TAFE mergers underway in Victoria Two of Gippsland’s major higher education and training providers, Advance TAFE and GippsTAFE, will merge under a new entity, Federation Training. The two institutes, which cover 14 campuses across the Gippsland region, will merge from May 1. There is a plan for a second stage in 2016 that would see Federation Training integrated with FedUni, formerly the University of Ballarat. To support the integration of the two TAFE institutes and FedUni, the Victorian Government has provided $40 million from its $200 million TAFE Structural Adjustment Fund. See more. ________________________________________ Higher education records broken at TAFE NSW A record … [Read more...]
2013: the year that was in education
23/12/2013 by
The Conversation | 23 December 2013For most education watchers, this year has rushed by in a policy blur. So much so that we thought we had better launch our very own shiny Education section just to help you keep on top of things.The launch of the Education section – an area close to our hearts – meant we could finally give education issues pride of place.And what a time to do it – yes, this year was the year of Gonski. And whether it was a conski or goneski, this one word – derived from businessman David Gonski’s review into schools funding – went from symbolising a policy vision to becoming a political football in a few short months.In amongst some spectacular political … [Read more...]
New teacher quality centre at UC
03/06/2013 by
University of Canberra Media Centre | 30 May 2013 The University of Canberra is to receive $26 million to house a new Centre for Quality Teaching and Learning, which will deliver professional skills and applied, practice-led research to support the introduction of Government’s National Plan for School Improvement reforms. The new centre will collaborate with universities, researchers and teachers to support professional development for ACT teachers to “grow and develop, find new ways for teachers to be more effective and assist in the implementation of systems for continuous teacher performance feedback.” University of Canberra vice-chancellor Professor Stephen Parker says, … [Read more...]
The Scan Main Edition 3 May 2013 # 115
03/05/2013 by
EIF “loses its buzz” Following excoriating criticism by Phil Clark, chair of the Education Investment Fund (EIF) advisory board, that the EIF has “lost its way”, higher education minister Craig Emerson has indicated through a spokesperson there would be a “major announcement” related to the Education Investment Fund this week. Earlier this week, Clark said government inertia and media-driven policy had derailed the EIF, which was set up to fund large-scale, nation-building tertiary education and research infrastructure....[READ MORE].... Federal funds for each uni student to fall Figures released by the government show federal funding for each university student … [Read more...]
Federal funds for each uni student to fall
02/05/2013 by
The Age | 1 May 3013 Figures released by the government show federal funding for each university student will decline over the next four years in real terms, despite previous claims it would increase even with the new efficiency dividend taken into account. The government had argued average per-place funding would rise from $18,000 in 2013 to more than $18,100 in 2017 using today's dollars and had even distributed a graph on social media to back its case. But those figures include both federal funding and the student contribution. However, it appears the average Commonwealth contribution will decline slightly from $10,600 this year to $10,500 in 2017 in today's … [Read more...]
States urged to avoid Gonski trade-offs
30/04/2013 by
Australian Financial Review | 29 April 2013 The agreement between NSW and the Commonwealth governments on the Gonski education reforms may come at the expense the TAFE sector in NSW, with premier Barry O’Farrell saying the NSW government would achieve the needed $1.7 billion in savings through measures including changes to vocational education and training fees and subsidies. In its last state budget, the O’Farrell government removed $1.7 billion from education, resulting in TAFE fee rises of about 9.5%, the commercialisation of fine arts courses and the loss of about 800 jobs. TAFE Directors Australia chief Martin Riordan says more fee increases would have a significant … [Read more...]
Australian Financial Review 22 April 2013
22/04/2013 by
This is Australian Financial Review's own summary of lead items in its online edition. As this is a subscription service, you or your organisation will need to have a subscription to The Australian Financial Review to view the full article. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ UNE opens campus for off-site students UNE has made a big move towards shifting students away from the concept of distance education by opening a new campus in the middle of Parramatta in Sydney's west. Digital textbooks prompt evolution in reading Several professors at Texas A&M University know something that … [Read more...]
Five fatal flaws that undermine the Gonski Report
18/04/2013 by
University of Melbourne | 17 April 2013 The Gonski Report rests on five faulty assumptions that will undermine its usefulness as a cornerstone of Australian education policy, a study from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research has found. The study, What’s wrong with the Gonski Report: funding reform and student achievement, found the Gonski Report was “significantly flawed” due to its reliance on the relationship between student achievement and resources as well as assumptions about the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS), the centralisation of school systems, international test rankings and private school financing. Researchers from the … [Read more...]
School resources do matter
17/04/2013 by
17 April 2013 Opposition education spokesperson Christopher Pyne, among others, is fond of saying that improving school performance is not about injecting more money into underperforming schools but "values" and creating "a culture of performance" (Wrong fix for failing schools?). "Values" and "school culture" undoubtedly count but, on top of that, the evidence from the classroom demonstrates that so does adequate resourcing (which comes down to funding). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . More than half (57%) of Australian Year 4 students were reported to be “somewhat affected” by resource shortages related to … [Read more...]
Extra $14.5bn for schools under schools funding reforms
14/04/2013 by
Australian Financial Review | 14 April 2013 The commonwealth and the states will be asked to contribute an extra $14.5 billion towards schools over the next six years under the Gonski education reforms to be unveiled in Canberra on Sunday 14 April 2013 by the federal government. The reforms, to be controversially funded in part by $2.3 billion in cuts to universities and another $520 million gained by capping education-related tax deductions, will depend on whether Prime Minister Julia Gillard can secure the support of the states and territories at a meeting in Canberra on Friday 19 April. Under the changes, the average school student will be $4000 better off over the next six … [Read more...]
