Govt making waves throughout the education sector

As the new government settles into its work, major changes in education are being signalled - from fewer ECE regulations to innovative school management, broader teacher registration, national primary school standards, changes to vocational education ... and more.

We round up some of the initiatives education minister Anne Tolley has been involved in this month.

Top schools to manage failing ones, government proposes

Top schools may take over the management of troubled ones under government education reforms.

A Subtext story on this topic is at this web page.

Compulsory police vetting of school volunteers to be canned

Compulsory police vetting of parents and volunteers with unsupervised access to children is to be canned under the revised Education Amendment Bill, tabled in Parliament last week.

Further information is at this web page.

Government to hold consultation on national school standards

Public consultation on national standards for primary and intermediate schools is to take place next month.

Mrs Tolley said the standards were to set "clear expectations" for literacy and numeracy, and standards for reporting student performance to parents.

To read more, go to this web page.

Government information is at this web page.

A Subtext story on the potential of national standards for ranking primary and intermediate schools is at this web page.

ECE changes likely to be wound back

The government is poised to ditch a series of new regulations planned for early-childhood education (ECE), the Press has reported.

Changes set up by the last government would have enforced lower teacher-child ratios, increased the number of qualified teachers in centres and made sleep rooms compulsory at early-childhood centres.

Mrs Tolley ordered a review of the proposed changes and has received a report from a working group.

The Press said Mrs Tolley would not comment on the report or on claims the government was set to throw out the three proposed measures.

Further information is at this web page.

Trade academies to be set up

Mrs Tolley has this month called for expressions of interest for the government's proposed trades academies.

The selection of the academies will be based on the following criteria:

• A commitment to partnership between local businesses and other training institutions and the supporting school/other schools.
• Local skill shortages (or clearly identified demand and relevance for the skills being taught).
• Evidence of sufficient demand within the supporting school (and other contributing schools) from students for the education or training a trades academy will provide.
• Capability of the supporting school and/or body to establish and govern a trades academy.
• A demonstrated ability to deliver successful vocational education.

Further information is at this web page.

Too few apprentices complete training, changes likely to scheme

The Modern Apprentices scheme is in line for a shake-up after a report showing that fewer than one in 10 agriculture, forestry and fishing apprentices complete training within five years.

The Press reports Mrs Tolley is unhappy with the report findings and is seeking advice on the $250 million scheme's future.

The report reveals just one-third of modern apprentices complete their training within five years.

The Press story is at this web page.

Teacher registration to be broadened

Teacher registration is to be broadened to assist government plans to keep more pupils in school through a wider range of school-based training and trades schemes, the Press reports.

Further information is at this web page.