Summary of media clips highlights - Association of Independent ...

Friday 11 January• Daily Telegraph runs a page one story critical of interest subsidies for ‘elite’ privateschools• Several newspapers report on the latest ASG release of projected school costs;comments by Garry Le Duff, AISSA are reported in The Advertiser• The Mercury (yesterday) reports on AEU criticism of SES funding model (commentTony Crehan, AIST)• Speculation continues over the status of the Howard government’s Australian historysyllabus• The Australian reports the AFP and ASIO have been asked to assess the security risksof all Australian schoolsSaturday 12 – Sunday 13 January• The Advertiser reports on the Rudd’s governments proposals for security in schools(comment Garry Le Duff, AISSA)• The Courier Mail reports the Rudd government will introduce comparative schoolperformance reporting by May this yearMonday 14 January• Herald Sun reports proposed changes to chaplaincy program• Sun Herald (yesterday) reports NSW Christian Democratic Party has called forclosure of Islamic schools• Canberra Times (Friday) opinion: Geoff Masters on teacher quality and teacher payTuesday 15 January• Daily Telegraph publishes commentary by Piers Akerman on the proposed Islamicschool at Camden• West Australian (yesterday) reports on fee increases in non-government schools(comment Valerie Gould, AISWA)Wednesday 16 January• There is substantial coverage of the ‘Staff in Australian Schools’ survey undertakenfor DEST by ACER and ACE. The survey canvasses opinion on performance pay• The Australian editorial supports merit pay for teachers• Canberra Times reports on a national poll undertaken for AEU on voter patterns andeducation and attitudes to funding of public educationThursday 17 January• The Australian reports the AEU is developing a performance pay model for teachersbased on standards and publishes an opinion by Kevin Donnelly advocating paylinked to student results• Canberra Times reports on release of 2005 ICT national proficiency testing results• SMH editorialises on teacher shortage2

Friday 18 January• The Australian reports the Government will present several teacher pay options at thenext MCEETYA meeting• The Courier Mail reports the Government plans to make Gladstone ATC a campus ofthe local high schoolSaturday 19 – Sunday 20 January• The Australian publishes an interview with Angelo Gavrielatos, president elect of theAEU• The Australian publishes an opinion by Noel Pearson describing the Teach forAustralia proposal• Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Mail Queensland report on the federal government’sprogram of infrastructure sharing between schools in different sectorsMonday 21 January• The Advertiser reports the SA government is claiming it has stemmed enrolment driftto the private sector (comment Garry Le Duff, AISSA)• SMH and The Age report on federal funding of Brethren schoolsTuesday 22 January• The Advertiser reports rising fees in independent schools (comment Garry Le Duff,AISSA)Wednesday 23 January• In The Age the head of Anglicare Victoria points to the funding of private schools asa case of inequitable subsidy of the wealthy• In The Australian the head of Cengage argues the case for private provision ofeducation and more equitable government funding in the tertiary sector irrespective ofownership of institutionThursday 24 January• An AAP wire released yesterday reported on enrolments in Queensland schools(comment John Roulston, ISQ)Friday 25 January• The Australian and Sydney Morning Herald report on a paper on schools fundingreleased yesterday by ACER. The paper is critical of the SES funding model• Canberra Times carries an opinion piece by Julia Gillard on the Rudd government’seducation revolution agendaSaturday 26 – Monday 28 January• There was some reporting of the BankWest Back to School Survey which found thatone in 10 private-school families spend more than half their take-home pay on theirchildren's education. According to the survey, about 53 per cent of private-schoolparents and 47 per cent of Catholic-school parents found paying for their children's3

education financially tough. (Comment Audrey Jackson, AISWA, in Sunday TimesPerth)• Herald Sun Sunday reported on independent schools pursuing unpaid fees throughdebt collectors and the courtsTuesday 29 January• SMH publishes an opinion by Adam Rorris, who argues more investment in publicschools will exert a downward pressure on private school fees• The West Australian reports on the Young Liberals conference in Perth: “Dr Nelsonsignalled education would be one of the Opposition’s priorities, saying his educationrevolution would involve higher university entrance scores, classroom teachers withuniversity appointments and teachers tested on basic literacy, numeracy and historyknowledge.”• There is continued media interest in projected teacher shortages and ways to attractand retain teachersWednesday 30 January• Herald Sun publishes a letter defending government funding of Brethren schoolsThursday 31 January• There is wide reporting on the Rudd-Gillard announcement that Barry McGaw is tochair the National Curriculum Board• There is some reporting on the Productivity Commission's release yesterday of theReport on Government Services4