Page 661 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 March 2014
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Some recent research identified 156 secondary schools in Australia that were two years or more behind the national average on reading and numeracy in the year 9 NAPLAN testing. The research also spoke about six schools that were turned around and others that could be. It identified that it was not simply a matter of a few charismatic principals or teachers. It was a combination of a number of factors, including strong leadership that raises expectations; effective teaching, with teachers learning from each other; development and measurement of effective learning; development of a positive school culture; and engagement of parents and the community. This research is not just untested theory; it has recorded positive and measurable change in schools that participated in the trial.
It is not money that is the focus; it is not how wealthy a school is or how financially able a parent is to meet school fees. It gets down to what we are doing as a government to provide the best learning opportunities for our teachers. It includes attracting the best and brightest to our teaching courses. It means professional development that is meaningful, relevant and available. It is not about making teachers sit literacy and numeracy tests.
Strong leadership comes with giving school principals the freedom to make choices that are best for their school. Of course, the unions oppose the notion of autonomy, as presumably do those in government who are their supporters.
We need to provide professional development that is more attuned to today’s needs. The Canberra Liberals went to the 2012 election with a promise to double the existing funds in the first instance. Too often teachers tell us that professional development opportunities are hard to access and not the type of training they need. That needs to change. What is the current minister doing to develop and measure effective learning? What tools are being used? What data is being collected? What guides and assessment are being used to benchmark and analyse such things as student behaviour? Are we developing a positive school culture? How are we doing this? We have increased numbers of school counsellors, but is that delivering improved environments in our more challenging schools?
Last, but not least, we need to develop strategies that engage more closely with the parent community. I attended a seminar last year where I learnt about some valuable programs and tools that any school can introduce to improve parental involvement and engagement. It does not matter about the location of the school or the socio-economic standing of the parents. I know that such programs are supported by the two government and non-government school parents associations.
I was pleased to read in this morning’s press that the ACT education directorate has commissioned the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth to undertake some work in this area. This is a very positive step. I congratulate the directorate on this initiative and I congratulate the APFACTS president, Charuni Weerasooriya, for pressing for such work. I know how long she has been advocating for such an initiative, and I have strongly supported her advocacy in this regard. I look forward to what additional strategies and programs will be included in the coming budget to facilitate other such initiatives.
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