operate in a world that’s moving quickly and content becomes outdated in a flash. Continued education, particularly if it’s offered online, provides access to easily updated, current information,” Wappett said. “The flexibility to incorporate professional development around your working day and personal life remains one of the most attractive benefits of studying online.” www.educationreview.com.au

Outside the obvious benefits of gaining more knowledge, Wappett said that this form of continued learning links educators to the most current teaching innovations and “can remind them what it’s like to be a student themselves”. Wappett said with more subjects added every few weeks, “the breadth offered by Open2Study ensures that there will be no shortage of options to not only enhance their subject matter knowledge, but also expose teachers to general teaching competencies that they can apply in their classrooms”. He identified “Teaching Adult Learners”, one of the first MOOCs to be available through Open2Study, as a good subject choice for teachers looking to continue their learning. The subject aims to give students tools to engage learners through collaborative learning, instructional skills and design, as well as looking at the role of technology is playing in terms of promoting engaged learning environments. Others subjects offered include

Management for a Competitive Edge, User Experience for the Web and Writing for the Web. OUA launched ten MOOCs, which will be the first of an intended 50 offerings through the new Open2Study project. Open2Study courses are available online with each free subject lasting four weeks with video lectures, student discussion forums and quizzes. The courses will be taught by academics and industry professionals, offering people access to classes from a range of Australian universities, including Macquarie University, Curtin, Griffith, Monash, RMIT, Swinburne, and the University of South Australia. While Wappett said free online education has its place in education, he said it’s not a substitute for paid tertiary education. But the rapid rise of MOOCs has led some to predict that the internet will soon replace on-campus study. Grattan Institute higher education program director Andrew Norton says the advance of online learning provides opportunities for new, low-cost entrants into the relatively closed higher education field. Norton’s report The online evolution: when technology meets tradition in higher education suggests that as of March this year more than three million people around the world would have enrolled in Coursera, an American company and also the world’s largest MOOC provider. But the report stated that MOOC providers, unlike universities, do not offer degrees. “They have no power to award credentials such as bachelor or masters degrees, and in most cases lack the sequences of subjects that make up degrees.” At this stage, Open2Study students receive a certificate of completion for successfully passing each subject. Wappett said what is does offer is “less risk” and “less commitment”. “The fact there’s no cost associated with attaining a high-quality tertiary education is also a great benefit – it’s a no-risk investment for the student.” He said down the track Open2Study will also look at trialing on-demand subjects, allowing students to start study as soon as they enroll in a subject, rather than waiting for a specific date. n June 2013 | 25

in the classroom

The principal of self-regulation? School principals could soon come under the review of an accreditation system, as calls for a national certification process ramp up. By Antonia Maiolo

he move towards certification follows a forum held in Canberra earlier this year where Principals Australia Institute (PAI) led talks with industry professionals about a selfregulating certification model for Australian principals which is owned and led by the profession. Most professions have a form of professional certification, yet there is currently no national process for certification of Australian principals. “Principals are leading and driving the quality of education in Australia’s schools. It is imperative that the profession takes the lead and develops its own process for ensuring the quality, skill and expertise of school leaders,” said Jim Davies, CEO of PAI. The forum built on findings from a 2011 schools leadership survey which showed that 63 per cent out of 1542 respondents expressed support for a national qualification for all principals. Advocates say that under this system, principals would be able to differentiate themselves from the teaching profession, as well as benchmarking individual achievement and dedication. The certification of teachers, aligned with the Australian Professional Standard for Teachers, is being progressively implemented around the nation. In the case of principals, the Professional Standard has been developed by the Australian Institute 26 | June 2013

of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and endorsed by all ministers of education, but as yet there is no national articulation of this into a certification process. Davies said PAI is calling for certification as a way to provide principals – catholic, government or independent school leaders – the opportunity to develop their professionalism as a school principal. He said that this would also allow principals to differentiate themselves from the teaching profession. “Certification will help principals to achieve excellence in their practice, and in being recognised, will lift the status of the profession,” said Davies. PAI said that this process will allow school principals to begin to develop the requirements for public recognition as a profession. These requirements will encompass but are not limited to the creation of an ethical code, accreditation of professional development, public responsibility, authority in the sector and community recognition. The forum heard from a panel of experts who discussed the process for national certification and what needs to be considered. The panelists said in considering certification PAI would need to look at the cost of establishment and maintenance; the structure of certification in states and territories; the need to ensure voluntary

participation and the range of contexts in which principals lead schools. Norm Hart, president of Australian Primary Principals Association and a panelist at the forum, said that the question of “why certification?” needs to be addressed in order to explain how it could be beneficial to the profession. “Principals need to know, “what’s in it for me?” and the profession needs to understand, “Why is it good for the profession?” said Hart. Jacqueline Shimeld, director professional development at the Institute of Company Directors agreed that how this certification is communicated to the industry is key. Daryl Hanly, president of Catholic Secondary Principals Australia (CaSPA) said it is important to identify who the key stakeholders are, and “what conversations need to happen to move this forward”. In spite of any challenges associated with establishing a certification process, Hart said a voluntary certification has the potential to “lift the standing” of the profession. He said this would be achieved through clearly defining and articulating for others those professional behaviours, dispositions and values that the school principals hold as vital in themselves. “The Principals Australia Institute, as the professional learning arm of peak principals associations is uniquely placed to explore certification processes on behalf of all school leaders,” Hart said. PAI is currently looking at the next stage in the process, involving widespread consultation with principals around Australia. n

2014

in the classroom

Funded by the Australian Government

The Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowships (ELTF) are an opportunity for you as a practising language teacher, retraining teacher or pre-service language teacher, to improve your language skills and experience the culture you love, through a short-term study program in one of ten countries.

There are now four applicant categories for the ELTF Program: • Practising Teacher

• Retraining Teacher (new in 2014) • Pre-Service Teacher • Group Leader

Applications close June, 25, 2013 (applications for Group Leaders close June, 14, 2013). If successful, between December, 30, 2013 and January, 25, 2014 you will undertake an intensive program consisting of language training, field trips and cultural activities, and will have the opportunity to meet local people and experience language immersion in everyday life. The Program provides return airfares, accommodation, tuition, some meals, field trips and cultural activities.

ELTF Applica tions Now O pen!

To find out more about the Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowships visit: www.eltf.austraining.com.au Application helpline open weekdays 10am - 4pm (ACST) Phone: (08) 7120 8407 Email: eltf@austraining.com.au www.educationreview.com.au

Managed by

In partnership with the University of Adelaide Centre for Professional and Continuing Education

June 2013 | 27

in the classroom

Learning the language

in order to teach One of the roads to effectively learn a new language is by cultural immersion, writes Aileen Macalintal.

arly Vause, who teaches Indonesian to Year 8 students in Adelaide, has just visited Indonesia. Like any tourist, she learned traditional dance, designed fabric, made temple offerings, visited schools and Senang Hati (a charity for disabled Balinese people), toured a Kopi Luwak plantation, and planted rice. But these were just the entrée: her goal was to remedy her Indonesian skills, which she feared were becoming rusty. Vause was part of the Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowships (ELTF), a three-week intensive in-country program managed by Austraining International and funded by the Australian government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. ELTF is designed for practicing, retraining and pre-service language teachers who want to improve their foreign language proficiency and cultural knowledge. ELTF’s program manager Heath Fisher said this program is relevant for educators currently enrolled in an approved diploma or graduate diploma of languages course in Australia of the nominated study program. “ELTF not only provides a professional development opportunity to increase language proficiency and culture understanding, it is also a platform for networking on both a national and international level,” Fisher said.

Bahasa Indonesia

Held in January each year, ELTF sends fellows across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, with varying locations that depend on the government’s international education priorities. “Undoubtedly, the program improved my knowledge of both language and culture,” said Vause, who first studied the Indonesian language in high school. “I knew nothing about Indonesia when I first started learning the language and the more I studied, the more interested I became because it was so different.” Vause studied Indonesian for eight years: five years in high school, and three years as an Adelaide University student, through Flinders University’s cross-campus language program. It was a difficult but worthwhile eye-opener for her – “a person from a family who had never fallen on real financial hardship” – to acquire the Indonesian language through their lifestyle – “living on less than $2 a day for backbreaking labour”. Vause said she gained a better understanding of the language, particularly vocabulary and grammar, as well as the cultural nuances behind the language. “The ELTF program gently forces participants to break down these barriers and speak to people in the target language,” she added. “They support participants to do so confidently and successfully; I was nervous but it was so well-planned that I didn’t have a problem. Additionally, the Indonesian people I saw on my time off were so excited I could speak Bahasa. “After returning, I had improved on all of my skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing. I’d also improved my cultural understanding vastly. Getting out there and feeling confident enough to strike up a conversation was vital, and my listening skills, always one of my greatest weaknesses, were really improved,” she said.

chool ?

28 | June 2013

in the classroom Host universities or recognised language training institutions incorporate 50 hours of formal language training, 15 hours of intercultural activities including school visits, site visits and opportunities to interact with local people and three days of field trips to sites of cultural significance. “Some of the experiences that particularly stand out for me were visiting a village called Jatih Luwi and planting rice,” Vause said. “We spent the time interviewing a farmer for our language assignment and later went to his village and saw his family. The farmers there taught us how to plant rice in the traditional way. “Being a bit of a wuss, it took some nerve to finally take off my shoes and stick my feet into the rice paddy, where I promptly sank straight up to my knees with a rather earpiercing shriek!” “Planting the rice so they were straight in the ground proved trickier than I’d thought, and I’m sure the farmer was quietly shaking his head, itching to replant my rice properly!” Vause was also given three options to study Indonesian: working with Wikispaces, Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets) or the Kecak Dance. “I chose the Kecak Dance, a very famous dance in Bali,” Vause said.

French connection

selected as an ELTF ambassador in 2006 and travelled to Vichy in France, then to Aixen-Provence this year. She believed that in-country experience is invaluable when teaching a language. “The tours throughout the south of France enhanced the cultural learning experiences I now draw on in the classroom when teaching a variety of topics.” Reid teaches maths, science and French at Brigidine College, Indooroopilly in Brisbane. She has degrees in teaching and arts (double major in French), a science degree in soil physics and fluid mechanics, and a doctorate in science education. In Year 11, Reid met some French friends when she travelled to Florida for tennis training. She was frustrated at being unable to fully communicate with them. For Reid, being able to immerse herself in the enviroment gave her a confidence boost. “My listening skills improved immensely,” she said. “My goal was to improve my confidence to be able to initiate conversations with native speakers. “The homestay experience was challenging initially, but gradually I was able to communicate in colloquial French.”

Sharing

Catherine Reid, another awardee, was

Because of recent knowledge and immersion at the ELTF, Reid’s teaching

techniques have become more creative and her delivery more fluent. “I have been able to instill confidence in my students and sharing my reflections about Aix-en-Provence has motivated students to continue to pursue French as an elective. “On my return, I arranged pen pals for my Year 8 students with students from Collège Gréasque, a school I visited near Aix-enProvence,” she said. Vause too has copied some of the short activities demonstrated, not just in her Indonesian class but in other subjects. Asked if they would recommend the ELTF to other foreign language teachers in Australia, both teachers are overwhelmingly positive in their praise of the fellowship. Reid said the experience enabled her to become a more proficient teacher of French. Vause is similarly enthusiastic. “If you’re even the tiniest bit interested, go for it. I was actually unsure about it before I participated in this program, but it was incredibly worthwhile.” “I think any teacher, no matter how proficient in their language, would find this experience not just useful, but reinvigorating. The program was incredibly well planned, the people so kind and helpful and the learning was the way it should be – fun.” n

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June 2013 | 29

Professional Learning Sabbaticals

L-R: Shayne Player, Daniel Buttacavoli, Will Davis, Hon Peter Garrett AM MP, Rebecca Andrews, Michael Hansen, Loretta Hamilton

Time to stop and think Most teachers, if asked what professional reward they would like to receive, would probably say ‘Time out for reflection and professional learning’. That is exactly the opportunity offered to the six extraordinary individuals who won the 2012 Australian Awards for Outstanding Teaching and School Leadership. The Awards are aimed at celebrating the great contribution that teachers and school leaders make to the lives of young Australians. The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) manages the awards on behalf of the Australian Government. AITSL provides national leadership in promoting excellence in the profession, building on its work in developing professional standards for all Australian teachers and principals. Winners receive a professional learning sabbatical, offering them the chance to meet and work alongside experts and leading colleagues in Australia and overseas. Award winners document their sabbaticals in blog entries available on the AITSL website and in reports summarising what they learn. Michael Hansen won the Australian Government Minister’s Award for Leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education. As the Principal at Cairns West State School in Queensland, Michael established agreement between parents and the school guaranteeing both student attendance and academic achievement. He has also worked to strengthen parent engagement. Michael plans to visit the United States and possibly Europe to study strategies that make a difference in literacy development for all students including Indigenous students and refugees. Will Davis, the Primary Teacher of the Year, was formerly at Tom Price Primary School in Western Australia. He bases his teaching on strong and productive relationships, using explicit teaching, sophisticated curriculum differentiation and the strategic and purposeful use of technologies. Will is hoping to explore the use of Instructional Rounds to support improvement at the school and network levels. Shayne Player won the award as Secondary Principal of the Year. As Principal of the Tumbi Umbi Campus of Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College in NSW, she has established a learning community with a strong focus on inclusivity and programs targeted to student need and programs designed to give support to students in the middle years so that they are equipped to achieve their best in further education and training. Shayne will visit high performing schools in the United States, Finland and England to study the use of technologies to develop learning relationships.

AITSL is funded by the Australian Government

The Secondary Teacher of the Year is Daniel Buttacavoli, who is Curriculum Coordinator at Emmanuel College in Altona North in Victoria. He establishes strong relationships with his students and draws upon a deep knowledge of his subject and teaching practice to meet the needs of students. He has led the use of student data to improve literacy outcomes throughout the school. Daniel hopes to deepen his understanding of the impact of project-based learning in middle years classrooms. He will visit schools in the United States, Singapore and Australia. Loretta Hamilton, Primary Principal of the Year, is Principal of Courtenay Gardens Primary School in Victoria. Loretta has fostered a culture of high expectations and commitment to excellence among teachers and the school’s 700 students, many of whom are from challenging socio-economic backgrounds. She has established whole-school approaches in literacy and numeracy, science and multi-media. Loretta will work with researchers in the United Kingdom examining literacy/reading education and what works in improving literacy outcomes for disadvantaged students. A new award in 2012, the Australian Early Childhood Teacher of the Year, was won by Rebecca Andrews, teacher-in-charge of John Brotchie Nursery School in NSW. Rebecca is a passionate advocate of play-based learning and has a deep understanding of theoretical and practical issues in early learning. Rebecca has established a positive culture of reflective practice in the school, and stimulating indoor and outdoor learning environments. Rebecca’s sabbatical will focus on early childhood pedagogy at Reggio Emilia in Italy, and will visit Forest Schools in Denmark and the United Kingdom. The six 2012 award winners are examples of the best of the teaching profession in Australia. Their common focus on achieving benefits for all children and a rigorous attention to what works in practice mean their work will be relevant to all teachers. They are making outstanding use of this once-in-a-lifetime chance to stop and think.

Details on the 2012 Australian Awards for Outstanding Teaching and School Leadership and sabbaticals can be found at:

aitsl.edu.au/2012awards sabbaticals.aitsl.edu.au children. disadvantaged st mo e th of e es the needs nal performanc e the educatio how well it serv is is ra ns ol de to ho ar w sc G ho a t ay of ork ou ourten The measure are trying to w e my work at C lik ld , or al w ic e at th bb er sa y Schools all ov backgrounds. M stion. om challenging dress this que fr ad ts ill en w ud , ia st or of ct strategies Vi e, rn Cranbou be looking for in ill l w oo I ch s. S ill ry sk ma Pri I plan to visit bulary nsion and voca ic demographic. he om re on mp ec oco ci g in so t schools read a low to work out wha My focus is on e schools with ng rg pi la ho in d, s an ea el ar Ir ese on, Wales and that improve th s in outer Lond em st sy ry is a missing t en er ff three di udent vocabula st g in ild . bu ed to achiev r learning, ntion sential to thei like mine have at explicit atte es th e ar ce en at id th ev ds nk of words unting g wor ren are missin expand their ba is based on mo ild al to ch ic ed y at an ne bb M n sa re p. e Th hild ge ga difference. this problem. C nking the langua ion can make a sociated with ct as element in shri ru y el st in os cl ct is re dvantage our continuing we think that di and social disa as a basis for schooling, and d y an ar im ol pr ho sc ng ri my dramatically du ill be used in tever I learn w ha W . ge ile iv pr is a others. The sabbatical al support for on si es of pr of program

arnin Words and le

on Loretta Hamilt

A chance to go

to the source

I have spent m y teaching care er building a pr children can pl e-school environ ay, learn, develo ment where p imaginatively an offered the ch d create. Now ance to go to th I have been e source of so about early child me of the wor hood education: ldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best thinki Reggio Emilia in inspiration for ng Italy, which ha a lot of my teac s been the hing practice. My sabbatical fo cuses on two questions: the literacy, and way most effective s to document approaches to curriculum fo tour at Reggio developing early r sharing with with 300 colle pa rents. I start ag ue s from around learning and thei with a study the world. We r approach to looked at projec curriculum do focused on th cumentation, am t-based ose parts of th ong lots of othe e Reggio philoso r things. I phy that we ha My work will al ve not yet fully so take me to De taken up. nmark where I attend school in w ill visit the Forest an outdoor sett Schools, where ing. My own scho setting in Botany children ol, John Brotch , and I worry th ie, is in a compl at our children et el ha y ve urban I am determined lost their conn ection with the not to be an ed environment. ucational touris t, but to focu s on what will Rebecca Andrew work at home. s

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community focus

Teaching’s

can-do spirit

in Kathmandu

For the past eight years, a mother and son have been working together alongside a team of educators to break the cycle of poor schooling in one of the world’s most underprivileged countries. By Antonia Maiolo

or a long time, Nepal has had a legacy of poor and inadequate schooling. But with the help of Sydneybased teacher, Patrick Price and his mother Chris, an early childhood teacher, this is slowly being erased. Upon completing his teaching degree, Pat, who currently teaches at Chatswood High, Sydney travelled to Nepal and visited some of the local schools lying on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The children attending these schools had come from some the poorest of families in the country and the buildings and teaching system were in a weak state. Having witnessed the impoverished education sector Pat returned to Australia very enthusiastic about the boundless opportunity that lay ahead. Although Pat could have easily slipped into a regular 9-3 teaching role, he decided to do more, and immediately got to work on setting up a not-for-profit charity – The Centre for Learning and Children’s Right’s (CLCR) – and school for the Nepali children. Today hundreds of Nepali students are streaming into the classrooms of Heartland Children’s Academy – a school located in Bafal Kathmandu, Nepal which was set up by Pat in 2005. Now those families who couldn’t afford to send their children to school are able to access quality education programs which are designed to empower individuals with the skills and

32 | June 2013

community focus Physical violence and verbal humiliation is routinely used in schools, which means children do not want to go to school, and the economic imperative for families means children leave school to work to support the family.

opportunities needed to lead a more fulfilling life. “It’s creating opportunity through education,” Pat said. “Australia is a very easy place to live and I felt the need to give opportunities to others and to the education we have access to.” Pat said Nepal suffers from “a lot of issues”, including poverty, violence, gender and class segregation, and are often forgotten amongst their neighbours, India and Tibet. Nepal is the third-poorest country in the world, with many of its youth living in dire poverty, lacking any education, and often reduced to begging and a life on the streets in an effort to survive. Pat said that less than 70 per cent of children were getting through to Year 6. Often in Nepal children who do attend school are subject to physical abuse, as a large percentage of the teachers within the school lack any formal teaching qualification and are often required to teach classes of up to 80 students – and the only student management technique that they are familiar with is corporal punishment. “Physical violence and verbal humiliation is routinely used in schools, which means children do not want to go to school, and often the economic imperative for families means children leave school to work to support the family,” Chris, a childcare teacher in Sydney’s Lane Cove, said. www.educationreview.com.au

She said there is also inequality and discrimination by caste and gender, and little or no training for teachers. But with the help of Pat, Chris and a team of educators, Heartland Children’s Academy is addressing most of these issues through providing quality, child-centred, violence-free educational opportunities to as many Nepali children as possible, regardless of age, gender, religion or caste. The school has classes for students from nursery right up until year ten, and offers scholarships to boys and girls who wouldn’t be able to attend school otherwise. Thanks to Pat’s charity, so far 120 students have graduated from Heartland School, 115 Nepali teachers have received training and 210 students have received scholarships. The school’s first scholarships recipient now has a science diploma and has worked at the school as a primary teacher. She is now sitting for a scholarship to go to university to study medical biology. The charity has also given the teachers at the school better pay and working conditions, which includes sick, and annual leave pay and maternity leave. Pat and Chris said the aim of Heartland Children’s Academy has been to influence educational methods throughout Nepal. This has also involved the implementation of teacher-training programs and forums, the creation of Nepali education resources, as well as class lessons that are relevant to student’s future careers and their local community. “We did a lot of research on the community and looked at statistics from the United Nations in respect to Nepal, so we could see where the future career and employment lines would be,” Pat said. Based on that analysis, the school has integrated subjects which would address the community’s needs. For instance, after tourism, agriculture is the biggest employment sector in Nepal, so there is a plot of land near the school

where once a week the students go and take care of it and learn how to harvest it. Pat said the parents are thankful because their children are coming out with a greater level of practical skill. “The kids are emerging as real leaders in their community, with skills they can put back into the community.” As well as the changes in educational programs, the school itself has had a physical makeover. Chris said the buildings and facilities were very run-down when they first took over. “We have added the facilities outlined earlier and maintained them. We have built classrooms, extra toilets, paved the playground and resourced the classrooms and supplied teaching materials and resources,” she said. The charity is responsible for resourcing the school-science lab, library, sport materials, first-aid room, music room, cooking facility, computer lab, art room, agricultural area and teaching materials. Pat said they are also responding to what the students want in their school. “They requested two basketball courts, so we reconfigured our playground to make that happen.” Pat said the physical change is one thing but the development of the children is “something else”. “It’s really quite amazing to see them follow their own interests and follow through and having access to the kinds of things they want to do,” he said. Pat and Chris are now looking to expand their charity to provide tertiary education to Nepali students. They are also currently in the process of introducing Year 11 and Year 12, which Chris said has some similarities to our HSC, but with a vocational focus. Chris said it has been “enormously satisfying” running the school and charity. “The best part for me is to watch the children pour through the school gate bursting with life and joy to be at school,” she said. Pat said it was truly “eye-opening” to see these Nepali children get access to those things which we in Australia can often take for granted. “Those educational opportunities don’t come along every day in Nepal, so having our kids receive that opportunity each day now in a country like Nepal is unique,” he said. Pat said he hopes that what the students gain through attending Heartland is “the skills necessary to achieve, and make what they want out of life a reality”. n For more information visit the website: www.forchildrights.com We would like to hear if you have a similar story. Email editor, Antonia Maiolo, at antonia.maiolo@apned.com.au June 2013 | 33

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workforce

Keeping

professional

development

up to

speed

rofessional learning, or professional development (PD), as described by the New South Wales Institute of Teaching “strengthens your knowledge base and supports your commitment to effective teaching and learning, while allowing you to build and refresh your skills for your career development”. But what are the expectations of PD? What are the best ways to reflect on the changes implemented? What are common practices in schools? Approximately 100 hours of PD every five years is the standard practice across most Australian states, as outlined by regulatory authorities such as the New South Wales Institute of Teaching, the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia and the Queensland College of Teachers. Twenty hours a year of PD is the expected requirement for Victorian teachers monitored by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (altered from every five years to annually since 2011). The expectation is the same for health professionals such as Australian nurses and physiotherapists. In 2005, the Victorian Department of Education and Training created a blueprint titled ‘Professional Learning in Effective Schools’ which highlighted principles of best practice professional learning. The central theme of the document was to develop learning communities and professional learning teams within schools. Learning communities allow teachers to combine knowledge from different subject areas and year levels with differing teaching experiences, to share knowledge, assessment and reporting, behaviour management techniques, effective learning projects and other strategies, depending on the needs of the students, school and community. Regular meetings then flowed on to create coaching partnerships for teachers as professional learners to have conversations and receive feedback regarding teaching practice. With adequate time, reflection,

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documentation and meaningful discussion, real changes could be embedded into teacher practice. Eight years later, the focus has remained a priority for the Victorian department priority area, despite the changes in state government political leadership. The Victorian minister for education Martin Dixon’s broad vision for school education reform was outlined in the 2011 position paper titled Towards Victoria as a Learning Community. As the education department has previously recognised, “Teachers cannot be expected to create vigorous learning communities among students if they have no parallel community that nourishes them professionally”. Seeing as though there has been a focus on learning communities, collegial support and collaboration within schools, it comes as no surprise that performance pay has since been taken off the negotiating table with significant pressure from the Australian Education Union. Considerable in-house

As in many professions, it’s imperative for teachers to expand their professional engagement, practice and knowledge. By Jennifer White

and informal PD takes place regularly in schools; however, there are also a number of external educators who run PD sessions offering their feedback and expertise. One provider currently providing PD to Victorian Schools is Lisa K Connections, run by Lisa Keskinen. Before developing her educational consultancy business aiming to enhance literacy teaching and learning experiences in schools, Lisa taught for 11 years and was a literacy consultant in New York and New Jersey school districts. Lisa approaches professional development by working with staff towards a whole school goal, improving practice in one particular area. Lisa’s whole school improvement process firstly builds on teachers’ existing knowledge and provides staff with theory, then secondly, breaks staff into small groups for classroom demonstrations and for further support and clarification. She goes one step further providing oneon-one sessions either providing feedback June 2013 | 35

workforce to a staff member after a lesson has been taught, or modelling a lesson with a staff member present. After a period of time to reflect, staff is given the opportunity to give positive feedback to their entire cohort of colleagues with classroom walkthroughs to celebrate the changes made. Lisa has seen a shift in schools, moving towards whole school long-term PD, as opposed to one-off sessions. It is not unusual for Lisa to maintain a form of ongoing PD in a school Lisa Keskinen, an external for three years or more Professional Development provider to ensure changes are embedded. proficiency successes “Teachers should be and ties them to the able to meet with success quickly”, says teacher feedback Lisa. She provides ideas that work which systems that are in can be “easily and effectively implemented each country, placing in the classroom”. Lisa also sees the need emphasis on these for PD to “not be too restrictive, instead, variables and the allowing teachers time to develop their impacts they have. He practice and for their individual styles to sees a need for a formal shine through”. system to help teachers She relishes seeing teachers bring joy improve, despite there to the classroom, and loves working with being no worldwide teachers who are excited to try new ideas ranking for teacher and to be creative, as she believes “great feedback systems. things happen when kids love learning”. The plan he laid out includes diagnosing PD at Blackburn High School is areas where teachers need to improve coordinated by teaching and learning and providing them with the tools and the leader Arlene Roberts. means to act on it. Arlene ensures staff participate in PD One valuable resource to give and that focuses on the school’s priority areas receive feedback is through the use of outlined in the annual implementation and student teachers in schools. Although school strategic plan, in order to achieve student teachers have placements to evidence-based long-term changes. enhance their knowledge, I’ve also found it “PD is provided to focus on stimulating beneficial to reflect with them, on my own classrooms, improvement of subject professional learning. Having a student knowledge and literacy and numeracy teacher present enforces you to justify and outcomes,” she said. explain your every action in the classroom. Once staff have attended PD, they You have conversations over all facets either report to their faculty, are provided of teaching including numeracy programs, time to train other staff or share the learnt restorative justice practices, seating information at a staff meeting to ensure the arrangements, curriculum documents, PD is followed up and implemented within progression points, grammar and spelling the school. Staff or faculties may then be lessons, digital literacies, bullying in provided funds to purchase resources for schools, yard duty, nut allergies and the list the school if necessary. goes on. Not only does it divide the student In April 2013 a TED talk by Bill Gates, adult ratio by half, it is helpful to access titled, “Teachers need real feedback” student progress, have discussions about focused on the importance of creating new research or university theories and feedback and mentoring programs for expose each other to new technologies teachers in the United States. and learning experiences. In the ten-minute segment, Gates The Gonski Review, released in February highlights the top 15 countries’ reading 36 | June 2013

Victorian teachers Siona and Vittoria discuss curriculum planning

2012, was commissioned by the federal government and led by David Gonski. It was the first such review of Australian education in 40 years. One of the key findings was to provide “additional training and classroom support for teachers”. Peter Garrett, minister for school education solidified the research and recognised it as a priority by stating, “We aim to legislate this year, once a final model is developed”. In contrast, despite the review being a national consultative process met with over 70 education groups and 39 schools, in April 2013, Tony Abbott failed to see the importance of the findings, saying, “I do need to be truthful and realistic”. He argued that the Gonski education reforms were too expensive to be implemented. Regardless of the impending political result come September, it is hoped that teachers have more adequate access to funding with proper feedback and mentoring systems in place to enhances their skillset for better teaching and student learning outcomes. n Jennifer White is a Victorian school teacher.

R E H C A TE

workforce

P I H S R E D A LE TE July/August 2013

INSTITU Brisbane B i b

Sydney S dne

Melbourne

Hobart

Canberra Adelaide Perth

The Power of Professional Capital Author Andy Hargreaves

Transforming education is one of the biggest challenges we face in modern times. Andy Hargreaves provides us with the opportunity to discover what’s pivotal in improving the profession of teaching. It is designed specifically for both policy makers and practitioners who share a belief that “the price of failure is more than our children can afford” (Sir Ken Robinson).

Andy takes apart the tired old stereotypes that are used to attack the teaching profession and outlines a vision for the future where we see a high return from teachers by investing in, accumulating and circulating the professional capital of the teaching profession. When the vast majority of teachers do come to exemplify the power of professional capital, they become smart and talented, committed and collegial, thoughtful and wise. Their moral purpose is expressed in their relentless, expert-driven pursuit of serving students and communities, and in learning, always learning, how to do that better.

By participating in this Institute you will:

Understand and know how to get beyond the stereotypes of teaching to advocate for its intellectual difficulty and complexity

Learn the three components of Professional Capital and how to build them in ways that lead to better student learning and increased teacher retention and motivation

Know how to build strong professional learning communities and how to avoid superficial and stilted ones

Scan for registration details

Be inspired to apply the action guidelines of Professional Capital to your own practice as a leader and a teacher

Tuesday 23 July 2013

HOBART

Monday 29 July 2013

SYDNEY

Wednesday 24 July 2013

ADELAIDE

Tuesday 30 July 2013

CANBERRA

Thursday 25 July 2013

PERTH

Thursday 1 August 2013

MELBOURNE

Friday 26 July 2013

03 8558 2456 www.educationreview.com.au

www.hbpls.com.au

Hawker Brownlow Professional Learning Solutions June 2013 | 37

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For more information visit www.hbpls.com.au/events.html

workforce

Leadership vital in

small

schools

New scholarships in educational leadership will give existing and aspiring school leaders in rural areas a much-needed financial boost. By Antonia Maiolo

acked by financial support from the Origin Foundation and Principals Australia Institute, 40 scholarships will be available to study a Master in Education (Leadership and Management) at Flinders University, commencing in the second half of this year. The Rural Educational Leadership Scholarship (RELS) initiative will give successful applicants a $17,950 scholarship to build educational leadership in rural and regional centres in NSW. Professor John Halsey, the Sidney Myer Chair of Rural Education and Communities at Flinders, said the scholarships will provide funding needed to enable students to engage in post-graduate leadership study with academics and expert practitioners from the field. Halsey said the masters degree was designed “to build leadership and management capacities from the strengths individuals bring to their study rather than by imparting ways to ‘fix’ problems”. “Historically in Australia, appointment to a country school as a principal (and also a teacher) was predominantly the route to eventually gaining a city appointment. At a country school you learnt how to be a principal and at a city school you refined and further developed your expertise.” However, the RELS initiative on rural and regional educational leadership is helping to turn this around, he said. Halsey believes these scholarships will help students deeply engage with the research, knowledge and approaches to educational leadership within a rural and remote context. The new qualification in leadership and management to be offered to principals and staff comes as a growing body of evidence shows school leadership plays an important role in education outcomes. Sean Barrett, head of the Origin Foundation said for rural and regional communities to survive and prosper, leaderships of schools in such areas need to be better understood and supported. “Rural and regional school represent approximately 45 per cent of all schools in Australia. Yet their performance within Australia decreases with distance from the metropolitan centres,” Barrett said. Rural, regional and remote contexts are often characterised by comparatively high proportions of low-SES families, migration of youth, substantial Aboriginal populations, and by distance and space, Halsey said. “Access to high quality education and care is central to ensuring Australia has the vibrant, productive rural, regional and remote communities need for a prosperous and sustainable future,” he said. 38 | June 2013

Halsey conducted a national survey of rural school leaders in 2010 that identified the difficultly of their work. The research, conducted with the support of the Australian Primary and Secondary Principals Association, found that 46 per cent of respondents said they had not received preparation to become a school leader and a further 29 per cent had only attended short courses on leadership. A total of 683 online surveys were returned. The data from the surveys also indicated that there are many aspects of rural school leadership that could be enhanced by devoting more resources and time preparation before principals are appointed. The study built upon 2008 research by Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) OECD report Improving School leadership Activity Australia: County Background Report which also indicated that small schools, especially prevalent in rural areas, pose unique problems for leader preparation. Halsey believes that the introduction of the Masters level qualification in educational leadership and management will send “a very positive message about the importance of ensuring those who lead and manage rural schools are well qualified for meeting the challenges and opportunities of leading and living in country communities”. n