For Education Leaders
Yasodai Selvakumaran on publicity, accolades and self-reflection Last year was a big one for Rooty Hill High’s Yasodai Selvakumaran, as a finalist in the Global Teacher Prize, the History and Humanities teacher was thrown into the spotlight and the opportunities and accolades that flowed from that made for a lot of changes in her professional life. Her path to the Global Teacher Prize, which carries a million dollar award for the winner, was the end result of involvement in the Commonwealth Bank and Schools Plus Teaching awards. While she didn’t win, the global interchange that followed gave Selvakumaran insight as to how high functioning school systems did things and access to an international community of educators. Read more Far North Queensland students switched on to STEM Students from the Northern Peninsula Area State College in Far North Queensland were the first to take part in a new Indigenous Education Program that encourages practical skills and offers a taste of global citizenship. STEM economy: Students need to get the basics right In this year's federal budget, the Australian Government has included $27.3 million to help students develop STEM skills; focusing on programs to improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Harp comes back online 2020 was looking good for Chris Maunders until it wasn’t, his harmonica tutoring program Harp's a Breeze was going along swimmingly with thousands of students coming around to his way of thinking, ie the harp is a great way to get involved in music, rewarding and inexpensive to get started with. Program keeping teen mums in school Parents will tell you that having a kid is all consuming, but try being young and contending with a child and school as well. It’s often too much and young mums tend to drop out at an unacceptably high rate. A sport obsessed country except for girls When it comes to physical activity, Australia is ranked one of the worst performers for 11–17 year old girls globally. Creativity in schools essential for high performance Creativity can be hard to quantify and its purpose is just as elusive, maybe, maybe not, it looks like a creative aspect to curriculum is key to equipping young people for a future characterised by uncertainty and rapid change. |