The Parent Factor in Education

Posted on Friday May 18, 2012

A new OECD report shows that parental involvement in education is pivotal for the success of children throughout their school years and beyond. Reading to young children, valuing reading, and talking with adolescents lead to stronger student achievement.< >> Read on...

Letter of Support from Academics for "Say No to NAPLAN"

Posted on Wednesday May 16, 2012

Over 100 education academics have signed a letter in support of “Say No to NAPLAN”. >> Read on...

Media Release: ACARA Disqualifies Itself from Assessing the Impact of NAPLAN

Posted on Tuesday May 15, 2012

A national assessment of the impact of NAPLAN should be re-commissioned by the national education ministers’ council. Reported statements by ACARA officials today dismissing claims about excessive test practice and narrowing of the curriculum show that it is incapable of doing a balanced assessment.< >> Read on...

A Mother’s Plea to the Prime Minister on NAPLAN

Posted on Tuesday May 15, 2012

A mother asks the Prime Minister to rethink the Government’s stance on NAPLAN. She says that NAPLAN is No Plan for our kids and that she will be withdrawing her son from NAPLAN in the future. >> Read on...

Media Release: NAPLAN is a Cancer Eating Away at Education

Posted on Monday May 14, 2012

NAPLAN is having a pernicious effect on schooling. It is distorting teaching practice, reducing creativity and fun of learning, denying students in-depth learning experiences and sidelining other key subjects such as science, history, languages and the arts for much of first semester.< >> Read on...

Does the Coalition Want to Abolish Free Public Education?

Posted on Friday May 11, 2012

Joe Hockey’s recent age of entitlement speech raises the question of whether the Coalition is planning means tested fees for government schools. He called for an end to universal free government services. The Coalition should clarify whether it supports free public education. >> Read on...

School Kids Bonus is Money for Anything But Education

Posted on Tuesday May 8, 2012

The Government’s new school kids bonus grant to families to replace the tax rebate on education expenses is an education payment in name only. It can be spent on anything. It would be much better spent on lifting the education outcomes of disadvantaged students. >> Read on...

ACARA Ignores Evidence on Teaching to the Test

Posted on Tuesday May 8, 2012

The head of ACARA, Barry McGaw, says that claims that NAPLAN is creating test-driven schooling are nonsense. Yet, the national education ministers’ council is so concerned about teaching to the test and narrowing of the curriculum that it has commissioned ACARA to investigate and report. It looks like being a ‘whitewash’ report. >> Read on...

From a Parent Advised Not to Withdraw Her Child from NAPLAN

Posted on Monday May 7, 2012

A parent says why she has withdrawn her daughter from NAPLAN despite being advised not to do so by her school. >> Read on...

Media Release: Education Authorities Are Misleading Parents on Withdrawal from NAPLAN Tests

Posted on Friday May 4, 2012

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority and other education authorities are failing to inform parents that NAPLAN tests are not compulsory and that they can withdraw their children from the tests. Many teachers and principals are also unaware that the tests are not compulsory. >> Read on...

A Parent Perspective on NAPLAN

Posted on Wednesday May 2, 2012

A parent questions the value of NAPLAN >> Read on...

Inappropriate Uses of NAPLAN Results

Posted on Tuesday May 1, 2012

NAPLAN tests are limited in their coverage of the wide range of skills in literacy and numeracy, and in their capability to measure the achievement levels of individual students and the performance of schools. >> Read on...

National Resolution Against High Stakes Testing in the US

Posted on Friday April 27, 2012

A national resolution against high stakes testing was launched in the US this week by a coalition of education, parent and civil rights groups. It calls for reduced reliance on standardised test results to evaluate students, teachers, principals and schools. >> Read on...

What Is NAPLAN Doing to Your School?

Posted on Monday April 23, 2012

The next round of NAPLAN tests are in mid-May. Tell us your stories and information about the impact of NAPLAN in your school. >> Read on...

Parent Boycott of Standardised Testing is Growing

Posted on Thursday April 19, 2012

A parent rebellion against standardised testing is growing in the United States because it narrows the curriculum and distorts teaching. >> Read on...

The Finnish Way of Public Education

Posted on Monday April 16, 2012

Pasi Sahlberg answers key questions about public education in Finland. >> Read on...

Charter Schools Come Closer to Home

Posted on Friday April 13, 2012

Charter schools are about to be launched in New Zealand. Last month, the New Zealand Government announced the establishment of a working group to advise on a charter school model for NZ. >> Read on...

NAPLAN Test Barrage for Students

Posted on Tuesday April 10, 2012

The next round of NAPLAN tests are due next month. Students around Australia have endured a barrage of practice tests for NAPLAN during first term. For many schools, NAPLAN is now the equivalent of Year 12 exams. >> Read on...

Texas in Revolt Against High Stakes Testing

Posted on Saturday April 7, 2012

About one-quarter of all district school boards in Texas have passed a resolution in the past two months condemning the reliance on standardised tests to judge progress in education improvement. More are expected to follow. It is the biggest revolt against high-stakes testing in the US so far. < >> Read on...

High SES Catholic Schools are Over-Funded

Posted on Thursday April 5, 2012

A new research paper published by Save Our Schools shows that virtually all high SES Catholic combined and secondary schools in Australia are over-funded. This over-funding should be diverted to better support disadvantaged schools and students. >> Read on...

More