Minnis Journals

ET News Digest

Your Weekly Education Newsletter

Call for a national strategy to attract future teachers
The Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE), the peak body of the university faculties and schools that educate future teachers is calling on all political parties to support a multi-pronged, collaborative, national strategy to improve the attractiveness of the teaching profession. Read more

Look beyond school attendance to long-term Indigenous education outcomes
Assoc Prof Jihyun Lee of UNSW Sydney, an expert on large-scale testing, said that while it is possible that boosting school attendance in remote communities has a role to play, education policies need to look beyond getting children into school buildings, and consider the full range of community infrastructure that facilitates learning in the long-term. The government has invested $5 million to promote remote school attendance.
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New online child safety resources deal with family violence
People working with children affected by family violence can now access a series of free, online safety resources developed by child protection experts at the Australian Catholic University.
Seven self-paced online modules and workshops have been carefully designed to help those in youth-serving organisations better support vulnerable children and young people dealing with family and domestic violence. Read more

Schools resources to promote broader understanding of Australian history
New lesson plans detailing the lived experience of the Stolen Generations are now available to school children.
Developed by The Healing Foundation in consultation with Stolen Generations members, teachers, parents and curriculum writers, the new resources promote greater understanding about an often overlooked part of Australia’s history in a safe and age appropriate way.
Including compulsory modules on the Stolen Generations in school curricula was first recommended in the landmark 1997 Bringing them Home report. Read more

It’s time to get walking primary kids
On Friday 17 May, children will make steps toward a healthier future by participating in the 20th anniversary of National Walk Safely to School Day.
The annual event raises awareness of the health, road safety, transport and environmental benefits that regular walking (especially to and from school) can provide for the long term well-being of our children. Apart from the physical benefits, regular walking also has a favourable impact on their cognitive and academic performance. Read more

Older children are more school-ready: big data study
A UNSW-led study of more than 100,000 children is the largest ever to examine who delays starting school in New South Wales, and how a child’s age when they start school relates to their ‘readiness’ in terms of development.
One in four families delay school entry until the year their child turns six – with striking geographical and social variation, a study of more than 100,000 NSW Kindergarten children has found. Read more

Black Dog Institute and Sydney Swans tackle mental health in schools
Black Dog Institute and the AFL’s Sydney Swans will partner to deliver free mental health training to high schools across Australia with a focus on improving the mental health literacy and resilience of Australian school students.
There will be a series of evidence-based Black Dog Institute Mental Fitness webinars delivered to high schools across the country, with the aim of helping kids improve their wellbeing and coping skills. Read more