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Could 2021 be a year of lasting change?

Welcome back!

It’s been an interesting start to the school year for our students, with all of Australia starting back with face-to-face learning at the beginning of Term One.  For most, this was an exciting time after a much-interrupted 2020.

Unfortunately, by the time of writing our Victorian families were once again experiencing a few more days of Learning From Home.  This may become our 'new normal' for a while, until we can get the Covid-19 vaccine protecting the Australian community.

For some students and families, the start of the school year brings other all too familiar issues. These barriers to education accessibility include lack of adequate computing devices, which we saw highlighted and exacerbated by the pandemic last year.  Fortunately for Victorian students, they were permitted to retain the devices loaned to them last year. They may have been in a better position to begin Learning From Home this week than they were in 2020.

New year's stories

We would like to hear from you about any great experiences, or challenges, your students have had in the return to school this year.  Do you have access to all you need for your child’s educational journey?  Are there physical, material, or other barriers in the way? What are the good news stories we can share via our Caught You Being Great campaign? Contact us by email.

New Minister for Education, Skills & Training

ACSSO welcomes the newly appointed Minister for Education, Skills & Training, Alan Tudge MP.  Prime Minister Scott Morrison in appointing Minister Tudge, stated the Minister has a clear brief of improving education outcomes and, in particular, helping younger Australians navigate challenges in a rapidly changing world.  

We look forward to meeting with the Minister to help him achieve that goal. Our media release can be read here on our website.

Funding Inequities

ACSSO has long advocated for equity funding from governments for our public-school students.  The current funding system is a long way from the sector-blind, needs-based funding model championed following the release of the original Gonski Report.  

This extract from recent report by Save Our Schools shows just how biased the current model has become, particularly with non-government sectors lobbying for special deals.

The current school funding arrangements are heavily biased against public schools. Private schools will be over-funded by $6 billion to 2029 while public schools will be under-funded by nearly $60 billion. 
The over-funding of private schools will occur because they will be funded at over 100% of their Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) until at least 2029. The sources of the over-funding are: 
-  $2.4 billion from funding at over the Commonwealth target of 80% of the SRS; 
-  $2.5 billion from funding at over the States target of 20% of the SRS; 
-  $1.2 billion through the Commonwealth’s Choice and Accountability slush fund (from 2020). 

We believe that in order to achieve the above brief given to Minister Tudge by the Prime Minister, funding must flow first and foremost to those schools and students with the most need.  Every student is entitled to access to a high quality, fully resourced education.  

Currently, too many of our students don’t have access to even the basic requirements needed to achieve a robust 21st century education.   It is only with world class support that our students will achieve their best, and that support starts with a genuine financial investment in their lives and education by the Government.

We are also calling on our state and territory governments to prioritise our public schools and fully fund the 80% of the SRS. If you are to believe the rhetoric that states are solely responsible for public schools why do they have no issue finding the full 20% SRS top up for the non–government sector?

National Children’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy

ACSSO was recently invited to submit feedback to this strategy which looks at the way services are provided to young children in terms of their mental health and wellbeing.  We very much want to help remove the stigma which sometimes still surrounds mental health.  

A connected, freely available assessment and referral service is an integral part of early diagnosis and treatment.  Information and targeted programs for families would assist with understanding and the ability for them to support their young person.  You can find a copy of our submission here

We’d love to hear of your experiences navigating the mental health landscape – what worked, what didn’t, and what would have made a significant difference for your family. Contact us by email.

Australian Education Resource Organisation

The Australian Education Resource Organisation is a newly established national body which ACSSO had suggested in its submission to the Review to achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools (November 2017) and helped through the consultations to determine its direction and remit.

We were a part of over 100 consultations held with education departments, other peak organisations, researchers, think tanks, educators, teachers and leaders from early childhood services and schools across the country. Our conversations shaped the understanding of the work the education community would like AERO to do and the ways in which it should be achieved. 

Join us

The ACSSO Board currently has a position open for an additional director.

If you have a passion for public education and love what we do, why not think about joining our board?  Contact us for more information on what the position involves.

Thank you

It has been a very busy start to the year for us, with little chance for relaxation and recharging over the summer break.  I’d like to thank our CEO and staff for the incredible way they’ve jumped back into the world of ACSSO to ensure our voice – your voice – is represented in the national education arena.

Sharron Healy
Chair
Australian Council of State School Organisations

February 2021

Australia fails to address education inequality

A new report Structural failure: Why Australia keeps falling short of its educational goals, released this month by the UNSW’s Gonski Institute for Education, looks at how our school system measures up in 2021 against what Australians expects our schools systems to achieve. 

If we keep falling short of these expectations, the post-pandemic economic recovery and social rebuilding will be much harder and slower. This report suggests we must undertake significant structural changes for a successful, sustainable and equitable school future. What do you think?

Please share your feedback with us here.

Have your say: new inquiry into adult literacy

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training has launched an inquiry into adult literacy and its importance. The review into remote education, Education in remote and complex environments, found that adult literacy and numeracy levels may have directly affected children’s participation and attainment.

This could be particularly relevant during the learning from home period in 2020 due to Covid 19 restrictions.  The terms of reference are available here.

We’d love to include your feedback in our submission – please share any comments with us by 2 March, 2021.  

If you're making your own submission, the closing date is 5 March.
 

Have your say: 'Indoctrination of Children' Bill

On 10 December 2020, the Senate referred the Australian Education Legislation Amendment (Prohibiting the Indoctrination of Children) Bill 2020 to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 5 July 2021.

This amendment has been proposed by Pauline Hanson and Mark Latham – One Nation. 

The closing date for submissions is 19 March 2021. 

Early Childhood a key priority – Thrive by Five & The Parenthood

Thrive by Five is an initiative of the Minderoo Foundation that is campaigning to make Australia’s early learning system high quality and universally accessible. Following Covid 19 and in the lead up to the next Federal election and beyond – this is one of the most significant educational, social and economic reforms

On Wednesday, 17 February 2021 at the National Press Club of Australia, Jay Weatherall, CEO of Thrive by Five and Nicola Forrest AO, co-chair of the Minderoo Foundation, spoke of the significance of high quality, universal early learning system and why this would deliver the best social and economic outcomes for our nation.

ACSSO director Susan O’Leary attended on our behalf.  Susan is the chair of ACSSO’s Early Childhood external reference group – her presence lent voice to the importance of this campaign.

Also adding their voice was Georgie Dent, CEO, The Parenthood. This organisation was launched in 2013 and is another independent voice for parents, carers and families targeting the under 5 age group. ACSSO sat on the founding Board of The Parenthood.

This week The Parenthood launched a report, Making Australia the Best Place to be a Parent, which supports their current campaign that believes there should be:

• Universal health and well-being support for parents and children through pregnancy and the early years
• Free and high-quality early childhood education and care
• Flexible and supportive workplaces with universal access to paid carer’s leave for sick children

Scene from the National Press Club Thrive By Five event, via ACSSO director Susan O'Leary

Would you like to join our board?

ACSSO is searching for an additional director to serve on its Board.

Do you have a passion for public education? Do you want better outcomes and resourcing for kids in our public schools? Do you have a commitment to genuine family engagement in education? Do you want to apply your talents in a national environment?

If so, we have a place waiting on our board for you! Rewards are too numerous to mention although, while we cover your expenses, this is otherwise a voluntary role.

You will have the opportunity to work with group of people from all over Australia who, like you, want to ensure all kids get the best in education.

Read this Expression of Interest for more information and if you have any questions please email or call our CEO, Di Giblin, on 0418 470 604. All enquiries will be treated confidentially.

Schools Industry Partnerships

ACSSO takes on students who are studying Business Services or doing Business Studies in Year 11 or 12 who do a week in our office and experiencing how a small not for profit, advocacy group works. 

In return not only do we get an extra pair of hands in the office but we also enjoy rich conversations regarding students' lived experience in senior secondary education. This is especially interesting when the students concerned are not  not travelling the traditional ATAR pathway.

The students' insights are extremely valuable and we strongly encourage other organisations to contact their local high school about establishing their own Schools Industry Partnership. Definitely a win-win situation!

Schools Industry Partnership Student

Miracle Mau was ACSSO's first Schools Industry Partnership Student and also our first #CYBG for 2021.

Miracle spent a week in ACSSO's office working on updating contacts and reinvigorating old databases. Her typing skills were brilliant and definitely came in handy! 

Added to that, our CEO was treated to some lunchtime entertainment when Miracle played part of her HSC music performance piece. Miracle is a Year 12 student at St Clair High School, a government co-educational high school in Sydney's west. This placement is part of her Certificate 3 in Business Services.

We love to hear your stories of schools and communities doing great things. 

Send your #caughtyoubeinggreat stories to contact@acsso.org.au and use this hashtag on Facebook to find other wonderful stories.

New career resources

The School Leavers Information Kit and the School Leavers Information Service help young people understand their education, training and work pathways as they prepare to leave school. 

Funded through the Australian Government’s Enhanced Support for School Leavers measures, these personally tailored initiatives will be supported until 30 June 2022. 

School Leavers Information Kit 

The kit, Your Career: What’s next for you? gives young people information about education, training and work options to help them navigate the changing landscape of the labour market.

Key sections include help each participant to: 

• build a portfolio of interesting further education and training and industries across Australia
• identify current skills, undertaking short-term education and training, and options to pursue different opportunities like work experience or volunteering
• pursue goals for financial assistance, starting a first/new job and gaining local careers information. 

Download the kit from yourcareer.gov.au, powered by the National Skills Commission’s world-leading labour market intelligence system.

School Leavers Information Service

The School Leavers Information Service gives school leavers two levels of careers support: 

• how to navigate the School Leavers Information Kit, access and use the Your Career website or be referred to relevant government programs or support services. 

• a personalised career guidance session with a qualified career practitioner for up to 45 minutes. 

Young people can access the service by: 

• calling 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337)
• texting SLIS2020 to 0429 009 435
• emailing schoolleavers.nci@dese.gov.au.

Calling all budding poets!

If you’re a primary or secondary school student, enter the Kids News Bushfire Poetry Competition to share your experience of the 2019-20 bushfires, then and now, wherever you live.

Your story of resilience and recovery from the 2019-20 bushfires can help others to discover what is possible, and reassure them that they’re not alone in what they went through.

You can choose any theme about the bushfires. Your poem might be a thank you to firefighters, a tribute to all that was lost, or a celebration of a community’s resilience and recovery. For more ideas check the entry page.

To enter, submit a poem of no more than 200 words using the form at https://bit.ly/3oP4rh1. If you’re under 18, your teacher or parent/guardian can submit your entry for you. 

There will be one primary school winner and one secondary school winner, with winners to be announced in April 2021. The winning poems will be published in a special book to commemorate the 2019-20 bushfires. The winners will also receive copies of the book and be featured in the news.

The book will tell the stories and experiences of the people, communities and landscapes affected, and will acknowledge the heroism of people during the fires and their resilience during the recovery period.

The competition closes at 5pm AEDT, 20 February 2021.

For more information go to the entry page.

 National Healthy Lunchbox Week

You may have missed this special week earlier in February but every day should be Healthy Lunchbox Day!

Nutrition Australia aims to inspire Australian families to create healthy and enjoyable lunchboxes.

Did you know children consume around 30% of their daily food intake at school? In early childhood education settings that percentage can be as high as 85%.

Most of this comes from the contents of children's lunchboxes.

What children eat during their day at school plays a crucial role in their learning and development. The Healthy Lunchbox Week website serves as a hub of lunchbox tips, videos and recipes for everyone to access throughout the year.

There are some great lunch box hacks like this video on how to save time preparing lunchboxes.

Free finance education resources 

Provided by The Wealth Academy:

Do you remember the days when we carried coins around in our pockets and notes in our wallets? Those days have all but disappeared.

While many parents may think this is great, from an educator point of view I have great alarm. We have traditionally taught our kids about money moving from the concrete to the abstract. We would give our children coins to buy small items. They would get change. As they grew, they may get notes to do similar. They may also drop coins and notes into jars for saving and spending and then take those jars to the bank to be deposited.

The concreteness of all that has disappeared in many households. The visualisation that once occurred has also almost disappeared in many households. 

The financial world has changed. Children are not learning about the real value of money through those visual and concrete learning experiences. The days of getting cash from an ATM machine are fast disappearing as well, so there is even less visualisation occuring.

I encourage parents to hold on the concrete and the visual for as long as possible with your children. When children move straight to the abstract with their financial learning experiences, without seeing and experiencing the concrete movement of money, they will be getting a warped sense of value. For the future financial well-being of our children, we must hold on to the concrete and visual for as long as possible. Keep it simple, Keep it concrete. Keep it visual.

Visit The Wealth Academy website www.thewealthacademy.com.au

Last issue (December 2020) this was our most clicked story - and what a beautiful way to end the year!

Congratulations to Sarah Donnelly, a teacher at Wilcannia Central School, for winning the national ARIA music teacher award for 2020.

Even lockdown learning didn't stop Sarah integrating music into her classroom and the class version of Paul Kelly's famous song, From Little Things Big Things Grow was a collaborative effort and deeply moving.

All children and many family members were involved in a music video for the song. See Sarah's winning speech for the ARIA awards here.

We love to hear your stories of schools and communities doing great things. 

Send your #caughtyoubeinggreat stories to comms@acsso.org.au and use the hashtag on Facebook to find other wonderful stories.