First 'official' day back today. Mostly tidying things up: library( below), classroom, old classroom and office. I also updated the school prospectus and put some enrolment kits together. There are other documents to update before I start organising learning for the first month back ( including putting the finishing touches on my Australian Literature unit) and tidying up outside and cleaning.( I also have a day's worth of shopping to do) About 4 more days. I think we might lose the tomatoes, it's very dry. A storm threatened but just disappeared after a few drops so more watering to do!
Every pupil in England will be tested on their times tables before leaving primary school, under government plans.
Pupils aged 11 will be expected to know their tables up to 12x12, and will be tested using an "on-screen check".
The checks will be piloted to about 3,000 pupils in 80 primary schools this summer, before being rolled out across the country in 2017.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said maths was a non-negotiable aspect of a good education.
The "on-screen check" examination will involve children completing multiplication challenges against the clock, which will be scored instantly.
The Department for Education says it is the first use of on-screen technology in National Curriculum tests.
Teacher scrutiny
Ms Morgan has also said teachers will be judged by the results of the tests: "Since 2010, we've seen record numbers of 11 year olds start secondary school with a good grasp of the three Rs. But some continue to struggle.
"That is why, as part of our commitment to extend opportunity and deliver educational excellence everywhere we are introducing a new check to ensure that all pupils know their times tables by age 11.
"They will help teachers recognise those pupils at risk of falling behind and allow us to target those areas where children aren't being given a fair shot to succeed."
In 2015, 80% of Year 6 pupils achieved Level 4 in maths, reading and writing, up from 78% last year.
But Labour says standards are being threatened by a shortage of teachers, and in the past some teaching unions have warned additional tests can place unwelcome pressure on teachers and pupils.
BENDIGO Senior Secondary College principal Dale Pearce has accused the federal government of “patronising principals and school councils” after the government refused to honour the final two years of the Gonski school funding model.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham announced the decision on Monday, instead preferring to renegotiate a new education funding model with the states, to start from 2018.
The decision was based on an assertion that extra money did not necessarily mean better outcomes for schools, and that state governments needed to be held accountable for their education spending.
Mr Pearce said he was skeptical of the reasons for the policy change, which had previously been flagged by the government.
“I am dismayed by Birmingham's assertion that public schools cannot be trusted to spend additional funding wisely,” he said.
“If the minister wants the trust of schools he should avoid patronising principals and school councils.”
On Wednesday, Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said the decision would rip millions of dollars of projected funding from schools in the Bendigo electorate.
The Gonski model focused on a needs-based funding model, which received bipartisan support from the Coalition and Labor, targeting funding to schools where it was needed most.
The Education Minister told Fairfax Media earlier this week he continued to support a needs-based model, but did not support Labor’s model, which he described as “a complicated model that lacks fairness and transparency”.
Mr Pearce described the move as a “delaying tactic” and said public schools had been waiting long enough for certainty around a genuine needs-based approach.
“David Gonski's expert panel delivered their recommendations to government in late 2011,” he said.
“The LNP had two years in opposition and two years in government to develop an alternative schools funding model.
“Now they want another two years. It's not good enough.”
The new agreement – expected to be negotiated before next year’s election – will cover four years from 2018.
Both the Victorian and New South Wales education ministers have been lobbying the federal government to fund Gonski in full, with the New South Wales Coalition government already expressing its disappointment at this week’s announcement.
Mr Peace said with billions of dollars wasted on “the wrong priorities” in the last 15 years, there was hope the Gonski agreement would bring the right approach to education funding.
“Constitutionally, education is a state responsibility. We need to strike a new balance between the commonwealth and the states,” he said.
“We've had an increasing level of federal intervention for the last 15 years and during that time Australia's educational performance on international tests has declined as our needy students fall further behind and our highest performers flatline.”
I think we might miss out on the storms today. I popped up to water and to also scan some sketches I finished last night for the now finished Spit MacPhee unit. While I was up there I noticed some of the roof missing from the pump shed.
It took a while to put it back together again and nail it down, I'll have to do it again because I didn't have any galvanised iron nails. Only a few cuts on rusty sheet metal.....I hope my tetanus booster is still working.
I think I'll need to spend 4-5 days at work these holidays on top of popping up to water and check on things. At least a day in the library and another day in the office. Probably 2 days preparing for the first month back and another day just tidying and reorganising.( I have some jobs that need doing in the grounds too.)
This was not a mirage at the last election. This was a promise. There are no weasel words there, it is unambiguous and it is a massive broken promise.
Quote from Tanya Plibesek ( Deputy Opposition Leader)
Mr Turnbull showed poor judgment in thinking no one would notice him sneaking out all the bad news out over the summer break. But Australians weren’t fooled. We don’t like being taken for mugs, especially by our own prime minister.
Mr Turnbull showed poor judgment in thinking that while he rips $30bn from schools (an average $3.2m from every school), no one would remember the Liberals’ election promise that no school would be worse off.
PA
