If Australia is to guide our nations’ school kids intelligently, the Q&A raucous discussion on TV about numbers, dollars and sizes sets a bad example. It was such a sterile slanging match. The kids, whom governments force into buildings called schools, hardly rated a mention. There was little reference to what happens in the school […]
Christopher Pyne writes that we need to change the attitudes high-performing school leavers have towards a career in education (“Better teachers, not more, the ‘education revolution’ we need”, 21-22/7). So far, so good. Unfortunately, there is then no mention of the improved salaries and working conditions that might genuinely do this. Instead, he cites the […]
How do Finnish kids excel without rote learning and standardized testing? Dr Sahlberg, a Finnish education official, says “teaching and learning in schools should rely on principles of active participation, social interaction and reflection.” In Australia, we’ve gone back to rote learning, practice tests because of NAPLAN. Published on The Globe and Mail website. Read […]
