Latest Story
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A game of sexual politics
Yolanda Vega | March 6, 2013In the lead up to International Women’s Day, Australian Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO, Yolanda Vega, examines why sexual politics continue to dominate Australia’s social agenda and mistakenly cast men as our sole power brokers.
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The gender agenda – a glass half empty?
Diann Rodgers-Healy | March 5, 2013In the lead up to International Women’s Day, Dr Diann Rodgers-Healey, Director of the Australian Centre for Leadership for Women, reflects on just how much the gender agenda has evolved and whether we’re taking the necessary steps towards gender equality.
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Teachers (aides) make a difference
Rosemary Bugge | March 4, 2013Learning Support Officer, Rosemary Bugge, shares her experience working in the Catholic education system for more than 10 years and reflects on the systemic changes that have taken place, both in and out of the classroom.
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April Falls Day
Open Forum | March 2, 2013April Falls Day, Wednesday 3 April, was initiated to promote falls prevention best practice in hospitals, communities and residential aged care.
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How policy makers fail students living with disabilty
Theresa Duncombe | March 1, 2013Assessing recent education reforms throughout the country, disability advocate, Theresa Duncombe, shares her experience as a mother of a child living with intellectual disability and the constant struggle in campaigning for equal education opportunities.
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Role of social media in politics
Wyatt Roy | February 28, 2013Australia's youngest ever MP, Wyatt Roy, explains why the ongoing march of social media can make or break a politician. He shares his experience while reflecting on the pros and perils of instant messages, facebook and twitter.
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Does innovation always lead to change?
Ian McAuley | February 28, 2013Public policy expert, Ian McAuley, reflects on the way new technologies can change how we live, work, and study, while examining the implications of disruptive innovation in universities across Australia.
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Recognising the world changes but how issues remain the same
Peter Fritz | February 28, 2013Reviewing a collection of papers, minutes and deliberations of committees he has been part over the last 20 years, Peter Fritz, Managing Director of Global Access Partners puts forward a case for the establishment of the Institute for Active Policy.
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Get onboard for Gonski
Maurie Mulheron | February 27, 2013President of the NSW Teachers Federation, Maurie Mulheron, explains why the Gonski funding proposals are unfinished business and urges all political leaders to act now.
While the legislation to establish the funding framework has been passed, there is still much work to do before the money is secured. At the NSW state level, we have seen the Premier and Minister for Education trumpeting their $1.7 billion cuts to education as an example of fiscal responsibility, claiming, among other things, that the abolition of the curriculum directorate, the gutting of professional support, the elimination of teaching and support positions and the loss of equity programs will not have any impact on public schools.
But no amount of meaningless chatter about ‘new models’ or weasel words like ‘local decisions’ will distract the community from the State Government’s destructive educational policies.
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King for a day
Matt Dysart | February 26, 2013While travelling abroad on a university exchange program, American Matt Dysart explores the north-western coast of Europe and shares how found he himself along the way.
It wasn’t until halfway through my abroad experience in Europe that I realised this particular year would be the first Spring Break experience away from the tropical coastlines of the US. Being that I was in Maastricht, Netherlands, the usual scenery of beaches and babes was now replaced with the unusual costumes of Carnival.
For most students from my fraternity in Texas, this would be somewhat of a tragedy. But for me it was a dream come true, because I knew exactly where I wanted to go. Ever since I learned my family is partly descended from Scottish origin – and that my last name is the name of a small town on the Fife Coast – Scotland has always been a place at the forefront of my heart’s greatest anticipations.
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UncategorisedGillard launches national ‘reading blitz’
Open Forum | February 25, 2013
A new national ‘reading blitz’ for students between kindergarten and year three will be launched next year in an attempt to tackle the nation’s falling literacy standards.Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a $1 billion program focused on teaching phonetics and providing reading support for all schools, across all sectors and in every state.
The intensive three-year program is part of the Federal Government’s National Plan for School Improvement to lift falling standards in struggling schools.
Around 75,000 students failed to meet national minimum standards in NAPLAN last year. And in last year’s Progress in International Reading Literacy Skills (PIRLS) results, year four students came 27th out of 42 countries taking part.
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Don’t dismiss regional universities
Dominic O'Sullivan | February 24, 2013Associate professor, Dominic O’Sullivan, unpicks contemporary higher education policy and discusses the distinctive roles regional universities play in the national system.
The Australian higher education system is on the precipice of significant and rapid change. Projected roll growth that meets the national target – that by 2025, 40 per cent of 25-40 year olds will hold at least a Bachelor’s degree – means we’ll need bigger and better degree-granting institutions. In a comprehensive policy speech in 2011, the Liberal party’s higher education spokesperson, Christopher Pyne, proposed that these institutions need not be universities, but something akin to the former Colleges of Advanced Education.
