Parent engagement research survey
A group of academics from the University of Western Australia and University of Melbourne are investigating how parents and caregivers engage with schools and how this engagement is influenced by schooling policies. A key part of this project is an online survey designed to better understand how Victorian and Western Australian parents and caregivers engage with schools. The survey is anonymous and will take about 7 minutes. It is open until 31 May.
We encourage all parents to complete the survey, and we'll report on the results when they are available.
Religious knives in schools: PV media comment
The Herald-Sun published an article yesterday stating that, "A loophole in Victorian law is allowing certain students to bring knives to school, despite the type being used in a recent NSW school stabbing." The article refers to the kirpan, a knife that initiated Sikhs are required to carry at all times by their religion. The issue has become controversial since a student was allegedly stabbed with a kirpan in NSW recently.
PV's Executive Officer Gail McHardy was interviewed for the article. Gail said, "Victoria should “take heed of the NSW experience and review its legislation and advice to schools. Even with rules, regulations and required communications, this will not mitigate every potential risk if we allow for exemptions, (like) wearing a kirpan. It may not be the student (person) who the kirpan belongs to that causes the harm but access by others remains a possibility.”
The Herald-Sun article is behind a paywall but you can read it if you have a subscription.
Our full response
Here's the full response that Parents Victoria provided to the Herald-Sun on this topic:
Suspended and disqualified teachers: PV media comment
The Herald-Sun reported today that "Teachers are being dumped from classrooms at an alarming rate..." The article states that over 70 teachers have been suspended or disqualified by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) since 2019. The reasons included sex, drug and violence offences.
The article quotes a VIT spokeswoman as saying that new levels of community awareness and increased powers had contributed to improving child safety.
PV Executive Officer Gail McHardy is quoted in the article. Gail said the register was important to protect children. “The royal commissions have taught us to do it better in the future. So it’s important their safety is paramount and the regulator is given the job to do what they have to do,” Ms McHardy said.
- Read the Herald-Sun article (paywall protected; you can read it if you have a subscription.)
- See the VIT Register of Disciplinary Actions
(PDF download, opens in new tab)
New rules around teacher-student relationships
In related news, the new VIT Code of Conduct for teachers, which comes into force next term, will ban sexual relationships between teachers and former students for two years after the student leaves school. VIT has taken this action after the Betrayal of Trust Inquiry in Victoria and the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse highlighted the risk of 'grooming' by teachers.
Head Start apprenticeship and traineeship program
There's a new model for apprenticeships and traineeships for school students, called Head Start.
Head Start students spend more time doing important, paid, on-the-job training while completing their VCE or VCAL at school.
- Watch a video introduction to Head Start
- Watch parents of Head Start students talk about the program
- Read more on the Head Start web page
Tudge fudges school results and funding
Save Our Schools says that Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge "resorted to fudging figures to denigrate Australia’s school performance at the Age education summit last week". Mr Tudge claimed that the UK has improved student outcomes while cutting school funding. However SOS says he ignored serious flaws in the reporting of its results and fudged data on school funding and student results in Australia.
SOS has published a detailed rebuttal of Mr Tudge's claims.
School funding: PV media comment
Parents Victoria Executive Officer Gail McHardy is quoted in an article from yesterday's Age about school funding. Gail responds to Federal Education MInister Alan Tudge's recent comments rejecting the link between increased school funding and better student performance.
Gail said that public schools continued to be underfunded in comparison with non-government schools that receive significant federal funding.
“We’re dealing with the most disadvantaged, and yet we’re still behind the eight ball,” she said. “Maybe in his head it’s settled but it’s certainly not for others, because the inequity continues to be observed in the public school sector and how can that be fair?”
In its Strategy document, Parents Victoria has this to say about school funding:
We advocate for fair, simple and transparent funding of State Schools because the current funding model does not provide adequately for our most vulnerable students. We believe this must change; that resources to address inequity need to be allocated as a priority.
NAPLAN controversy
You may have noticed an article in News Corp publications a few weeks ago, claiming that:
“Parents will be kept in the dark about school NAPLAN rankings under a new ban on “league tables”. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has banned schools and the media from publishing comparisons of performance in national literacy and numeracy tests. Parents and principals can also no longer see how their school compares with other schools of a similar size and socio-economic background…”
'Pathways to Tertiary' for students with disabilities
Are you supporting a young person living with disability, chronic illness or a mental health condition who is about to transition out of secondary education into tertiary education?
Do you want to learn about the different pathways into tertiary education available?
Hear directly from University and TAFE staff, NDCOs, and other industry experts to help you develop your knowledge and skills to support a smoother transition into tertiary education for your young person with disability.
Read more: 'Pathways to Tertiary' for students with disabilities
School maintenance boost
Education Minister James Merlino has announced a $10.4 million funding package for much-needed maintenance to 230 Victorian schools.
The funding will be used for a range of maintenance work such as plumbing, painting, resurfacing floors and replacing windows, as well as external landscaping works including pathways and lighting.
- See the Minister's announcement
- Download a list of schools receiving funding
- Read the Herald-Sun report (only available if you have a subscription)
Are the "school funding wars" over?
Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge recently commented that "the school funding wars are over."
According to this article in The Guardian, "The reality of his strange declaration of victory is seven-and-a-half-years of neglect." The article details how public schools have been denied billions of needed funding over four years as the federal Coalition government systematically entrenched the underfunding of public schools.
