Latest News & Updates
Stay informed with the latest news and updates in the education community. Our team works tirelessly to bring you relevant and insightful information that matters to you.
These are some of the pertinent websites, their URLs, that might stir your interest in asking why so many schools across the nation are failing to meet the needs of our children, our parents and our teachers.
If you were to read nothing more then start right here: https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/the-religious-school-funding-decision-that-flouted-the-constitution,16817 and don’t miss the video at the end.
Best make sure you know what Minister Clare’s “Expert Panel’s Report for a better and fairer education for the nation” actually said:
Here is the OECD report on school discipline: https://canberraweekly.com.au/aussie-schools-among-the-worst-for-discipline-oecd/ which found Australia to be the worst in all of its members
This is will take you to the school refusal report:
This is the Home Schooling/alternative schooling story from 60 Minutes, 26/10/25. It is of great importance and was widely commented upon in the media:
https://www.9now.com.au/60-minutes/season-2025/episode-38
Listen to the “The Big Ideas “interview of Pasi Sahlberg and Gabbie Stroud at the Adelaide Writers’ Festival in 2022 https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/education-in-australia-ten-years-after-gonski/13861058
School suspensions and expulsions have risen markedly in the past decade, In 2017, there were 1067 prep kids suspended in Queensland and more than 400 students were suspended or expelled from Queensland state schools each day on average during 2019. https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/it-doesn-t-make-sense-more-than-600-kindy-kids-suspended-last-year-20191115-p53b42.html or just Google “How many kids get expelled?”
This little gem from ‘The Conversation’ may give cause for thought. Is it our schools that have created the Youth crime wave? Even adult crime? “We tried a different Pre-school Curriculum 20 years ago, and it worked”. https://theconversation.com/we-tried-a-different-preschool-curriculum-to-prevent-youth-crime-checking-in-20-years-later-it-worked-235888?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20October%2025%202024%20-%203140632031&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20October%2025%202024%20-%203140632031+CID_705b6c63b5a75510abc365084de18d85&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=We%20tried%20a%20different%20preschool%20curriculum%20to%20prevent%20youth%20crime%20Checking%20in%2020%20years%20later%20it%20worked
Can you spare fifteen minutes to listen to this podcast “Why private schools are ruining Australia” by Jane Caro? It’s a summary of our nation’s failed education system. My book goes much further. Please take the time as our democracy is at great risk, for education is the bedrock of every society.
https://7ampodcast.com.au/?cid=d8b9218fe4562a50ceb0b1c48f3b6e78
This will take you to the site to enter School Refusal https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp2223/SchoolRefusal
The damning report of our nation’s children living in state care
Professor Mark Scott’s ultimatum to universities for teacher education https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/review-of-university-teacher-degrees-at-ministers-meeting/102564402?cid=15675e8a57b7d2bb3b2f4296c423becd .and listen to the Jason Clare address also. He says some pretty damning words.
Derek Rielly on Parent Choice, private or state schooling? A parent dilemma
https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/derek-rielly-private-or-state-schooling-a-parental-dilemma-20150212-13cpni.html As Derek says in conclusion – “It shouldn’t be this way.
Don't miss 7 year old Molly Wright’s TedX Talk "The impact of social media on children!"
https://www.ted.com/talks/molly_wright_how_every_child_can_thrive_by_five -which may bring a tear to your eye. Essential viewing for every parent in the nation.
On a positive note with the late Sir Ken Robinson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U His view of education is a must view.
Not forgetting the most watched TedX with Sir Ken on schools killing creativity - https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity?referrer=playlist-
And also “How to change education from the ground up”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEsZOnyQzxQ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT3QpUfEg1Q
And the of course classic Robinson with his summary of howe got to where we are, “alienating millions of kids who don’t see purpose in going to school.” - https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity?referrer=playlist-
https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEsZOnyQzxQ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT3QpUfEg1Q
The Catholic System of Education Has Always Taken from the Poor to Given to the Rich
http://www.adogs.info/press/catholic-system-education-has-always-taken-poor-give-rich
Shocking New Expose of Catholic Church’s Rorting of Taxpayer Funding – Trevor Cobbold - https://saveourschools.com.au/funding/shocking-new-expose-of-catholic-churchs-rorting-of-taxpayer-funding/
The dreadful cost of RoboDebt, driven so hard at what cost? - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jun/11/robodebt-court-approves-18bn-settlement-for-victims-of-governments-shameful-failure
Interested in the curse of Homophobia? These sites will blow you away: SCHOOLAUSTRALIAHOMOPHOBIAPROTESTLGBTQMISOGYNY
The treasure trove of the late Phil Cullen is still available on his website and Treehorn campaign. Phil was Queensland’s Director of Primary Education for almost fourteen years and is still dearly remembered by those who saw the vision of one of the nation’s great educators - http://primaryschooling.net/?page_id=231
Scenarios for Future Schooling from the OECD. Their first model best fits that of the Industrial Revolution times that Minister Clare's model reflects. Our model best fits their second and third scenarios, closest to the demands of the Info/Technological Revolution in which we are now living: - the four OECD Scenarios for the Future of Schooling
Looping is not Multiage so don’t be fooled - https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/234047549.pdf
So what are Flexi Schools and why do schools need them? Maybe the way we now “Do school” is the reason Flexi Schools are proliferating the education scene
https://advancingeducation.qld.gov.au/youthEngagement/Documents/everybodys-business.pdfhttps://education.qld.gov.au/about-us/budgets-funding-grants/grants/state-schools/core-funding/youth-engagement
John Holt was one of USA’s greatest educators and writers on schools in the twentieth century. Many of his quotes herein are worthy of every school noticeboard in every school in the nation- https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1792210.John_C_Holt
Technology in Education is an ever increasing challenge and this USA story may frighten some teachers, and rightly so - https://prospect.org/education/ed-tech-cashes-in-on-the-pandemic/
A look inside Private School Fees - https://www.exfin.com/private-school-costs
The social tragedy of the feminisation of the teaching workforce: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/why-are-teachers-mostly-female
What is Attachment Theory? Just in case you’ve ever wondered it is here explained: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attachment-theory-2795337
Initial Teacher Education is thoroughly addressed in this extensive research: https://www.oecd.org/education/talis/TALIS2018_CN_AUS.pdf
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/tools-resources/resource/ite-data-report-2019 https://www.aitsl.edu.au/tools-resources/resource/ite-data-report-2019
School statistics up to 2024 are of interest and make a good Maths exercise for school leaders and in classrooms also: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/education/schools/latest-release
Thomas Sergiovanni was one of the great educators of the USA last century and this is his obituary. You may have to log in and fiddle, or just google his name - https://starlocalmedia.com/obituraries/sergiovanni/article_2fa8a325-3776-5a2a-ac3a-3dcf48c42601.html
Not to be missed are any of this great educator’s contributions to our nation’s education debate. Pasi Sahlberg, from Finland, was one of the six panelists on Jason Clare’s Expert Panel for a better and fairer education system for the nation.- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-30/independent-school-parents-satisfied-child-education-austalks/100252260
“Late Night Life’s” Phillip Adams interviews with Fiona Stanley. Not to be missed. Make a cuppa and settle back: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/fiona-stanley-feature-interview/12785302
This site is a good introduction to Virtual Reality learning - Emerging Technologies
Myths of Faith Based Education, a British perspective that has implications for our own education system - https://www.nomorefaithschools.org/myth-buster.html#myth-1
You may have to go several steps to find the report – “How are schools funded in Australia?” https://www.education.gov.au/how-are-schools-funded-australia
A great look at how we came to our funding crisis in education that seems unlikely ever to be resolved. The dog fight over school funding that went all the way to the High Court : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-12/the-history-listen-the-forgotten-fight-over-school-funding-dogs/12101774
Here's how Australia's schools are funded — and we promise not to mention Gonski By Catherine Hanrahan https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-30/school-funding-explained-without-mentioning-gonski/8555276
Federal Government's school funding 'savings' blunder puts Gonski 2.0 reforms in trouble
Posted Friday 26 May 2017 at 2:31pm:. - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-26/school-funding-savings-blunder-puts-gonski-2.0-reform-in-trouble/8562060
"Thrive by Five" was the initiative of Jae Weatherall and Nicola Forrest and was instrumental in driving government funding for early childhood education:. https://thrivebyfive.org.au
Parenting children through puberty and adolescence: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Parenting-children-through-puberty
The damning report of our nation’s children living in state care : https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/justice-and-safety-snapshots/children-non-parental-care
Draw your own conclusions on Napoleon education: https://www.napoleon-series.org/faq/c_education.html
The euphemism of “Parent Choice” is here explained: https://isa.edu.au/about-independent-schools/about-independent-schools/parents-and-school-choice/
The late Phil Cullen’s Treehorn Express plethora of sites when you get a few hours:- https://isa.edu.au/about-independent-schools/about-independent-schools/parents-and-school-choice/
“Parents Next” is a move in the direction of Mentoring, a key aspect of our R-Form model of the nation's education system: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/parentsnext
or go to “Parents First.”
Brendon Murray’s “The School” interview: - . https://twitter.com/bjmurrayauthor?lang=en
You might like to investigate top 8 classroom challenges in 2018: https://www.classcraft.com/blog/8-teacher-challenges-2018/
“Better Teacher Appraisal and Feedback: Improving Performance.”: https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/081_report_teacher_appraisal.pdf
Youth Detention Centre data. Not a pretty sight. https://www.youthjustice.qld.gov.au/resources/youthjustice/resources/yj-annual-summary-stats-detention.pdf
This is a terribly sad story of our Foster homes crisis- 2 in 5 (42%) were Indigenous.” https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2018-19/summary
“FlexiSpaces”, or “Schools of Flexible learning”. You may have to search about if your browser can’t find the page. It is well worth the search
https://advancingeducation.qld.gov.au/youthEngagement/Documents/everybodys-business.pdf
OneSchool FlexiSpace Additional Program category.: https://education.qld.gov.au/about-us/budgets-funding-grants/grants/state-schools/core-funding/youth-engagement
Savings on prisons alone are worth a real consideration as to why we must challenge the current school model. When asked what she considered to be the underlying causes of the youth crime crisis retiring Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll was unequivocal in stating “Their failed education opportunity, and from an early age.”
Child deaths in Qld Child Protection. https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/TabledPapers/2020/5620T33.pdf
School Based Police Officers: https://education.qld.gov.au/students/student-health-safety-wellbeing/student-support-services/school-based-police-officers
The Pedalz Up Program is real proof of the success of Mentoring” - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-13/qld-logan-cops-engaging-youth-offenders/100062970 -
Ten years have passed since the landmark Gonski Review found the performance of Australian students had declined, across the board, compared to international benchmarks. What has happened since Gonski? What makes for a good & equitable education system? Why are so many teachers demoralised and leaving the profession? Paul Barclay spoke to a Finnish education expert, and a former primary school teacher. Recorded at Adelaide Writers Week, March 9, 2022, in conjunction with the Griffith Review Learning Curves edition
Pasi Sahlberg - Finnish educator, scholar and author; Professor of Education, Southern Cross University.
Gabbie Stroud - former primary school teacher; freelance writer.
The ‘’Profession in Crisis” showing half of Australia’s teachers wanting out of the classroom report at:
https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/education/2023/02/25/teachers-want-out-of
Drug afflicted babies from 4 Corners - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-14/breaking-the-cycle/102728722 The nineteen modules of my proposed “Set for Life" or "Puberty Curriculum” address the many social ills before they are entrenched as normal behaviour. To date no one has come up with a better solution.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD)
The Guardian and PISA results.
TedX Talk teacher on Relationships.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1305996823357774
Private schools are overfunded by any measure we may choose:
Bike Bus video.
Explaining Explicit Instruction. Needs based Clinics are far more effective. Why?
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/102756424
For and against arguments for High Stakes exams.
You can access the Save Our Public Schools workspace here: https://saveourpublicschools.slack.com/
Melanie Bell's TedX video : https://www.facebook.com/index.php
Christopher Pyne Education funding education : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wce2NOk_VEE
Paul McCartney at Kennedy Centre: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=RL76v3qoEeIS
2005 Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford, 2005: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
This site is the reading research site of podcasts –
https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/
The current ‘youth crime crisis’ (https://theconversation.com/is-australia-in-the-grips-of-a-youth-crime-crisis-this-is-what-the-data-says-213655)
From The Conversation on High Stakes exams.
Minister Clare’s Expert Panel formed to prepare a Report for a better and fairer education system for the nation:-http://ministers.education.gov.au/node/20335
The OECD report on school discipline at: https://canberraweekly.com.au/aussie-schools-among-the-worst-for-discipline-oecd/
This site is the reading research site of podcasts –
https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/
That's the lot for now which should keep you busy for an hour or so. We shall update the list of URLs as they come available. We would welcome any such on the subject that shapes our nation, "EDUCATION".
When schools get it wrong all of society suffers. The disastrous pathway our politicians and church leaders chose to take us down with the Global Education Reform Movement three and more decades ago has created the crisis that education, across the nation, now finds itself in. So many URLs can't be wrong. The Howard years determined where we are today. "Old sins cast long shadows" and the shadows grow darker as each day passes.
I could go on and on and on, so I did, and I wrote a book, "Copycats, Stickybeaks and Scallywags, Our Children All." For a quick peek https://lnkd.in/gVD65CyH or if you want your own signed copy there is a book order form on the Contacts Page.
