Hmm, under construction, all it needs is an animated workman with a shovel.<br><br><i style=""><em style="">"My School</em> shows us that some 12 percent of schools have 70
percent or more of their literacy and numeracy results below or
substantially below the average of their statistically similar schools."<br></i><br>Apparently it has been said that the <i>My Student</i> website notes that 50% of all students are below average, a truely shocking statistic that is plainly being ignored. Honestly, how can the bottom 1% of students hope to fare better? If the glacial weight of the top 99% are not grinding them down, it will be the oppressive and collective weight of trend lines, box plots and assorted numbers lumped into a potato sack filled with statistics.<br>
<br>Say, did anybody spot the the ironic and dark twist in the last BBC Torchwood episode when league tables were used to determine how to best decimate the population of school aged children?<br><br>What do we really value, what matters and what are we trying to measure?<br>
<br>Regards Roland<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 26 February 2010 15:21, <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:stephen@melbpc.org.au">stephen@melbpc.org.au</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
The Hon Julia Gillard MP<br>
Minister for Education<br>
Deputy Prime Minister<br>
<br>
Delivering the Education Revolution<br>
<br>
SPEECH: National Press Club Address 24 February 2010 Transcript (ed.)<br>
<br>
<br>
Today I can announce that the draft curriculum in the first four<br>
subjects, maths, English, science and history, will be released next<br>
Monday March 1st.<br>
<br>
It is world class, setting out not just the essential content for each<br>
year of learning but also the achievement standards against which<br>
students should be expected to perform.<br>
<br>
This will not be a curriculum ‘guide’ or a supplement to what states and<br>
territories currently teach. It will be a comprehensive new curriculum,<br>
providing a platform for the highest quality teaching.<br>
<br>
The drafts will be refined through an open national consultation process<br>
in the coming months. Everybody can contribute to the debate. Schools<br>
will try out the draft curriculum in practice.<br>
<br>
>From Monday, the Australian curriculum will be available through a fully<br>
interactive website that allows anyone to search the whole text for key<br>
topics and content.<br>
<br>
It is already prompting fierce debate and provoking great interest. I can<br>
tell you, I learned a few things myself when I read it.<br>
<br>
It has been developed by experts, not politicians, but I have to say I am<br>
glad that grammar makes a strong appearance. For the first time ever,<br>
grammar will be set out explicitly at every year level from kindergarten<br>
through to year 12; the content, the ways in which it should be used, and<br>
the other areas of language and literature to which understanding of<br>
grammar can contribute.<br>
<br>
I urge Australians to view this website at<br>
<br>
<<a href="http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au" target="_blank">http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au</a>><br>
<br>
For too long, what is taught in schools has been a mystery to Australian<br>
parents and employers. From next Monday the first tranche of the<br>
Australian national curriculum will be there for all to see.<br>
<br>
For too long, parents and employers have been anxious that students will<br>
leave school lacking the skills they need for life and work including<br>
proficiency in reading, writing and mathematics. As a nation we are about<br>
to move to a national curriculum of true rigour.<br>
<br>
For too long, families have feared moving interstate because they know<br>
their child would not only have to confront a new school but a new<br>
curriculum. Next Monday is the beginning of the end of those days..<br>
<br>
Ref:<br>
<<a href="http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Transcripts/Pages/Article" target="_blank">http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Transcripts/Pages/Article</a><br>
_100224_143429.aspx><br>
<br>
--<br>
<br>
Cheers people<br>
Stephen Loosley<br>
Member, Victorian<br>
Institute of Teaching<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br><a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead<br>