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2018 5 November


ET News Digest
Your Weekly Education Newsletter
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Australia languishes in the bottom third of comparable countries for education equality
Australia does a lot of things well but promoting equality in education isn’t one of them, we rank in the bottom third of 40 comparable countries in this regard.
   We are consistent though, Australia is in the bottom third at all stages of education; pre-school, primary school and secondary education. Read more

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$1.5 mil funding for school leaders from Menzies Foundation
New funding of $1.5 million from the Menzies Foundation over the next three years for school leaders is open for applications.
   “We are thrilled to launch the inaugural Menzies School Leader Fellowship Program, which is open today for applications from school leaders, principals, assistant principals and lead teachers in Victorian primary and secondary schools,” CEO Liz Gillies said. This new program aims to support school leadership capability. Read more

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Billy Tea duo brings bush dance fun to schools
The Billy Tea Bush Band has been traveling around Australia for the past decade, with the main objective of connecting school communities “one bush dance at a time”.
   From Cooktown to Kununurra bush musicians and dance callers Nick and Phil provide schools with a fun, entertaining and active social experience. Read more

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Workplace stress driving teachers to consider resignation
Educators pursuing psychological advice for a range of occupational issues has risen by 36% since 2013 and today, over one in ten (13%) is considering resignation according to new referrals data.
   The concerning news comes after a review of referrals made from the education sector to AccessEAP, a leading not-for-profit provider of employee assistance programs and highlights the need for specialised support for teachers and their challenges. Read more

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Creating cultures of continual improvement
Teacher effectiveness is one of the top determinants of positive student outcomes. But not all schools have the resources to devote to the continual development of their teachers through targeted personal development. So how can schools with limited resources create a culture of continual improvement among their staff and reap the promised rewards for their students? Read more

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Grants to boost makeyness in schools
Grants between $2,000 and $20,000 will be available to fund Maker and STEAM Projects opening on Thursday 8 November.
   Grants are offered through two streams. Stream A is for primary and secondary schools, where they can access grants of between $2,000 to $5,000 to establish maker spaces. While Stream B is for community organisations partnering with industry to run STEM-related events and education activities for Australians under 18. 
Read more

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Outback schools need more local language aboriginal teachers
It kind of makes sense: Aboriginal teachers who can teach in local languages are essential for remote Indigenous education.
   While state and federal policy documents widely present community engagement as important for remote Indigenous education, bilingual or first language education has not been prioritised in recent years. Read more

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