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Education news
- Australian Youth Forum marks a new era in communication between youth and Government
- The Government's launch of the Australian Youth Forum (AYF) represents a new era in the way the Australian Government will engage with young Australians. Minister for Youth, 2 October 2008.
- Parental leave proposal for Australia: Public response sought
- A taxpayer-funded parental leave scheme of 18 weeks at the adult minimum wage ($544 per week) would benefit around 140,000 mothers and their newborn children each year and yield community-wide gains in the long term, according to a draft report released by the Productivity Commission. The scheme also provides for two weeks paid leave to over 225,000 eligible fathers. The Commission is now seeking responses to its draft findings, including through public hearings before submitting its final report to the Australian Government in late February 2009. Written submissions should reach the Commission by COB Friday 14 November 2008. Productivity Commission, 29 September 2008.
- Networked Workers: US report reveals benefits and tradeoffs
- Research reveals the majority of employed adults (62%) in the US use the internet or email at their job, and many have cell phones and Blackberries that keep them connected even when they are not at work. However, working Americans express mixed views about the impact of technology on their work lives. On the one hand, they cite the benefits of increased connectivity and flexibility that the internet and all of their various gadgets afford them at work. On the other hand, many workers say these tools have added stress and new demands to their lives. Pew Internet & American Life Project, 24 September 2008.
- AICTEC Survey: Students' expectations about learning with technologies
- The Australian Government through the AICTEC Secretariat is undertaking research into learners' and educators' views of learning with technologies. There are two ways in which you can participate in this research: Complete an online survey; and/or take part in a focus group with 8 to 10 other students. There are surveys for: Primary school students; Secondary school students; VET students; International students; Preservice teachers and Early career teachers.
- X, Y and Z: Research charts education across three generations
- Three decades of research into young people's education and post-school transitions reveals trends for future generations. ACER has conducted extensive research into young people's education and post-school transitions over the last 30 years, through the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) and earlier studies. ACER, 19 September 2008.
Early Childhood Education news
- Experts to develop the Early Years Learning Framework
- A consortium of early childhood experts led by Charles Sturt University will develop the national Early Years Learning Framework to improve outcomes and opportunities for children during their critical early years. Minister for Education, 2 October 2008.
- National leadership to better protect Australia's children
- New measures to improve information sharing between the Australian Government and State and Territory child protection agencies were agreed to today by the Council of Australian Governments. Prime Minister, 2 October 2008
- Govt boosts early childhood education places
- The Federal Government has announced 500 new university places for early childhood education teachers. The extra places will be available next year and another 1,000 places will follow in 2010 and 2011. ABC News, 2 October 2008.
School Education news
- Schools first in new 15 million NAB partnership
- The Minister for Education encouraged all Australian businesses to be part of the Education Revolution at the launch of the National Australia Bank (NAB) Schools First initiative, a national education initiative aimed at building stronger partnerships between schools and their local communities. Minister for Education, 3 October 2008.
- COAG agrees on new national education authority
- The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) have agreed to establish a new national education authority that, for the first time, will bring together the functions of curriculum, assessment and reporting at the national level. Minister for Education, 2 October 2008.
- National leadership to better protect Australia's children
- New measures to improve information sharing between the Australian Government and State and Territory child protection agencies were agreed to today by the Council of Australian Governments. Prime Minister, 2 October 2008
Vocational Education and Training news
- Supporting Indigenous learning styles
- The Australian Flexible Learning Framework has compiled a list of Flexible Learning Toolbox designed to support indigenous learners offering qualifications in health, cultural tourism, music management, ecotourism, and horticulture. They are: Interactive Ochre (907); Indigenous Ecotourism (318); Deadly Jam Music Festival (516); Building skills (517); Cultural resource management (518); Horticulture for indigenous learners (422); and Learning about native title (423).
- New employment services
- The Australian Government has announced the introduction of a new, national employment services system to commence on 1 July 2009. Information about the employment services review, discussion papers and consultation sessions, exposure draft and purchasing arrangements, employment services IT system consultation, draft code of practice, and service guarantees for new employment services; and employment services reform bill 2008 - second reading can be found on this website.
- Benchmarking and research resources - your guide
- The Australian Flexible Learning Framework has pulled together five handy resources from its Benchmarking and Research sector. They are: E-learning for small business (2008); E-learning in the trades (2006); E-learning indicators (2005-2008); Innovate and integrate (2007); and Copyright kitchen (2005-2008).
Adult and Community Education news
- Adult learning plays a role in community renewal
- The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (OFSTED) in the United Kingdom has released a new survey that finds that Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC) projects are bringing communities together, and providing educational, training and job opportunities for those who are most disadvantaged. A full report is available on their website.
- Call for applications for volunteer grants
- The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) is calling for applications from eligible not-for-profit organisations for grants for volunteers in the form of purchasing small equipment and sporting items, and contributing towards fuel costs. The closing date is Friday 17 October 2008.
- Making e-learning accessible
- The Australian Flexible Learning Framework has released a resource kit which provides community organisations with helpful online guidance, ideas, and tools for developing and facilitating e-learning in communities and regions. The kit provides guidance on low cost tools and technologies, as well as ideas and case studies from other e-learning projects.
Higher Education News
- Dramatic growth of Open Access
- The Dramatic Growth of Open Access continues! This quarter, more than 3 million publications were added to Scientific Commons, 1 million records to OAIster; the DOAJ stands at 3,668 titles, and has added 822 titles (net) in the past year, for an average daily addition of 2.25 titles. The percentage of the world's scholarly literature that is freely available appears to be close to 20%. PubMedCentral includes 2.4 million free items; 375 journals provide immediate free access to contents, and addition of 20 in the past quarter, and 257 journals provide immediate open access. There are 53 open access mandates in the world, with more to come; and more than 15,000 blogposts on Open Access News!
- CrowdSource global Facebook group: the power of the people:
- The CrowdSource Global Facebook Group was formally established on September 27 2008. CrowdSource is devoted to documenting community-based contributions and potential solutions to any and all economic, scientific, social, and technological issues, problems, and situations, primarily via, but not limited to, a digital environment.
- Make friends before you start
- Facebook is being used on campus to ease the anxiety and loneliness of students in that crucial first year. Some 95% of British undergraduates regularly use social networking sites, a study by Ipsos Mori found last year. Now staff at the University of Leicester are studying how Facebook can ease the loneliness most freshers feel. Guardian, 30 September 2008
International Education news
- Rocky road to integration | The Australian
- Australian universities have done well out of the globalisation of education. Most have been highly successful in capturing the floods of learners seeking top quality training in English-speaking countries. The boom has brought with it some difficulties, as with all fast-growing industries. While overseas students' English language proficiency and welfare get the most press, there is another issue: international students are embracing an inter-cultural life, but many Australian students are not. The Australian, 24 September 2008
- Overseas students find their degrees relevant
- Almost 80 per cent of overseas students say their degree is relevant to the Australian industry they work in, including key skills shortage areas of information technology, finance and accounting, education, health, engineering and technology, according to a new IDP survey. Australian IT, 1 October 2008
- AICTEC Survey: Students' expectations about learning with technologies
- The Australian Government through the AICTEC Secretariat is undertaking research into learners' and educators' views of learning with technologies. There are two ways in which you can participate in this research: Complete an online survey; and/or take part in a focus group with 8 to 10 other students. There are surveys for: Primary school students; Secondary school students; VET students; International students; Preservice teachers and Early career teachers.
