The following letter was submitted for possible publication in The Australian of Monday 31 August 2015 but it did not make it into print.
Independent public schools and teaching quality
West Australian Education Minister Peter Collier is reported as claiming that his state's system of independent public schools "is improving the calibre of teachers" (Inquirer, "Head or heart what makes a good teacher", Aug 29-30).
This is surely nonsense. Whether teachers are employed centrally by the state department or by individual schools can have no impact on the overall quality of the available teacher workforce. It will just deploy it in different ways. The most likely result is that existing relative advantage and disadvantage will both be increased.
Collier's comment seems like another example, sadly all too common in public debate about schooling, of ideology trumping logic and evidence.
Tags: General news |
Quality Assessment IntensiveTHIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED A full day program exploring Quality Assessment in the context of the new English syllabuses. The first session will consist of keynotes presented by Dr Jill Willis,and Dr Kelli McGraw, In the second session, Claire Stevens will present an interactive session while in session three, participants will&n... |
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The Shakespeare SessionsThe Shakespeare Sessions presented by Charlie Thomson (All Souls and St Gabriels), Dr Claire Hansen and Dr Victoria Kuttainen (both from JCU) on Saturday 28 April from 9am to 12 noon. This will be a fabulous session. Download the flyer here. And it's FREE. Required pre-reading: Place-based education and the Australian Curricul... |
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Masterclass - Unit 3This event will allow participants to explore the syllabus and teaching strategies in detail for semester 3. Day one will deal with English and Literature, while day two will repeat the English sessions and also offer EALD and English Essentials. The Date Claimer gives further details of the program. Program is now available and regis... |
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AATE/ALEA CONFERENCE 2018THE ART OF ENGLISH language - literature - literacy The AATE/ALEA English Literacy National Conference 2018 will be held in Perth from 8 July - 11 July 2018. Download the flyer here, or go to the website englishliteracyconference.com.au for all the latest information. ... |
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This is the first time I have been to an ETAQ conference and it was really sensational to get so much at all of the sessions.
ETAQ conferences always have sessions that make me excited to be a teacher.
I know that ETAQ conferences in the past have never disappointed - valuable, relevant, practical, inspiring so I came again.
Read AllConnect to a great range of people who are passionate about English and have their finger on the pulse.