ieapril_1_2009_1

Print Post No. 243184/0001 ISSN

1320-9825

the professional voice ofthe Independent Education Unioniein

depe

nden

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education The future for

Indigenous languages Classroom revival?

Blank canvasMaximising the whiteboard

The school day. Is it too long?

V.39 #1, 2009

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Executive EditorsDick ShearmanDeb JamesTerry BurkeEditorial CommitteeCathy HickeyFiona Richardson Tara de BoehmlerSandra White Elizabeth FinlaySub-editingTara de Boehmler, Sue Osborne Design Wendy Rapee Photo front cover: Jupiter Images

IE is a tri-annual journal published by the NSW/ACT, Victorian and Queensland Independent Education Unions for members and subscribers. It has a circulation of 55,000. IE’s contents do not necessarily reflect the views of the IEU or the editors nor imply endorsement by them.EmailNSW: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected] onlinewww.ieu.asn.au/publications/

AdvertisingTina Delandre (02) 9779 3200Advertising is carried in IE in order to minimise costs. Readers are advised that advertising does not in any way reflect the union’s endorsement, or otherwise, of the advertised products or services.SubscriptionsIE is available free to members of the IEU, or by subscription.Tina Delandre: (02) 9779 3200PrintingPrint & Mail: (02) 9519 8268ISSN 1320-9825

04 This edition Welcome to the revamped IE

04 Kaleidoscope Fighting for justice for all people

06 Australia wide Is the Fair Work Bill fair enough?

08 Towards reconciliation Indigenous history: Learning to tell our story

09 Feature The future of Indigenous languages. Classroom revival? (see right)

14 Cultural change needed to improve student outcomes A Queensland study says secondary teachers and schools should be held more responsible for the academic outcomes of students with learning difficulties

16 Protecting schools, teachers and students from malignant websites What would you do if you discovered inappropriate information about your school or students online? Find out how to respond appropriately

18 Refugees’ journey beyond literacy Many refugee students attending the Catholic Intensive English Centre in Parramatta are finding the teaching programs to be a form of therapy

19 Supporting teachers through accreditation process The accreditation process for the NSW Institute of Teachers has proved challenging for many. But collaborative partnerships are helping

21 Brave new world: Making the transition to school Transition programs are varied but why are some early childhood centres feeling pressure to include elements of the school curriculum?

23 Installing more than just a water tank

24 MindMatters, leadership and community partnership

26 Dishing up healthy respect for canteen staff

28 Blank canvas: Maximising the whiteboard

30 Teachers and intellectual property: Basic principles

31 Conference diary and Readers’ response

32 Talking point Is the school day too long?

34 In review Baz Luhrman’s Australia and the Monkey Baa production I am Jack.

reviews

editorial

ie V.39 #1, 2009Contents: 04

26

Kaleidoscope: Edmund Rice Centre Director Phil Glendenning’s film ‘A Well-Founded Fear’ is a journey through the nation’s psyche and a tribute to the inspirational teachers he encountered in his school years.

Feature: Could attempts to keep Indigenous languages alive in schools compromise English teaching and learning, and what has English Pond Life got to do with it?

09

Dishing up healthy respect for canteen staff21

Brave new world: Making the transition to school

profile

news

reconciliation

teaching + learning

sustainable classrooms

leadership

support staff

technology

legal

conference diary

opinion

4

Fighting for justice for all people

PhIl GlENDENNING

news reconciliation teaching+learningprofile

kaleidoscope

this edition

You may notice that

this edition of IE has undergone a revamp. The intention is to bring you a wider variety of articles and a fresh look.

We plan to look at education from all angles, emphasising practical iniatives and ideas to inspire. Included in this issue is an exploration of the challenges involved in teaching Indigenous languages, and incorporating Indigenous history into the new national curriculum.

We also examine the important service our school catering staff provide, and we find out the latest on cyber bullying and using interactive whiteboards in the classroom.

We are keen to hear your suggestions for IE, so if you have ideas or tips that might help your colleagues in their professional lives, why not share them with us? Or if you know of anyone that’s breaking new ground in his or her profession, let us know. Please send your suggestions to [email protected].

Editorial enquiries

IE welcomes articles and letters, especially from union members. IE does not pay for contributions and we reserve the right to edit.

To request permission to reprint articles contact Tara de Boehmler, NSW/ACT Independent Education Union, GPO Box 116, Sydney 2000. Tel: (02) 9779 3200 Fax: (02) 9261 8850

Copyright

When an article is published in IE the copyright is owned by both the NSW/ACT IEU and the author. Those contributors registered with the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) will receive any due payments directly from CAL. All other CAL payments will be received by the NSW/ACT IEU and we forward to the contributor annually any amount over $15.00. Lesser amounts are donated to APHEDA, the ACTU’s international aid organisation.

editorial

5

Phil Glendenning, Director of the Edmund Rice Centre, tracked

down some asylum seekers Australia had rejected to find out what had happened to them in the film ‘A Well-Founded Fear’. It’s a journey through many countries and through some dark parts of the nation’s psyche, he tells NSW/ACT IEU Journalist Suzanne KOWALSKI-ROTH. It’s also a tribute to the inspirational teachers at Our Lady of the Rosary in Waitara and St Leo’s Catholic College in Wahroonga, Sydney, who instilled in him a commitment to social justice.

I went to Our Lady of the Rosary school in Waitara. I remember being left there by my mum and wondering why the day took so long.

There must have been 50 kids in the class. I can’t remember much of what we did. I know we were told to have a sleep in the afternoon. I could never do that. I remember running in the rain and getting smacked for it (laughs). Actually I’m going to the pub with three of the blokes from kindy tonight.

I remember Sister Rosalia, my kindergarten teacher. I’m the eldest of six and she taught all of us. I was giving a talk not long ago and she turned up afterwards and gave me a kiss on both cheeks. She looked young when I saw her so she must have been very young when she taught me.

It was really great to see her. It’s funny but since we made ‘A Well Founded Fear’ (pictures from the film are above and

on facing page) I’ve had contact from my third grade teacher, my fifth grade teacher, my school principal and Year 10 teacher. It’s been quite a walk down memory lane.

My memories of education are very positive. I was educated by the Christian Brothers at St Leo’s in Wahroonga. There was a very strong social justice element in what we did and that’s certainly stuck with me. I had some wonderful mentors like Terry Halloran and Brian Berg. The key thing was that people were valued for who they are rather than what they do.

If we really value people we can’t just pick and choose who those people are. We heard in the year 2000 that the Government had been deporting people back to danger so we went about investigating it. Our research was led by two 80 year old nuns Carmel Leavey (OAM), Mary Britt and their friend Margaret Hetherton.

We contacted more than 250 people in 22 countries. They were in Australia at different times. They speak different languages. They’re different nationalities. They were in different detention centres in Australia and on Nauru. They don’t know each other. Yet, their stories are remarkably similar.

They were told the countries they were being sent back to were safe and they weren’t.

In January (2008) I visited the grave of the daughters of Abdul Azim. It was about minus 15 degrees, it was snowing and it was like the mountains were weeping. He was told it was safe to go

back to Afghanistan after three years on Nauru. He returned. Within four months a grenade was thrown through the window when they were eating and his nine year old daughter Yolanda was killed instantly and his six year old daughter Rona died a few hours later. He said: “My children died so John Howard could win an election”. I think Australians need to know the truth of the actions that were taken in our name.

We know 10 people have been killed in Afghanistan, with one unconfirmed. There have been two confirmed deaths in Columbia with another two unconfirmed, one confirmed death in Iran, one confirmed death in Pakistan, one confirmed death in Sri Lanka and nine unconfirmed.

It seems to me that the desire to seek safety and security shouldn’t attract the death penalty, and that’s what’s happened here.

People who were rejected by Australia were later accepted by countries like the UK, the US, Canada and New Zealand and Sweden. What is it that those countries understood that we didn’t?

We have to end the days when compassion for people is seen as a weakness.

It’s my fundamental belief that it’s the task of our educators to strip the last remnants of the cruel and ancient belief that humanity is bound by the nearest hill or is enclosed in the tight circle by those who share our town, our views and the colour of our skin.For more information on the Edmund Rice

Centre go to www.erc.org.au

sustainable classrooms leadership

It seems to me that the desire to seek safety and security shouldn’t attract the death penalty, and that’s what’s happened here.”“

technology legal opinion reviewssupport staff

6

reconciliation teaching+learning sustainable classrooms leadershipprofile

Australia wide

news editorial

The IEUA has expressed serious concerns about elements of the Rudd Government’s

proposed Fair Work Bill, due to replace WorkChoices later this year.

IEUA Federal Secretary Chris Watt says in several key areas the Government’s proposed laws are not in the spirit of ALP policy and fall short of IEUA members’ expectations that the Government would ‘rip up’ WorkChoices.

Weak areas include:

n a real risk that award modernisation will have a negative impact on the most

vulnerable workers in our sectorn arbitration only being available in the narrowest of circumstancesn inferior rights to protection from unfair dismissal for workers employed by employers with less than 15 workers, andn limited access to multi-employer agreements to the detriment of workers in our sector.

In its recent submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Fair Work Bill, the ACTU has also called on the Government to address several flaws in the proposed legislation.

Is the Fair Work Bill fair enough?

NSWhistoric settlement for Catholic teachers

NSW Catholic systemic teachers have achieved a three-year salary

settlement (4.4%, 3.8%. 3.8%) plus conditions improvements following an industrial campaign that began in 2008 and extended into the first week of Term 1.

Teachers’ concern about work intensification led to a number of claims aimed at improving workload, and through strong collective action these have been won. Breakthroughs include:

n release from face-to-face teaching By 2011 all NSW diocesan primary school teachers will be entitled to a total of two hours release per week.

n secondary class sizes – practical subjects With effect from 2010, class sizes in practical subjects will not generally exceed 24, and

n release for NSW Institute of Teachers accreditation process Support will be provided to all new scheme teachers, mentors and supervisors in line with current diocesan standards and will be specified in work practice agreements.

A joint working party has been established, chaired by the Catholic Education Commission and comprising appropriate representatives of the IEU and dioceses.

The working party will consider and make recommendations in relation to the collaboration and sharing of information and resources within dioceses.

The report of the Inquiry into Effective Strategies for Teacher Professional Learning undertaken by the Victorian Parliament’s Education and Training Committee has just been published. In March 2007 the Victorian Legislative Assembly referred this inquiry to its committee. Two years later the report has finally surfaced with some comprehensive and interesting findings and recommendations.

The Committee’s terms of reference were broad and their deliberations involved a literature review, briefings, public hearings and submissions involving 120 witnesses, including the Victorian Independent Education Union and the Australian Education Union (Victoria Branch). The committee also met with peak national professional bodies involved in teacher professional learning, including school authorities, and undertook a tour of

Finland, Scotland and Canada to meet with representatives of key organisations in their education systems

The Victoria Education Union is now examining the findings and recommendations and will identify key issues to be taken up with both government and education employers.

The full report at www.parliament.vic.gov.au

VIC Report: Inquiry into teacher professional learning

7

NTExperienced teachers could increase Indigenous literacy

Placing experienced teachers in remote Indigenous communities for short

periods to mentor newer teachers would be a valuable first step in dealing with the high rate of illiteracy among Aboriginal children, says Indigenous educator Dr Chris Sarra.

In 2008 the results of the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy showed that one in three Indigenous students in Year 3 failed to meet minimum standards in reading. The most dramatic results came from the Northern Territory, where only 30% met reading benchmarks.

Introducing experienced teachers to Indigenous schools could be the answer to raising this benchmark, however offering cash incentives and expecting teachers to stay for over 12 months was not the answer, Dr Sarra said.

Government’s pledgeThe Federal Government has pledged $2.3

billion to improve Indigenous education, along with new accountability measures to force educators to reveal the full degree of literacy and numeracy failure in remote communities.

The Federal Government’s total education spending would top $2.3 billion over four years, and it’s promised that both government and non-government schools could use these funds flexibly. However, schools would be required to provide data on Indigenous students’ processes in education.

SA

little support for teachers to tackle new leaving age

All 16 year olds are now required to be in full-time education or training until

they achieve a qualification or turn 17. The requirement for students to attend school or be in an approved TAFE or other program coincides with the progressive introduction of the new future South Australian Certificate of Education arrangements.

Future SACE arrangements started to apply to Year 10 students in 2009 during the preparation of their Personal Learning Plan. The rollout kicks in fully with the Year 11 arrangements in 2010.

Unfortunately the much-publicised $3 million in grants available for teachers’ personal development has not been used for training for the future SACE introduction for Year 11.

Nor has it been used for initiatives to meet the needs of those students now forced to attend school longer. There’s not much evidence of new curriculum offerings, leaving teachers wondering how much they are going to be left to pick up as the Year 11s arrive on their doorstep at the start of the 2010 year.

Year 11 and 12 teachers are most concerned at the looming workload unless there is a dramatic turnaround in the necessary preparatory curriculum work and professional development provision in 2009.

Qld Framework still on hold

Teachers have until 2011 to fully implement the Queensland College of

Teachers’ (QCT) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework.

The Framework’s purpose is to recognise the importance of teacher engagement in continued professional development.

During 2009 the Board of QCT has allowed more time for communication and consultation on the Framework and its links to the Professional Standards for Queensland teachers.

“Its purpose is to recognise the importance

of teacher engagement in continued professional

development.”In 2010 the CPD Framework will be

introduced into schools and teachers will have to meet all requirements, including maintaining records of their professional development. However, QCT will not apply sanctions if a teacher is unable to meet the CPD required during this year.

A ‘returning to teaching in schools’ condition will apply if an applicant does not meet the recency of practice requirement for renewal of registration.

From 2011 ongoing implementation of the renewal processes, including CPD, will take place.

For the policy document visit www.qct.edu.au/PDF/PSU/CPDFramework20081212.pdf

The ACT continues to make the most of the Australian Government’s

Quality Teaching Program. Funding has been committed from 2006 to 2009 for the program, which provides teachers with professional learning opportunities across all states and territories.

Program objectives include:

n equipping teachers with the skills and knowledge needed for teaching in the 21st Century

n providing national leadership in high priority areas of teacher professional learning need, and

n improving the professional standing of school teachers and leaders.

The priority area for the Program is cross-curricular/whole school, including general pedagogy, whole school innovative teaching approaches and the innovative use of ICT.

Each sector — government, Catholic and independent — have identified

project managers. This group meets regularly to discuss progress and status of activities and provide feedback to the Program Cross-sectional Committee. The ACT Catholic Education Office and ACT Education Department have developed activities separately and jointly as required and implemented these with the ACT’s Australian Independent Schools sector.

The Union is an active member of the ACT Program Cross-sectional Committee and we look forward to another productive and beneficial year of activities in 2009.

ACT Program keeps teachers up to date


8

There can never be reconciliation without a comprehensive

understanding of Aboriginal history and this must be reflected in the quest for a national curriculum, NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group President Cindy Berwick tells NSW/ACT IEU Journalist Sue OSBORNE.

Cindy (above right) has concerns about the development of the national curriculum. She notes the framing papers suggest a focus on global history and Asia rather than Australian history.

“In NSW we have a framework for Aboriginal consultation on the syllabus in place already. Nationally we don’t have that,” Cindy says.

“We’ve fought hard here in NSW to have the word ‘invasion’ included on the syllabus. We need to ensure a focus on indigenous history remains in the national curriculum.

“The Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report tabled in NSW Parliament in January 2008 said a rejection of terra nullius and recognition of prior occupation of Australia was crucial to tackling disadvantage – that’s pretty important.

“These things must be taught properly if we are to move forward as a society and achieve reconciliation.

“The national curriculum must be underlined by values of social justice and equity.”

Building confidenceIf the teaching of Indigenous

history to date has suffered, IEU NSW President Chris Wilkinson says it is because teachers sometimes lack confidence and feel under-resourced while teaching it. Chris believes dioceses needed to pour more resources into recruiting Aboriginal teachers.

“Lots of talented Aboriginal students are going into teaching colleges, but they’re not coming back into the system at the end of their studies,” she says.

Chris says teaching Aboriginal history would be invigorated by “employing teachers who really understand the culture and spirituality, and feel confident talking about it” with students.

“Employing Aboriginal teachers would make more sense than spending money on bringing in outside specialists.”

What’s neededSydney Catholic Education Office

Indigenous Adviser and NSW/IEU Board of Studies Aboriginal Advisory Committee Rep Lisa Buxton says teachers need more resources and training to increase their confidence when teaching Indigenous history.

She says Indigenous students sometimes find themselves being used as surrogate teachers or as a teaching

resource during Aboriginal history lessons. Ms Buxton says in-services and better instruction at pre-teacher training level is required to tackle this problem.

IEU Indigenous Advisor Diat Callope says the issue of students being used as a teaching resource was raised at last year’s IEU Indigenous Education conference held in Canberra.

“These students don’t always feel comfortable being put in this position and they feel like they’re not really getting a good insight into their culture and history from school,” Diat says.

“The dioceses could be directing a lot more resources towards personal development in Indigenous history and culture for teachers.”

The Prime Minister’s apology and the Northern Territory intervention also make it important to have up-to-date resources available for students to use, Lisa says.

A lack of up-to-date resources can contribute to repetition but Cindy says this has been addressed in NSW through sequence and scope of Indigenous history teaching. However, she is not sure that this is the case nationally.

“Again, we’ve tackled this kind of thing in NSW, so I hope the national focus acknowledges that,” she says.

Indigenous history LEARNING TO TELL OUR STORY

profile

towards reconciliation

news editorial reconciliation

“We need to ensure a focus on indigenous history

remains in the national curriculum.”

9


teaching + learning

teaching+learning

Could attempts to keep Indigenous languages alive in

schools compromise English teaching and learning? A Ministerial directive in the Northern Territory to teach the first four hours of every school day in English appears to contrast with programs in the rest of the country to revive Indigenous languages in classrooms. But, as IEU Journalist Tara DE BOEHMLER discovers, most stakeholders want the same thing. It’s just the approach that differs.

Before European settlement hundreds of Indigenous languages and dialects were spoken throughout Australia, but previous banning of the languages has left them decimated. Nevertheless, regional dialects remain the first language in some remote areas.

The future of Indigenous languages Classroom revival?


10

Some schools, such as St Joseph’s Primary School in Walgett NSW, are establishing programs to help Indigenous communities hold onto their languages and to help students connect to their culture. Students at St Joseph’s typically have a high fluency in English, classes are taught in English and there is a mixture of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Because Walgett locals had been forbidden from speaking their language for many years, regaining it has been a major effort on the part of the school and community.

A couple of thousand kilometres away in the Northern Territory, different but related challenges are being faced. Students in a handful of remote schools have retained fluency in their local languages and English literacy is seen as the challenge. Classes in some of these schools are taught using Indigenous languages as a bridge for learning.

Shifting goalpostsDespite ongoing debate, it

remains unclear whether teaching predominantly using local dialects impacts on outcomes in schools. But the NT Government has been concerned enough to start phasing in a policy requiring the first four hours of every five-hour school day to be taught in English.

According to recently retired NT Education and Training Minister Marion Scrymgour, there are plenty of reasons to be cautious when using Indigenous languages in the

classroom. Scrymgour told ABC’s ‘Unleashed’ (23/12/08) that while regional languages were often used in the Territory as a vehicle for teaching across learning areas, adopting one particular Indigenous language at a school could alienate students speaking other dialects and was “profoundly political and often contentious at the local level”.

Staffing was also an issue. Indigenous teacher assistants fluent in their own regional languages had “limited” capacity to assist classroom teachers across learning areas, Scrymgour said, while non-Aboriginal teachers lacking the relevant Indigenous language were “similarly lacking in the required skills and capacities to address this problem”.

Journey beginningIn NSW there is a “big push on

for schools to take up Aboriginal languages” and a concerted effort to provide appropriate support and training, says Sydney Catholic Education Office Indigenous Adviser and NSW/IEU Board of Studies Aboriginal Advisory Committee Rep Lisa Buxton.

She says the Committee has been closely watching what is being developed in other states and the CEO is conscious that, in Sydney at least, their own journey is just beginning. But she agrees with Scrymgour that challenges must first be worked through.

“The Board of Studies has been providing a number of workshops around Aboriginal language programs

and we’re also running community capacity programs. We’re doing this because without the support of the community these programs are not likely to go anywhere. Our workshops also help in deciding what language to choose and which ones have the resources to be able to teach them, for example, whether you have the language teachers.”

honouring communitiesAward-winning Australian writer,

editor and anthologist Bruce Pascoe, told IE it was educators and local Indigenous communities, not politicians, who were best placed to determine what emphasis was placed on Aboriginal languages in the classroom.

He does not accept that the use of Indigenous languages undermines student performance. Poor results were sometimes used “as an excuse to get rid of yet another aspect of Indigenous culture,” he said.

“In Victoria we have some KODE [Koori Open Door Education] units that are being closed down because students have not attained a sufficient standard in English. But what the Government seems to have failed to realise is that most of these students were also failing under the old system so we’re not going to be able to turn them into great English readers and writers overnight.”

The author, who contributed to last year’s SBS First Australians series and has compiled a Wathaurong language dictionary, told IE it had been “proven

profile news editorial reconciliation

“Black or white we need to learn about the first culture of this country. And we need to work with the young who have flexible minds and uncorrupted hearts.”

11


teaching + learning

teaching+learning

There’s a new phenomenon on the streets of Walgett, which harks back to a time long ago. “Yaama!” is a

greeting increasingly heard between locals as the regional Indigenous Yuwaalaraay dialect slowly makes its way back into the vernacular. Once outlawed from speaking Indigenous languages, locals are now claiming it back thanks to a program initiated by St Joseph’s Primary School in the mid-1990s.

When it started in 1996, the language program was taught only to a select few students and their instructors were picking it up at the same time, with the assistance of linguist John Giacon.

More than a decade on and Yuwaalaraay lessons are now part of the curriculum for students in all year groups, whether Indigenous or not.

St Joseph’s Language Teachers John Brown and Karen Flick teach the Yuwaalaraay program. Flick now focuses on infants and Brown on primary classes. Both have witnessed the program grow from an add-on to an integral part of St Joseph’s curriculum.

“At first it wasn’t really well received as some of the Aboriginal people didn’t want it taught in schools”, Brown told IE. “They thought it shouldn’t be done. And most of the white community couldn’t see the sense in it.

“We have to remember the context was that the language hadn’t been spoken for many years because they weren’t allowed. So to then come in and learn it and to be able to teach it to the wider community – white, black or whatever colour they may be – that was a great privilege. But of course there were issues to deal with at first, like there is when starting any new thing. “

Brown said the program was now widely embraced by the community and for the students, about 60% of whom are Aboriginal, it gave them “a sense of identity, dignity and understanding”. “It shows them that Aboriginal people are not forgotten and that their language and culture are important enough to remain with us.”

Brown and Flick’s role in teaching Yuwaalaraay is strongly supported by their Principal, Assistant Principal and

classroom teachers, many of whom are becoming fluent in the language. The school has had a range of resources developed, including a Yuwaalaraay dictionary, CDs with songs, songbooks, grammar texts and a new online teaching and learning centre (see www.yuwaalaraay.org).

The language is used at assemblies, through labelling and during celebrations and welcome ceremonies. Ongoing training and refresher sessions for the language teachers will be boosted in 2009 through support from the Department of Education and Training’s Quality Teaching Program. The local TAFE will also start offering certificate courses in Yuwaalaraay.

“Now one of the reasons for students to come to St Joseph’s is to have this chance to learn the language,” Brown says. He adds that the program has also made the language accessible for the wider community, and to other learning institutions when the students leave for high school.

“It makes me feel proud for myself and Karen to have been a part of this. It’s one of the greatest things I have ever been involved in.”

However, along with the program’s evident success, St Joseph’s Primary School Principal Tony Spiller says there also remain a few challenges, like integrating it with the HSIE syllabus.

“It makes the children proud to be speaking the language at ceremonies. It also makes their parents and grandparents very proud and quite emotional to hear the children speaking their original language.

“However we also require more people who can teach this language and we need to make this language live more fully. It really needs to be given greater airing and to be used more. We need to liven it up. It should be used more than just in assemblies, ceremonies and in a limited way in the classrooms.

“We’re not there yet but our language program is a wonderful initiative.”

‘Gaba’ means good workfor Walgett language program

time and time again that learning a second language is good for the mind”. He said models around the world that showed it could be done, and benefits stretched far beyond the academic.

“Learn the language of your area and you learn the culture of your own street. Black or white, we have to learn about the first culture of this country.”

Reflecting our cultureAmong the greatest hurdles for

schools wanting to emphasise Indigenous language and culture in schools are insufficient resourcing and government interference, Pascoe said. Referring to a period during the 1980s and 1990s when travelling to schools as part of an Australian Studies project, Pascoe discovered the book

English Pond Life had been provided for use as part of a reading scheme in a remote school north of Alice Springs. “The book was about frogs and tadpoles and we were in the middle of the desert. There were not a lot of frogs and certainly no English frogs. It was just a ridiculous educational principle that was being undertaken. The people were tolerating it because it had been imposed upon them.”


12


teaching + learning

teaching+learning

Photos in order from p9• St Joseph’s dancers at the Narran lakes sacred site west of Walgett.• St Joseph’s, Walgett.• Children enjoying formal lessons in language in their new classroom.

• Senator Ursula Stephens, Rick Johnson, Director of the Armidale Catholic Schools Office, Anne Dennis and Sister Mary-Ellen Griffin are being entertained by the St Joseph’s dancers.• Surprise visitors to the school, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Jenny Macklin, being presented with a cross by the

children at St Joseph’s in February, 2008. The crosses were decorated by Aunty Fay, an Aboriginal elder.• A totem of the late Ted Fields in the school garden at St Joseph’s, Walgett. Fields was instrumental in providing many of the Aboriginal language resources.

The community started producing their own culturally-appropriate schoolbooks. “They were using a shocking little old Roneo [stencil] printing machine, with enormous support from the elders. They were doing a massive job and they were doing it against the grain.”

Pascoe’s footnote to this story is that he recommended the school be given a printer but they were “knocked back by the Commonwealth while another school was given a rowing scull”.

Onus on schoolsProfessor of Education, Dr Lester-

Irabinna Rigney, Director of the Yunggorendi First Nations Centre for Higher Education and Research at Flinders University, argues that putting the onus on schools to develop and nurture language programs is part of the problem.

Professor Rigney told IE he believed school-based Indigenous language programs are successful. “It is important to analyse and examine the excellent work that is being done in schools. In rural and remote

communities these schools are sometimes the only infrastructure in an area.”

But he said there also needed to be a community/society-wide strategy to complement these school programs. He said language funding from government sources for language learning purposes “should go directly to schools to help them develop appropriate teaching resources”.

“With the Indigenous language programs, as successful as they are, the majority of teaching resources, teaching equipment, and books are done ad hoc by the goodwill of the community and linguists.

“The schools are doing a wonderful job but they are well under-resourced.”

Broadening the reach Professor Rigney believes that if

languages are left to schools only “it will not filter across the community and society more broadly, which needs to occur”.

“We need to get a more socialistic understanding of how language operates and revives itself rather than just focusing on schools.”

There must be constitutional recognition of Indigenous languages as the original language of this country, a national language institute and a contribution by “all agencies, including health and welfare”, he said.

Pascoe agrees that a whole-of-society approach will provide the greatest benefit for the nation.

“If all Australian students were to learn Aboriginal languages, and be immersed with the culture as well, I think it would be a fantastic fillip to an Australian consciousness ... and we need that. I reckon 30% of Australians, if you asked them, would love to be included in Aboriginal cultural education. Not the sacred stuff, but they would love to know more about their own land and to feel included in it.

“Black or white we need to learn about the first culture of this country. And we need to work with the young who have flexible minds and uncorrupted hearts.”


13

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A recent Queensland study has found that secondary teachers

and schools should be held more responsible for the academic outcomes of students with learning difficulties. Bundaberg’s Shalom College secondary teacher and QIEU member Maria Fresta spoke to QIEU Journalist Fiona RICHARDSON about the Queensland study and looks at how the findings relate to her teaching methods.

Within the study, researcher Dr Julie Watson provides a list of the long and short term goals that teachers should endeavour to complete if they are to be the “changemakers” for their students.

However, Fresta believes the study’s long term goals provide only the standard answers for solving enduring problems.

The recommendations to provide more money, more collaborations, community building and additional conferences are “just words” until those who have the power and the finances do something to take the issue more seriously, Ms Fresta said.

Pressure on teachers“To put the pressure on teachers

without a change at this level is an unrealistic approach which causes teachers more stress and in the end will not really work. Changes at this level are essential,” she said.

Fresta suggests measures to better accommodate all students, including those with learning difficulties, would include:

n providing better financial incentives for teachers

n greater aide time for every teacher

n more time within the day for organising so teachers do not have to spend so much time outside school preparing, and

n other major changes to the way teachers work on a day to day basis.

“De-cluttering the curriculum, restructuring the teaching and learning day and the school term, reviewing the roles of teachers, teacher aides and others, are needed.”

Fresta’s school already has in place modified support systems for these

Cultural change needed to improve student outcomes

“All the good intentions in the world will not

suffice if the total school system cannot provide

teachers and individual schools with more means

to achieve these goals.”

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students with learning difficulties, including employing qualified case managers and offering counselling and similar services.

However, she said these teachers are also “constantly over worked and busy.”

Time constraintsTeacher aide time varies and is not

regular due to a number of constraints.

“All the good intentions in the world will not suffice if the total school system cannot provide teachers and individual schools with more means to achieve these goals,” Fresta said.

The study suggests that a better way to help students with learning difficulties would be to make it mandatory for teachers in this area to hold a higher degree as a requirement. While Fresta believes this is a “laudable aim” she fears it may result in fewer teachers entering the field or even eliminate good current teachers.

Increasing awareness

Dr Julie Watson concluded study results, completed as part of her doctoral research at James Cook University that secondary teachers, schools and education systems should become more aware that they are accountable and responsible for the academic outcomes of students with learning difficulties.

She stated that the responsibility of educators was to advocate to improve

the lives of these students in secondary schools, as teachers must accept the moral imperative and become changemakers.

Dr Watson’s study showed that participating Queensland secondary teachers had difficulty in accommodating the needs of students with disabilities. Teachers who had positive attitudes were also concerned about teachers’ aides only being utilised for those with medical disabilities, which left the majority of struggling students without extra help.

According to the parents who took part in the study, schools that addressed academic issues saw behavioural problems disappear or lessen considerably. The problem with this, however, was that the teachers surveyed generally did not understand the link between behaviour and learning difficulties, Dr Watson said.

Throughout the study both teachers and parents often displayed differing attitudes to students with learning difficulties. However, all participants agreed that concern was felt about inadequate funding, professional development, pre-service training, insufficient training for learning support teachers and aides as well as large numbers of these students in classes. All believed that teachers were overburdened which impacted negatively on the students. Parents expressed their desire to collaborate

closely with teachers and be an integral part of the school community in assisting students to achieve their potential.

The study incorporated 280 Queensland secondary school teachers together with 17 participants from each sector including teachers, students with learning difficulties and parents involved in advocacy.

Maria Fresta is a QIEU Member who has taught at Shalom College for 26 years and previously in the state system for five years. Maria teaches senior and junior English, English Communications and Art.

Julie Watson (PhD) has worked for over 20 years as a secondary school teacher and has tutored people with learning difficulties including many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Dr Watson’s consultancy service, Education Action, provides professional development services for capacity building in schools, especially groups with special educational needs. Email [email protected].

More informationWatson J 2007, Hear my voice: Mainstream students with learning difficulties speak out Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities 12(2), 1-10.

Watson J & Bond TG 2007, Walking the walk: Rasch analysis of an exploratory survey of secondary teachers’ attitudes and understanding of mainstream students with learning difficulties. Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities 12(1), 1-9.

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Short termn Secondary teachers should be given financial incentives to undertake higher degrees. A minimum of three special needs subjects should be studied by all preservice generalist secondary teachers to be eligible for teacher registration. A mandatory higher degree in special education linked with teacher registration should be required for Learning Support Teachers. All preservice and professional development should include more skills in classroom management as well as instruction in literacy and numeracy teaching.

n Individual case managers should be placed in schools. This senior management position would liaise with specialists to organise interventions, advocate for students and recommend appropriate professional development. Flexible timetabling must be introduced. Timetabled periods for collaboration for teachers and case managers are necessary and need to be monitored for effectiveness.

long termn Collaborative practices should be emphasised in pre-service and professional development and should include regular

contact between special educators and generalist teachers. Collaboration with parents should be established.

n Social capital and community building within schools should be a priority. The expertise in teachers and in community groups must be harnessed for mentoring and professional development.

n Appropriate pedagogy, assessment and service provision discourses must replace the current individual deficit discourse and funding must be on a needs based model.

Dr Watson’s recommendations


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This article has been adapted by David Ford and Luke Scandrett

of Emil Ford & Co — Lawyers of Sydney from a paper presented by Michael Winram at the Australia and New Zealand Education Law Association (ANZELA) Conference in 2008.

The problemA school principal discovered a video

on YouTube of a segment of the final leaving assembly for the Year 12 students. Linked to that video were other videos of students at a party after the school formal. The behaviour of students on the videos indicated that they were drunk. Some students on the video could be heard saying “I’m too drunk to stand up” and “Take your pants off”.

Can anything be done?It’s my name and image – I reserve

the right to control it!

It is easy to see how people may think that, if they discover their name, or a photograph, or some other information that identifies them on a blogsite or a social networking page, they have the right to require that it be removed. This is not necessarily true. In Australia, there are very limited rights to control personal information — whether that information is on an internet site or otherwise.

What about privacy?In Australia, there is no High Court

authority to suggest that there is a common law right to privacy, although lower courts have been willing to hear cases on this basis. However, one should be careful in applying them too directly. The facts in the relevant cases were extreme, and accordingly would be unlikely to help in a school context. If we rely on the High Court’s current position, at common law it is not necessarily an

invasion of privacy if pictures, videos or other information about a student, teacher or school appear on the internet. There is very little a school can do to have the material removed on this basis alone.

Isn’t there an act that regulates online content?The Australian Government has set

up a system of online regulation in co-operation with state governments. This system is largely complaints-based. In most circumstances, internet content hosts (ICH) and internet service Providers (ISP) are only required to remove content following formal notification from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) if it is prohibited content or potentially prohibited content.

Therefore, if you discover information about yourself or your school on a blogsite or on YouTube, the first step

Protecting schools, teachers and students from malignant websites

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is to write to the ICH or ISP informing them of the content and asking them to remove it. It is more than likely that an ICH or ISP will not remove the content unless you are able to show that the material is illegal or may expose the ICH or ISP to a claim for damages.

how do I know if the material is illegal?The National Classification Code uses

the classifications of G, PG, M, MA15+, R18+, X18+ and RC to describe content. The definition of RC, which stands for ‘Refused Classification’, includes material that offends the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by a reasonable adult, which portrays a minor in a way which is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult, or which will promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence. The website will be classed as hosting prohibited content if its material is RC, or if it is X18+ and it is not subjected to a restricted access system.

The Online Services Act does not make it an offence to host prohibited content. An offence is only committed if the host fails to comply with a take-down notice. The scheme establishes a system where members of the public may make complaints to ACMA who will investigate the internet content in order to assess its legality.

What about defamation?Defamation legislation protects

the reputation of individuals and corporations. Its principal remedy is damages. The current law in Australia is that, if defamatory material is uploaded onto the internet, an action may be brought against a person in the jurisdiction where the material may be downloaded and read. Therefore, if material is uploaded onto the internet which is accessible to the public in some way and which causes damage to the reputation of a person or a school, the author of the material may be sued for defamation wherever the information is downloaded and received.

From a legal perspective, most of the rights and obligations attaching to adults generally will be the same as those attaching to students. Accordingly, if a student defames a school, teacher or other student, the school can request that the student remove the content on the basis that the student may be liable in defamation.

ConclusionIf you discover a website that

contains information about your school or students, you do not have an automatic right to request that it be removed. However, if you believe it is a serious breach of privacy, or if you believe the content is defamatory, the first step is to write to the ISP and the ICH to request it be removed. Remember that they cannot be liable until they have been made aware of the content. If you suspect the internet content is prohibited content, you should make a complaint to ACMA.

Most of the law in this area is yet to be developed. The law will always be slower than the pace at which internet technology develops. Schools should ensure that they keep up-to-date with the development of internet technology and respond appropriately.

Emil Ford provides education law expertise, particularly in the

independent sector. David Ford is the President of ANZElA NSW. The full paper may be downloaded from the

Education and Schools page of the Emil Ford website

www.emilford.com.au.

Not sure of your rights? Contact your Union

for advice.

n Get to know what internet sites are being used by students

Unless you know what sites are being used by students, it is impossible to keep track of how students are using the internet either at school or out of school.

n Educate your students on the use of internet sites

A starting point for educating students is the Australian Government’s site www.netalert.gov.au/. It contains information on how to educate students on safe and appropriate use of internet sites, and many links to other helpful sites.

n Ensure your policies address the appropriate use of the internet by students and staff

Schools must have internet and e-mail policies that state how students and staff may use computers owned by the school. The policies should also address consequences for maligning the school, staff or other students regardless of whether the school’s computers are used.

What proactive steps can schools take to protect their reputation and keep a check on information that is being posted on the internet?


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Being able to regularly eat meat and fish is one of the best things

about being in Australia, Sudanese refugee Agua tells NSW/ACT IEU Journalist Sue OSBORNE. But even more important is the chance to learn English and “about everything she wants to learn” at the Catholic Intensive English Centre in Parramatta.

One year ago 12-year-old Agau Biar’s classroom was an outside area shared with 100 other students, all escapees from war-torn Sudan, at a refugee camp in Kakuma.

Today, Agua enjoys the comparative luxury of schooling at the English Centre, based at Delany College in Granville, where she relishes the fact teachers have time to help students individually.

The demographic of the Centre’s population depends on what is happening on the world stage. Since 2002 most of the refugees have come from the Sudan and the majority of students attend on a humanitarian basis. For these students the fees are waived.

Students are referred to the Centre from other high schools in the Parramatta Diocese, to which they usually return when they have the skills in English to cope with the mainstream curriculum. While most spend a maximum of four terms at the Centre, if the students need more time they will get it. In this, the Catholic

system differs from the Department of Education, which adheres to strict time limits.

learning life skills“The students at the College learn a

lot more than just English. They need to learn about learning,” says Catholic Intensive English Centre Coordinator and IEU member Alma George.

“We teach them how to operate in the classroom context. We establish a strict routine, and practise things like making requests and asking permission.

“We develop programs to suit their needs. We are very skills based,” says George.

Programs include excursions to the local shopping centre where students learn to buy food and to the train station, where they learn how to purchase tickets.

Difficult beginningsCIEC Teacher and IEU member Lisa

Finnan says classroom teachers have to be aware that many of the students have experienced extremely difficult journeys before arriving at the Centre.

Students have told of sleeping in trees to escape lions on their journey out of the Sudan and some of the boys have been soldiers.

Many of the children have been separated from their families, some

being left with the sole care of their very young siblings. Many have also witnessed the deaths of close relatives. One student’s small brother was killed in her arms.

“We don’t ask the students to talk about their ordeal. Their stories often comes out by chance in the classroom, in writing exercise for example,” says Finnan.

“We have found that our teaching programs are the therapy – everyday life and spontaneous events seem to work better,” George says.

Supporting familiesA lot more than just an English

school, the Centre provides support for the whole family, and the Diocese employs two community liaison officers who help the families to access support.

“We have more success when there is a holistic approach to the family,” says Finnan.

George says the Centre’s success with its students is subtly having an effect on the community at large, opening more doors for the refugees and creating an atmosphere of acceptance for future new arrivals.

Photos left to right: Agua Biar, 12, studying English, a group of Sudanese students during sport; and Agua with coordinator Alma George.

Refugees’ journey beyond literacy

“We have found that our teaching programs are the therapy.”


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Many of the changes in education have been challenging for

teachers and the accreditation process for the New South Wales Institute of Teachers is no exception. But collaborative partnerships are helping, writes NSW/ACT IEU Professional Development Officer Elizabeth FINLAY.

It is early years for the NSW teacher accreditation program and those ‘new scheme teachers’ (as they are known) are among the first to tackle the process have found it both daunting and, in some cases, quite overwhelming.

While the NSW/ACT IEU fully supports the program’s aims — to assist teachers starting out and re-entering the profession — its success depends on appropriate teacher support. To date, the Union has used a range of measures to assist members going through the process. These include ongoing workshops, one-on-one support, negotiating release time for teachers and mentors, consultation and by securing improvements via

a recent salaries and conditions campaign in Catholic schools.

how the system worksAll teachers from government

and non-government schools who commenced teaching in NSW after 1 October 2004, or who have returned from a break of five or more years, must be accredited with the NSW Institute of Teachers. Full time teachers have three years to complete the process, or five years if they are casual or part time.

The NSW Institute of Teachers was established to promote quality teaching and to advance the status of the teaching profession. What it doesn’t do is decide whether or not a teacher will become accredited. This role falls to the Teacher Accreditation Authority.

In NSW government and Catholic schools the system takes on the role of the Teacher Accreditation Authority. In the independent sector, it is usually the principal but in some cases the

responsibility falls to the Association of Independent Schools (AIS).

Early challengesStill in its early years, the NSW

accreditation scheme has presented challenges for many new scheme teachers, their mentors and supervisors.

New scheme teachers work with a mentor teacher and, while this is a desirable model of support, some lack experience in interpreting the standards and providing advice on the collection of evidence. In fact, it is often the mentor teacher who finds the process difficult and has concerns about the level of support they are able to provide.

Mentor and supervising teachers have had to grapple with both understanding the standards and advising on the collection of appropriate evidence. Schools have had to develop ways to support teachers while still learning about the process. This is in addition to an already very full school agenda.

Supporting teachers through accreditation processes


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levels of supportWhile some schools have excellent

support systems in place, there are still a significant number of teachers who receive little or no support and have great difficulty in completing the process.

Many of the Catholic systems do have support arrangements in place, although the amount of time varies. The Lismore Diocese gives teachers one day per week release and the Canberra/Goulburn Diocese provides a half-day release for both primary and secondary teachers in their first year, with an additional half-day release for primary teachers in their second year.

Some independent schools have also been pro-active in supporting the scheme. For example, Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore) North Sydney has developed a program supporting their new scheme teachers using an Australian Government Quality Teacher Program grant.

IEU professional developmentAs part of the NSW/ACT IEU’s

commitment to supporting teachers undergoing the accreditation process, it offers a dedicated professional development (PD) program.

Aside from one-on-one support, in 2008 the Union presented a series of seminars to help teachers understand the accreditation process and to assist them with the preparation of their evidence and documentation.

These seminars were held in metropolitan and country areas across NSW and were extremely well received, particularly in country areas.

The country seminars were a collaborative initiative between the local diocesan offices and the IEU and the independent schools in each area were invited to attend.

The partnerships proved valuable for all stakeholders in the accreditation process, particularly the teachers they were designed to assist, as overwhelming positive feedback confirmed.

Valuable feedbackIn the course of running the workshops the IEU identified a range of issues experienced by teachers and mentors working their way through the accreditation process.

For part time and casual teachers, access to accreditation can be a challenge. Teachers need to gain a block of teaching to be able to demonstrate some of the standards, and once accredited, teachers must maintain their status by participating in 100 hours of PD over five years. This can present a problem for teachers where school PD budgets are insufficient and when there is not enough professional development to enable teachers to meet standards. Teachers in disadvantaged schools find this particularly problematic, along with country teachers who have extra costs related to travel and accommodation.

Participants have also commented on the need to: increase mentor training and release time; include beginning teachers in the process of choosing their mentors; manage expectations; and increase consistency between accreditation authorities.

The value of feedback like this is that it provides the Union with important information to pass on to relevant systems and schools. This communication helps ensure that those going through the accreditation process are further supported.

It’s about developing collaborative partnerships and, whatever the system, productive working relationships. Putting new scheme teachers at the centre can make a difference to those starting their teaching journey or re-entering the profession.

“The presenters provided relevant

information and were engaging. It was good

to ‘de-mystify’ the accreditation process

and realise it will be actually almost fun

to complete.” (IEU workshop participant)


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School readiness can mean so many things, from feeling

comfortable in a new environment to a pure enthusiasm for learning. But there’s a consensus that the early childhood sector should not feel pressured to include elements of the school curriculum. NSW/ACT IEU Journalist Tara DE BOEHMLER reports.

Imagine you have always sat where you wanted, worn what you wanted and made a habit of carting your personal belongings around for your own amusement and to show your peers. Then one day you turn up to a new place where everyone is dressed the same as you. They all sit in neat lines and your favourite bear has to sit in a locker for the entire day. The next day and the next are the same.

This type of scenario can come as a shock to many children starting school for the first time and is part of the reason that importance is placed on school transition programs.

Broad spectrumSchool transition programs exist in

many kindergartens and preschools, and there is a broad variety in use, according to IEU Member and Assistant Principal at St Joseph’s Primary School in Merewether NSW, Kim Moroney.

“Most schools have some sort of transition program in place but they vary greatly. Some schools might have the children come in once a week in Term 4. I’ve heard of schools that have children coming in earlier in the year and I’ve heard of schools where children might stay the whole day.”

Brave new worldMaking the transition to school

“The emergent curriculum really prepares children for being in a disposition to learn, and this is how I sum up school readiness.”


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Don’t push itMoroney, who is early childhood

trained, told IE that while school transition programs have a place, it is important they don’t impinge on preschool and long day care centres’ curricula.

“I think early childhood teachers in long day care and preschool sometimes feel confused and pressured, especially towards the end of the prior-to-schooling-year, to get them ‘ready’ for school. I don’t know if this is a pressure from society. It’s maybe sometimes due to a lack of parent education in that area,” she said.

“One early childhood teacher said she felt they had to sometimes get the children ready more for the formality — the formal work of schooling. This is a concern because children should be in the moment of that year for the whole year, and their play/enquiry-based learning should continue for that whole year. The teachers shouldn’t feel they have to push a school curriculum onto those children.”

Valuing early childhoodAccording to IEU Member and

Director of Communicare Kurralee Child Care Centre Jennifer Green, parent education is needed to help them understand the value of the early childhood curriculum.

“I think a lot of early childhood teachers have sold out by telling parents ‘it’s okay, we’re doing something educational because we are doing school readiness’. Instead we should be encouraging families to see the merits of the emergent curriculum we are teaching.

“The emergent curriculum really prepares children for being in a disposition to learn, and this is how I sum up school readiness.”

School understandingGreen, who writes this month for

the IEU’s Bedrock magazine for early childhood professionals, told IE that in addition to educating parents she would like schools to know more about how the early

childhood sector fosters a disposition to learn. “We scaffold the children’s learning by engaging in the emergent curriculum,”she said. All the concepts and learning come out of whichever specific project or interest the children have.

“There’s an expectation they would be able to concentrate and be in a group for about 10 to 20 minutes. They have been encouraged to follow routines and this has established some sense of the time of day.”

Training teachersApproaches to the school transition

process have changed over time, according to Macquarie University Associate Professor Jane Torr, who said the term ‘school readiness’ was no longer in common usage “as it implies there are some milestones that need to be met before they are ready”.

As Head of the University’s Institute of Early Childhood, she has seen a shift from a “deficit [view], that children were blank slates who started learning from kindergarten”.

“Now we tend to focus on what these children bring with them … by understanding the strengths that children bring to school from their early childhood education we help reduce discontinuity between the two settings.”

In practice this can mean using more play-based learning in kindergarten as children gradually make the transition to the formal primary school curriculum.

Development ongoingTo keep up the understanding

between the prior-to-school and kindergarten settings, ongoing professional development is also crucial, according to Moroney.

“I’m sure there are many schools where the teachers in the infants classes are getting lots of opportunities to have professional development in early childhood understandings. But there would be many schools, I’m sure, where educators in infants’ classes would not have that background or training.

“It doesn’t mean they’re not brilliant teachers but I sometimes think we need to know what’s happening for these children before they enter our school environment.”

At a policy level, Moroney said understanding between teachers across systems could be aided by streamlining some of the language used, such as in curricula, guidelines and framework information.

Fostering familiarity But beyond frameworks, policy

and parent expectations, for most schools and centres, school readiness programs remain mainly about familiarisation with a new environment, said Moroney.

“My school has an orientation morning where the parents come in and the children come in, and they’re all together in the hall. Information is given and the children meet their buddies for the following year. They then visit the classroom.

“It’s just so the children can familiarise themselves with the structure of the school, the layout of the school and the school environment. Then we have two more transition mornings when the children come to the school and meet each other, and again go to the classroom.”

As for the rest: “It’s schools’ responsibility, when the children come in, to cater for the individual needs of each child.”

“I sometimes

think we need to know what’s happening for these

children before they enter our school environment. We need to know what experiences they’re

having and what sort of learning has taken place.”


Installing more

than just a water tank

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It’s not a big leap to suggest that a water tank is more than simply a piece of infrastructure.

It can inspire conversations necessary for the development of a school environmental management plan. It offers an opportunity to learn about water issues at school, community, catchment and global levels. It provides a context for students to be engaged in real decisions about such aspects as need, location, size, and use. It opens discussions about how water is related to other personal, environmental, social, recreational, economic and political issues.

Indeed, it invites careful consideration of matters of equity, well-being and health. A water tank can reveal those things we simply take for granted, like showers, food, clean clothes and cooking.

Setting an exampleSchools are highly visible parts of

our community. Putting in a water tank models positive action to the community: something can be done to use water sensibly, and this school is doing something! This is a demonstration of empowerment and self-efficacy, with students as agents in the solution.

Water tanks and other environmental infrastructure (eg low energy lighting) can be more than a piece of equipment. If integrated carefully, they can support authentic learning.

Teaching and learning strategiesWhy not try the following water-

related teaching strategies?

n Measure the area of the school

roof, and calculate the run-off (1ml of rain on 1sq metre roof yields 1litre of water), the tank size required and the potential annual water and cost savings. Learn to read the water meter, monitor usage per month/season/time of day, and investigate ways of reducing water consumption.

n Follow water back up the pipes to the source. Consider natural and urban water cycles. Look at where we fit in these cycles and how we impact on water quality.

n Be conscious of the water restrictions in your own community and what they achieve in water savings. How much water is in your local dam? How many swimming pools would it take to fill it?

n What’s your catchment address? Find where you live in the catchment from local creek to river to ocean. Much of eastern Australia includes the Murray-Darling Basin in its address. Explore the benefits of protecting our waterways (e.g. recreation, food, ecology).

n Investigate the causes of cholera and where it occurs in the world. Consider issues of access to potable (drinking) water and health. Investigate programs to build infrastructure and establish practices that ensure clean water.

Why put in a water tank? This question provides a chance for

whole-school conversations about the value and use of water. Rich

discussions can occur on different dimensions of water, including the

aesthetic, economic, emotional, physical, environmental, technical,

legal, historical, cultural, social and chemical.

Installing more

than just a water tank

AuthorsAnna McKenzie, Deputy

Principal, Campbell Primary School, ACT.

Phil Smith, President, Australian Association for Environmental Education.

Resources

Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative website www.environment.gov.au/education/aussi/index.html

OzGREEN water education programs in Australia and internationally. www.ozgreen.org.au/

“A water tank can reveal those things we simply take for granted, like showers, food, clean clothes and cooking.”

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Leadership is crucial in promoting health and wellbeing, both

within the school and in the wider community. Forging partnerships with the community will enhance staff knowledge of health and wellbeing and improve the school’s curriculum teaching and learning and its ethos and environment, writes MindMatters Coordinator Jo Mason.

The proposed MindMatters resource due out later this year uses five propositions from the leadership framework developed by Principals Australia:

n leadership starts from within

n leadership is about influencing others

n leadership develops a rich learning environment

n leadership builds professionalism and management capability, and

n leadership inspires leadership actions and aspirations in others.

Leadership for better mental health and wellbeing requires a high level of cultural awareness to be embedded within the school, Dare to Lead Officer Brian Giles-Browne says. This “embedded cultural awareness’’ will be evident in relationships within the school and the local community, and in pedagogy and the curriculum. It should result in improved student engagement and outcomes.

Whole school approachA culturally and contextually

competent whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing requires ‘culturally proficient’ leadership. In their book The Culturally Proficient School, Lindsey et al explain that cultural proficiency involves “honoring the differences among cultures, viewing diversity as a benefit, and interacting knowledgeably and respectfully among a variety of cultural groups”. They suggest it is useful for leaders to reflect on their

own receptivity to the concept of cultural proficiency by reflecting on a number of statements about cultural inclusiveness.

These include:

n I am committed to creating both an educational environment and learning experiences for our students that honour and respect who they are

n I am willing to ask myself uncomfortable questions about racism, cultural preferences, and insufficient learning conditions and resources that are obstacles to learning for many students

n I believe that all students benefit from educational practices that engage them in learning about their cultural heritage and understanding their cultural background

n I believe that all students benefit from educational practices that provide them with hope, direction, and preparation for their future lives

MindMatters, leadership and community partnerships

“A culturally and contextually competent whole school

approach to mental health and wellbeing requires culturally

proficient leadership.”

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n it is important to know how well our district serves the various cultural and ethnic communities represented in our schools, and it is also important to understand how well served they feel by the educational practices in our schools, and

n I believe we can learn about and implement diverse and improved instructional practices that will effectively serve all our students. As a leader it is important for me to be able to communicate across cultures and to facilitate communication among diverse cultural groups.

Cultural proficiency leads to schools establishing the safe, supportive and productive environments conducive to both mental health and well being and learning.

Examining the cultureA school’s community will include

all the diverse communities to which its students belong. People from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or culturally and linguistically diverse communities may feel they are outside the ‘mainstream’ of the dominant Australian culture and may need some encouragement to participate in the school community

School community partnerships have become an operational norm in many countries, and research literature abounds with the benefits of partnerships between schools, parents, and communities, says Martha Sombo Kamara from Australian Catholic University. Research both overseas and in Australia has shown that such partnerships improve school outcomes, connect parents, increase leadership skills, and promote healthy mutuality among the entire school community.

In her paper New School Ties: Because schools can’t do it alone Rosalyn Black argues that such community collaboration not only “gives schools the chance to contribute to the community cohesiveness that will affect young people’s life and learning opportunities.” She says there is also evidence from the international

context that the “few schools that break the strong nexus between poverty and achievement tend to have relationships with the community that support the school and enrich learning”.

Generating new relationshipsGood school/community partnerships

think ‘outside the box’ to generate new relationships across the community to create new shared responses to the needs of the community in general and its young people in particular, the Education Foundation says.

“In the face of this globalization of culture it is very difficult for communities to preserve their own unique local culture, yet this is a critical component of community development. The principle of diversity requires that diversity of culture be retained; it is culture which gives people that critical sense of identity and belonging, so cultural development is of paramount importance for community.”

The draft booklets Whole School Matters and Community Matters and the current MindMatters professional development for communities and schools recognises the importance of having a respectful process that can be built on for communities and schools while recognising and building on the diversity of both across Australia.

The process represents the gradual development of trust and real

partnership by incorporating of both health and education resources while maintaining the central presence of authentic community development.

The community development process is part of supportive professional development for school leaders, staff and students along with community members. It helps to foster an understanding of the connections between mental health and well being and learning at school.

Jo Mason is National Coordinator of MindMatters Strategic Direction. Acknowledgements also to Karen Jennings, Robyn hearl Kanat Wano and Vanessa houltby.

ReferencesBlack R 2008, New School Ties: Because schools can’t do it alone. www.yanq.org.au/content/view/1076/9/ Youth Affairs Network Qld.

Education Foundation, 2001, Toward School- Community Partnership, www.educationfoundation.org.au.

Ife J & Tesoriero F 2006, Community Development: Community based Alternatives in an age of Globalisation, Pearson, Australia.

Kamara M 2007, The Changing Leadership Culture in Northern Territory Indigenous Remote Community Schools: Implications for Indigenous Female Principals and School Community Partnerships, AARE Paper, www.aare.edu.au/07pap/kam07608.pdf

Lindsey R et al 2005, The Culturally Proficient School, An Implementation Guide for School Leaders, Corwin USA.

leadership

ResourcesSchools can contact their state project officers for more details or the national team from the MindMatters website on www.mindmatters.edu.au

For more detail on training and the leadership framework visit www.apapdc.edu.au

Links to advice for dealing with students traumatised by the Victorian bushfires have recently been added to this website.


26

Queensland Independent Education Union members and

catering staff Robyn Maurice and Marie Farrag provide QIEU Journalist Fiona RIChARDSoN with a snapshot of the daily running of the kitchen at the school and what keeps them in their roles.

In a residential education setting, teachers and students may take for granted the important role kitchen staff play in daily school life.

But like an army a school runs on its stomach - staff and students would not be able to function properly without the nutritional food served up by the cooks and kitchen hands.

The Cathedral School in Townsville is no exception.

With over 17 years of combined service at The Cathedral School, both Robyn and Ms Farrag (pictured) share an enthusiasm for their jobs as catering staff.

home away from homeRobyn admits that the best part of

her job is not about serving the food, but seeing the students grow up and interacting on a day-to-day basis.

“It is an all-round good feeling job working here as I try and make it feel like home for the students,” Robyn says.

Robyn also appreciates the good job her fellow kitchen staff do, with a sense of camaraderie amongst them.

“My comrades in the kitchen are always willing to put in, boots and all.”

Marie said she also loves going to work and interacting with the students and enjoys the people she works with.

Before beginning at the school nine years ago, Marie was in the catering industry with her husband, so brought the necessary hard-working skills to her current role.

Never nine to five“I have always been in this industry

so I know no difference. In this job you work while everyone else is playing,” Marie says.

The daily life of the school’s kitchen staff isn’t a Monday to Friday nine-to-five job either, as staff are also rostered on to weekends with flexible rosters if needed.

A typical day would include beginning when most people are still asleep at 6.30am, with preparation of a continental breakfast for the students.

After breakfast and clean up the menu choice for the following day is prepared as kitchen staff work one day ahead to ensure smooth running of the kitchen.

Importance overlookedVegetables are peeled and cut up

and salads prepared until lunch is


Dishing up healthy respect for canteen staff

27

served. After clean-up, which includes cleaning dishes and the dining room, the shift is over and the morning staff can go home after working an eight-hour day with an unpaid half hour break.

With lunch preparation the main focus of the kitchen’s morning shift, the afternoon shift from 2pm until 8pm prepares for dinner and cleans and washes up at the end of the day.

Though both Robyn and Marie love their jobs, both say there can be some negatives to the role.

The main issue for Marie is that school staff can tend to disregard the important job of canteen staff.

“Sometimes I think there is no respect for the job we do from teachers as they think they are above us. The kids, however, are no problems.”

Kids will be kidsRobyn says the students are usually

well mannered in the dining room, however, kids will be kids: “Sometimes the kids play up something shocking, but that’s normal and a daily environment of growing up’’.

After eight years in her role at the school, Robyn says her feelings for the students and other kitchen staff members keeps her coming back to the job year after year.

“Each year I get more comfortable with my job.”

Questions answeredCatering staff in many residential

boarding settings have to deal with industrial issues specific to their role. These can include claims of acknowledgement of payments and entitlements for overtime pay, penalty rates and shift loadings — getting paid

for the actual hours worked instead of just the rostered hours.

In her role as staff representative for the services Chapter at the school, Robyn said it is her job to make sure the school meets the entitlements of her kitchen staff.

“I am there to get these questions answered as payments for overtime and getting the entitlements for what the kitchen staff do are the big issues.”

Over the years Robyn has built up union membership in the kitchen with an almost 100% membership.

She says it is important to be an active union member to achieve these basic working rights and conditions.

“There is no reason not to join our union. There is strength in numbers and you get backed up if you have a dispute.”

Regular Chapter meetings at the school with services staff see discussion of shift rosters for functions on weekends and school breaks, occupational health and safety issues, issues regarding new collective agreements and other matters of employment and conditions of service.

Professional development opportunities have also been made available to staff at the school, including an in-service on child protection, OHS practices, appropriate use of chemicals, fire drill training, and regular reviews on the use of equipment in the kitchen.

Professional development opportunities are often made available to kitchen hand staff in residential school settings, which can be broader than just being in the kitchen.

Occupations Health and Safety (OHS) in the workplace is a necessary issue that kitchen hands can find valuable to their daily working life.

Such professional development can lead to staff nominating and electing a Workplace Health and Safety representative specific to the kitchen. A school can have more than one WHS rep.

Staff are entitled to a WHS rep once elected, with the elected person able to be released from paid work time to attend further training courses.

Once accredited as a WHS rep after appropriate training, they have the right to join the Health and Safety Committee at their school.

Being a part of the school’s committee enables a forum to raise their concerns and contribute a bigger voice to the real issues.

n Professional development opportunities available to kitchen hands

“I have always been in this industry so I know no difference. In this job you work while everyone else is playing,”


divere roles diverse people

teaching+learning technology legal opinion reviewsleadership support staff

28


For teachers who have been in the profession for a while the advent

of interactive whiteboards can be a breath of fresh air, as staff at St Pius X high School Adamstown are finding. NSW/ACT IEU Journalist Sue OSBORNE reports.

St Pius X High School Adamstown Principal and IEU member Robert Emery has wholeheartedly embraced the new technology in the past 18 months, installing interactive whiteboards in 14 classrooms, with plans to install up to 35 boards.

St Pius already has more boards than any other school under the auspices of the Newcastle/Maitland Catholic Schools Office, and probably more than many schools in Australia.

“There was resistance at first from some teachers,” says Robert. “But once they see it in action, many change their minds. I now have 28 teachers who have expressed interest in getting an interactive whiteboard.”

Jumping inHouse Coordinator and IEU member

Tim Howes is one of the teachers who has had no hesitation in leaping into the technology.

“It has numerous advantages, particularly for pictorial teaching. I’m a visual learner myself and it’s excellent for children who learn that way. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Tim says this type of learning is particularly good for boys or students who might have concentration issues.

“From a disciplinary perspective, I find it helpful because all eyes have to be on the screen, which frees me up to observe them.”

“When you’re writing on a chalkboard or whiteboard you have your back to the class, but that’s not necessary when you have the interactive smartboard.”

hands on The interactive whiteboard allows

students and teachers to write on the screen or mark it using fingers. It can hide parts of the text. Students can touch the screen and move text around. For instance, a blank map of the world can be presented and students pull out countries from a box, and then move them to the correct spot. For an added dimension, there can be time limits for activities.

“It’s like a game. It generates a positive element of competition in the classroom, and it gets their attention. There’s lots of colour and movement,” Tim says.

Images, photographs, tables, textbooks, click views resources and videos can all be downloaded and presented as part of the lesson.

One of Tim’s geography classes about urban renewal includes pictures from their area, and another on storms includes photographs from the severe

Blank canvas Maximising the whiteboard

“It really brings things

to life … It’s like taking them on

an excursion without leaving the classroom.”

29


technology


storms in Newcastle in 2007. Some of the photos show flooding in the school grounds.

“It really brings things to life when you can show the students things from their local environment. It’s like taking them on an excursion without leaving the classroom,” says Tim.

He says the boards were particularly useful for mind maps, and the material can be saved, adapted or deleted. “It’s great for revision. You can present the same ideas in different ways.”

Finding its placeOne of the biggest changes to

emerge from the introduction of interactive whiteboards could be the demise of the textbook. Most textbooks are already available digitally and can be incorporated into the lesson. Those lessons could be made available on the school’s portal. The need to buy and carry around heavy textbooks could also be a thing of the past. Additionally, students that miss school could catch up on lessons by downloading them from the school portal.

Maths Coordinator Diane Hickey says the boards are ideal for teaching spreadsheets, geometry, algebra, measurement, number and chance strands.

“I’ve been teaching a long time and personally I gain a lot of satisfaction from using the whiteboard. It’s a very powerful resource,” says Diane.

Tim said one of the most important features of the whiteboard could be inspiring experienced teachers to try something new in the classroom, and get more creative in the way they teach.

Some restrictionsProbably the main disadvantage of

interactive whiteboards is the cost of installation. As well as the screen there needs to be a projector and audio cabling. Robert estimates the cost of equipment and installation at $5000 per classroom, although that price could drop in the future. Further technology, such as touch pads for individual students, could also be required in the future.

Preparation time for the lesson is quite heavy too, but Tim says once a lesson is done it can be easily shared with other teachers, and easily updated.

“I could not go back to traditional teaching after having used this technology,” Tim says. “There’s no excuse for chalk and talk anymore.”

house Coordinator Tim howes uses the whiteboard technology during a geography class.

30

Teachers and school administrators need to be aware of general

principles relevant to ownership and exploitation of intellectual property. Intellectual property deals with ownership and exploitation of rights in property of an intangible nature, writes Andrew KNOTT from Macrossans lawyers.

Copyright is the most frequently occurring intellectual property area affecting teachers. Copyright arises in relation to original works falling within the terminology such as literary, musical and dramatic works. The concept of literary work is much wider than poems, plays and novels.

The general rule is that copyright arises in the employers not in the employees if the work is created “in the course of employment”.

The vital feature of this principle of law is the concept “in the course of employment”. Whether or not copyright arises in the teacher or in the employer will probably be governed by whether or not the intellectual property was created “in the course of employment”. Critical to determining whether this occurred is the nature of the duties of the employee (which may be carefully documented or may arise from a combination of practice and documentation or merely from practice). Care needs to be taken before a judgement is made that a teacher has not acted in the course of their employment in creating it.

A person may be held to be acting in the course of employment even though the work they are doing is voluntary, in the sense that they did not have to do that particular work, but where they have done that work (even in their own time and with their own resources) for the purposes of discharging their duties. An example would be a teacher who prepares a work book (that they have not been directed to and are not required to prepare) in order to discharge more effectively their duties in teaching a particular subject to a class. Copyright in such a document may well arise in the employer.

Negotiation of positionThere may be some circumstances

where teachers or school administrators may be able to negotiate a beneficial departure from normal principles of law when negotiating a position with a school. For example, a senior teacher who publishes articles regularly may wish to ensure that those articles will be treated as the property of the employee and may well be in a position, where the school wishes to recruit them, to ensure that there is express acknowledgement that the teacher will be the owner of such materials.

Challenge for individualsIn the event of a dispute an

application by an employer to the Federal Court for an injunction to

restrain an employee from publishing material can result in substantial legal costs. Litigation by the individual against a large organisation is always problematic.

Recommended course of actionTeachers who have concerns about

this issue should obtain competent legal advice at an early date. They should seek advice as to what appears to be the legal situation, and should also investigate whether their employer has any processes or protocols which must be complied with.

Moral rightsIn recent years the Commonwealth

has created, particularly in relation to copyright, additional rights which arise by statute and which confer rights which did not previously exist at law. In general terms the rights are: a right to be recognised as the author of the work that is created (even though the ownership is with the employer); a right to object to any derogatory treatment of that work (eg the mutilation or damaging of a painting); and similar rights which recognise that, even though the ownership lies with the employer, the law confers some benefits on the employee.

Contact your Union for further information and advice.


legal

teaching+learning technology legalleadership support staff

“In some circumstances teachers or school

administrators may be able to negotiate a beneficial

departure, within their school, from normal

principles of law.”

Teachers and intellectual propertyBASIC PRINCIPlES

31

legal opinion

opinion reviews

‘Number five’ tolls

Thank you for your feature on ‘Teaching as a career: How can we make it work’ (IE Aug 2008). Like many others now

on holidays I’m catching up on a bit of reading including this edition. As a mature age third year graduate I’m finding much of what you touched mirroring my own life. Re-entering uni at 38 with two children and having run my own business for most of my working adult life, the culture shock was considerable - only to be matched by the insular culture the school system then threw at me.

I had no intention of missing the opportunities university was to offer me and graduated with honours and was awarded recognition for my speciality areas.

This, I believed, was the sure way to gain a good position in a school. What actually happened was I was offered a job in a very challenging school a considerable distance from home the day before the teaching year started. This I took in my stride, (even when greeted a welcoming “f**k off Miss” each morning) as I was truly passionate about teaching. This experience opened my eyes to many things, and I wondered how teachers lived with this type of aggression daily?

Not too long after, through connections of my own making, I moved to the opposite side of the spectrum in schooling. My surroundings are vastly improved. I’m greeted with smiles and students who value their education. The distance is a little further from home but the pluses are obvious. The negatives are what I now recognise as issues that have me looking for another career direction.

The wage I’m receiving does not even begin to touch on the amount of hours I put into the job. I would like to say I do this by choice, but how do we define choice? Passion for what you do best and/or the expectations attached to continuing employment? None of my prior experiences are financially rewarded yet they are mined to great depths. When I apply for positions within the school I feel almost scorn for trying to aim above my position, when there is someone who has been here for 17 years who could do the job well (but with as much passion and knowledge of the latest initiatives?).

So as I go and get my second cup of tea to settle down and finish some marking on my holidays, that ‘number five’ (the number of years most graduates leave the system by) tolls for me. Can those smiles sustain me through yet another unpaid festival, exhibition, extra-curricular event, meeting, curriculum audit? Am I ready to be truly institutionalised and overlooked for another five years?

I’m already starting to smell a sea change where my wage will begin to equal my efforts, people will share my vision for change and what will be best for the children — my own.

Or ... Perhaps I’ve fallen asleep over my marking again.

Name withheld

readers’ responseconference diaryCybersafety Outreach Now touring Australia

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is running a series of one-day accredited workshops called Cybersafety Outreach — Professional Development for Educators. Designed to provide teachers with a comprehensive overview of internet safety, the workshops will be held at various locations around the country until the end of June. Details: www.acma.gov.au

The Australian Institute of Training and Development National Conference 21 April Australian Technology Park Conference Centre, Eveleigh, Sydney.

The Institute is a professional association of training, learning and organisational development practitioners. There are 25 concurrent workshops during the conference, with topics including presentations and transfer of learning. Details: www.aitd.com.au/conference

Australian International Education Conference 13 - 16 October Sydney Convention Centre

AIEC 2009 in Sydney will mark the 23rd anniversary of the AIEC which has grown into the largest international education conference in the Asia Pacific region and one of the pre-eminent international education conferences in the world. Details: http://www.aiec.idp.com

P-10 Educators Conference Building success: Rethinking access and engagementThursday 30 April and Friday 1 May 2009 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank

This national conference, for early and middle years advocates, focuses on contemporary curriculum issues: promoting strong foundations in the early years; promoting engagement in the middle years. It is designed to provide continuing professional learning as well as a significant forum for discussion and debate. Detail: http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/learning/6219.html

32

Karen Bergan is a parent to two high school students and a primary school teacher at Emmanuel Anglican College Ballina, NSW

As both a parent of two high school students and a current primary

school teacher I believe that on all accounts the school day is too long.

However, I do not believe the actual time spent at school is too long. Rather, the amount of content to be covered in a primary school classroom is too dense, resulting in information overload for young students. On top of this, young children are then expected to return to their homes and complete homework.

When is the primary school child expected to have any free time, imaginative play or quiet time — especially those involved in after

school sporting or cultural activities? If homework must be considered a necessity, some reading and practising of the times tables would suffice.

In considering the amount of necessary, independent study expected of high school students one must ask the question – is it really necessary? After all, a full-time university student rarely attends five full days a week and then goes home to a further 2-4 hours of independent study. High school students are moving through one of the most difficult developmental periods of their lives and on top of this we are expecting them to achieve results that will supposedly determine their future.

Whether aged six or 18, children need to be able to have time for some fun, imaginative and non-structured activity.

Creating a pressure cooker environmentTegan Roberts is a primary school teacher, St Joseph’s School, Mundingburra, QlD

I would like to begin my response by highlighting two perspectives of a school

day. If you are a child the school day spans from 8.35am to 2.50pm with the addition of a 20-minute homework commitment. On the other hand, if you are a teacher it spans of 7.45am to 2.50pm plus at least a couple of hours after school and weekends planning and marking. Then there are the thoughts about school that punctuate your waking moments. This is before any professional reading is undertaken.

Children are coming to school to learn about numeracy and literacy as well as an ever-increasing need to provide specific opportunities to develop their social skills and emotional resilience. School is also supposed to provide all students with an opportunity to participate in regular physical activity. Are we creating a high-pressured learning environment that provides children with opportunities to only touch on a broad range of areas that require deeper understanding?

As for teachers, they are also part of this high-pressured environment, with the added stress of accountability and the looming prospects of performance-based pay. Furthermore, the high pressure extends beyond the school environment and into the teacher’s personal space. There are suggestions that greater pay could compensate for these working conditions but many feel that better working conditions are worth more than the almighty dollar.

Too demanding for children

“Then there are the thoughts about school that punctuate your waking moments.”


“When is the primary school child expected

to have any free time,

imaginative play or quiet

time?”

?Is the school day too long?

33

Packing it all inKevin Moloney teaches at loreto Mandeville hall, Melbourne

Is the school day too long? No, but the list of things teachers have to do in it without

the proper resourcing is.

The increasing workload now being packed into the day, along with the increased, and at times, unreasonable expectations placed upon teachers can make the day feel very long indeed.

It is a given that teachers know their subject material but teachers do not have a research assistant to keep abreast of the latest material, nor do they have a PA to do their filing, copying, possible subject web page management or to answer emails and parent enquiries.

There is the preparation of the various courses of study, the lessons, the delivery and management of classes, the assessment, the testing, the examinations and the reporting to parents. On top of this teachers are required to implement government, sector and school initiatives, to take extracurricular activities, to possibly go on camp and to do various yard duties and other supervisions.

These are some of the definable tasks involved but what about the sheer number of personal interactions with students, colleagues and parents in the course of a school day? These interactions could potentially have huge consequences if not handled appropriately.

If teachers crossed every ‘t’ and dotted every ‘i’ they would not go home, not sleep, nor have any sort of life away from school. Experience gives teachers the ability to focus on what matters and therefore have a life.

“School seems to feel like a blender with the ‘pulse’ button permanently pressed down.”

“If teachers crossed every ‘t’ and dotted every ‘i’ they would not go home, not sleep, nor have any sort of life away from school.”


talking point


?We run on overload, not due to the neat little six hours of school each day, but rather the many hours of work put in after these school hours spent on, oh gosh, more school work. It is not surprising that a student should study for up to three hours each night and even squeeze in a few hours in the morning before school – I have some really fond memories of waking up at five o’clock in the morning, my eyes squinting as I stumbled to the very worn residence of my study desk.

There is simply too much content to be squished into one’s brain and not enough time in which to squish it. You see there are much greater reasons for our teen angst than the perils of attracting the opposite sex — the biological lifestyle of bacteria perhaps?

The answer is obviousTessa Bergan has just completed her hSC at Xavier Catholic College, Skennars head, NSW

Is the school day too long? Is the sky blue? Oh, I’m terribly sorry to start off with a clichéd comment like that, but really, hasn’t this question been

answered a thousand times over by teenage students who come home and collapse onto the couch, or fall sleep at their desks or laptops? Students are blaring that school is not just too long, but also too intense.

After just finishing the Higher School Certificate I feel as if I am finally resuming a normal life. Throughout a student’s high school years, and especially in the final year completing the HSC, school seems to feel like a blender with the ‘pulse’ button permanently pressed down.

34

Baz Luhrman’s latest film, Australia, claimed as being the Australian film industry’s first epic production, has received

a great deal of conflicting press and reviews. Perhaps it is time to take a broader view of a movie that appears to be a combination of epic elements and compromised narrative strands. An added irony to Luhrman’s film is that in 1989 Jean Jacques Andrien completed an epic film called Australia, starring Fanny Ardant and Jeremy Irons, about a Belgian born wool dealer who emigrated to Australia after World War II.

Luhrman’s film is partially based on Harry Watt’s epic cattle-droving drama, The Overlanders (1946), which uses a cattle drive before World War II as the basis of the first part of the new film. Luhrman has composited a number of disparate elements to fashion a grand spectacle that seems oddly remote and artificial. Nicole Kidman’s role as the inheritor of “Faraway Downs”, a major cattle property, represents the intrinsic wealth in the country, with foreign interests forced to cope with the realities of a harsh land, embodied by jackaroo Hugh Jackman, and drover Jack Thompson.

Cathartic eventMeanwhile, Australia’s mistreatment of our Indigenous population, portrayed and voiced by Brandon Walters, is significantly developed. Finally, the impact of the Japanese bombing of Darwin in the early 1940’s is depicted as a cathartic event to arrive at a narrative climax involving villainous rival cattle-owner David Wenham.

The overall impact of these potentially melodramatic and stirring elements is oddly distancing and enigmatic. Australia never achieves the intensity that various Hollywood epics have achieved. The Indigenous theme is clumsily handled to the point of being patronising, the special effects occasionally appear obvious and murky, and the central romantic drama never reaches the lofty heights to which it aspires. Perhaps we are still waiting for the classic epic Australian film.

Peter Krausz is a film critic, Melbourne radio 3CR journalist and Chair of the Austrlian Film Critics Association. [email protected]

Students get in on the actWhat better way to spend an afternoon with your students

than experiencing the wonderful production by Monkey Baa of ‘I am Jack’, based on the novel by Susanne Gervay.

Sixty students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School at Waterloo had experienced the novel through shared reading.

The lesson plans provided by Monkey Baa gave students a deeper understanding of the novel’s content and the message the author wished to convey.

Thoroughly entertainingThe sole performer ‘Jack’ played not only his own character but introduced us to all the characters of the novel.

The play, from start to finish, was thoroughly entertaining. It held the students’ attention and provoked conversation long after the event.

As with most schools bullying is addressed through our curriculum and we were fortunate enough to have been exposed to a visiting group earlier in the term. These combined experiences enabled our students to relate their bully-busting experiences to what was being played out on the stage.

The professionalism of the production by Monkey Baa linked the important role both family and school play in bullying issues. It gave students strategies and situations to work with.

The icing on the cake was an introduction to author Susanne Gervay at the end of the play. She answered student’s questions thoughtfully and put a human face to her writing.

Monkey Baa’s production inspired students to write, act and think creatively about props and staging. We look forward to the next production.

Maree Ancich, Classroom Teacher, Our lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo, Sydney.

in review

technology legal opinion reviews

reviews

Is ‘Australia’ the epic movie we had to have?

Notes on bullying www.sgervay.com/readingnotes.php

For more on Monkey Baa www.monkeybaa.com.au

“Monkey Baa linked the important role both family and school play in bullying issues.”

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