Ie Magazine 3 2015 LR

issue 3|Vol 45|2015
Schools to
teach children
about family
and domestic
violence p8
Bubble wrap kids P12
Mindfulness meditation P22
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Contents
Executive Editors
John Quessy
Deb James
Terry Burke
Managing Editor
Bronwyn Ridgway
Editorial Committee
Cathy Hickey
Alexander Leggett
Gloria Taylor
Sue Osborne
Journalists
Sue Osborne
Alexander Leggett
Design
Chris Ruddle
About us
IE is a tri-annual journal
published by the NSW/ACT,
VicTas and Qld/NT
Independent Education
Unions for members and
subscribers. It has a circulation
of more than 65,000. IEs
contents do not
necessarily reflect the views of
the IEU or the editors nor imply
endorsement by them.
Email
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VIC/TAS: info@ieuvictas.org.au
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IE online
www.ieu.asn.au/publications/
Contributions
Contributions and letters
from members are
welcome. Printing does not
reflect endorsement and
contributions may be edited
at the editors discretion.
Email iemagazine@ieu.asn.au
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Advertising is carried in
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Indigenous equals success
What began as a small mentoring program 11 years ago with...
Kaleidoscope
Tanya Plibersek
Australia wide
News and views from around Australia
Schools to teach
children about violence
There has been a push from psychologists,

educators and those affected by family...
12
A recent study into students perceptions

of playground safety...
Part of our everyday
14
Whats in a name?
17
Associate Professor Debra Bateman

is the Deputy Dean...
Recently retired principal Karen

Forbes makes a heartfelt plea...
What did you

do well today?
18
Why would a union run a

conference about mental health,
wellness and mindfulness?
Developing globally
competent learners
20
Marilyn Snider was an education

officer with the Global Education Project...
Living in the now:

Mindfulness meditation
24
The Federal Governments new Border

Force Act Section 42...
Deputy Leader of the Opposition,

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs...
Bubble wrap kids: Do we

have a safety surplus?
IEU takes a stand

against sinister Act
10
22
Supervision, yard duty

and fights your rights
26
Denis Matson looks at the legal responsibilities

of school staff when supervising students...
Talking point...
A specialist science teacher in every

primary school a good idea?
Helping a young
nation grow
28
30
Australians often take receiving an education

or having a school close by for granted...
Recent research:
Targeted teaching
31
The huge spread of student achievement in

the same year levels is one of the biggest...
Could a canine
companion help
your students learn?
32
While there are only a handful of schools

in Australia currently using an educational
support dog...
Film review
Oscar winning Australians
Inspiring your students

with apps and games
34
35
I want to inspire the students in my

class to reach beyond the boundaries...
In recent years, mindfulness meditation

has found its way from...
independent education| issue 3|Vol 45|2015|3
Editorial
For too long our governments, and

we as a community, have paid little
attention to the scourge of family
violence. The statistics are shocking,
with thousands of Australian families
affected by violence that happens
in the family home a place where
every person should feel respected,
loved and safe.
Finally our state and federal
governments have begun to act. In
Victoria, the Andrews Government
has announced the introduction of
a Respectful Relationships program
in our schools. Similar initiatives have
been announced or are in place
in other states, but these measures
can only be effective with strong
leadership and a continued focus on
education and awareness.
In this edition of IE, Dr Phil Lambert,
General Manager of Curriculum at
ACARA discusses how education
can develop positive behaviours and
attitudes amongst our students from an
early age. He writes that children begin
to develop their values of respect
and personal responsibility at school,
and within the school curriculum there
is a great opportunity for individual
teachers and schools to make a
difference around a number of social
issues, including family violence.
In her interview, Deputy Leader of
the Opposition, Tanya Plibersek MP,
talks about her time at school. She
credits teachers with bringing out the
best in her own children by identifying
their strengths and passions. Tanya
says teachers play a vital role in
encouraging students to become
critical thinkers, to ask questions
and help communicate and build a
healthy democracy.
And it is with communication,
awareness and support, we can aim
to highlight the scourge of family
violence. With education, we can work
together to eradicate it all together.
Deb James
iemagazine@ieu.asn.au
Have your say

A survey will be emailed to readers
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The editorial committee would invite
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We look forward to your feedback.
4|independent education| issue 3|Vol 45|2015
Kaleidoscope
Tanya Plibersek
Sydney born, daughter of migrants from Slovenia, Plibersek was dux
of her school in Year 12. She graduated from University of Technology
Sydney, with a BA in Communications (Hons) then completed a
Master in Public Policy and Politics at Macquarie University.
After working at the Office for the Status and Advancement of
Women in NSW, then in the office of Senator Bruce Childs, Plibersek
was elected to the House of Representatives for Sydney in 1998 and
re-elected five times.
Plibersek has had an outstanding political career and held
significant federal ministerial appointments: Shadow Minister for
Foreign Affairs and International Development, Minister for Health,
Minister for Medical Research, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister
for Human Services, Minister for the Status of Women and Minister for
Housing.
A regular columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald, Plibersek makes
frequent appearances on ABC TV talk shows and Q&A.
Tanya Plibersek lives in Sydney with her husband Michael and her
three children, Anna, Joseph and Louis.
The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP

Deputy Leader of the
Opposition, Shadow
Minister for Foreign
Affairs and International
Development, Federal
Member for Sydney
talks with IE Journalist
Bronwyn Ridgway.
I was brought up in the southern

suburbs of Sydney and went to
Oyster Bay Infants and Primary
School in Oyster Bay, after that I
attended Jannali Girls High School
in Jannali NSW. I have great memories
of my school years, especially of
primary school.
We had a fantastic principal and
deputy, I always felt quite strongly that
I was part of a warm and caring school
community. I had great teachers who
sparked a genuine love of learning. I
liked high school years as well, mainly.
I think I was a strange and awkward
child so it wasnt always fun; I spent a
lot of time talking with teachers, rather
then other students. Im still friends with
a number of my teachers and enjoy
seeing them and hearing from them
from time to time. I contact them too.
Great teachers pass
on their enthusiasm
I had so many incredible teachers,
its hard to pick out just a few but there
was one particular teacher that I had
in Year 6, who had a great sense of
humour, a sense of the absurd, which
I appreciated. In high school I was
taught so well, I still have a passion for
ancient history because I had a great
Teachers play
an incredible
role in teaching
students to
be critical
participants in
democracy; by
doing this theyre
doing their
students and the
nation a favour.
history teacher. Im really interested in

art because I had a terrific art teacher,
and Jane Austen is my favourite author
because I had an English teacher who
taught Jane Austen so well.
Teachers who are passionate about
their subject matter pass that on to
their students; students become the
rich recipients of their knowledge and
enthusiasm, its not just about passing
exams. Now at 40 years of age, I really
appreciate those gifts.
A few years ago I was at a Fred
Williams exhibition; I sent a text to my
art teacher and thanked her for giving
me a love of art and an appreciation
of Fred Williams.
Teaching not a nine to five job
The teachers I really connected with
were the ones who were really excited
about what they were doing. Teaching
is clearly not a nine to five job. For
example I can remember teachers
spending a Saturday driving students
from Sydney to Canberra to see an
art exhibition. I remember being given
extra reading lists that teachers made
up to extend our understanding about
what we were studying.
I really valued being able to talk with
my teachers about what was really
important to me, such as what I was

going to study at university and where I
might go for this. My brother and I were
the first generation in our family to be
able to go to university.
Having teachers to talk with about
the courses I could do at university was
so important to me. My parents were
very supportive and encouraged me,
but it was the teachers who could tell
me about what I could expect and
how I could prepare for university life
and a career.
No plan for life in politics
I didnt plan a life in politics or a
career in federal parliament. I did
have a political science teacher who
suggested that I study political science
at university because I enjoyed arguing
the issues. I suppose I was interested in
politics and was prepared to take on
responsibility at school and one thing
led to another.
As a parent I can see schools are
even better now than when I was a kid
and I really liked and enjoyed school!
I see teachers go to an extraordinary
amount of effort to help children
expand their knowledge, discover
their talents and round out their
personalities. For example teachers
identified that my daughter was very

clever in languages and my son so
talented at shot put. How would I
have discovered that without teachers
helping to identify their talents? Its
marvelous, its very exciting and its the
teachers who identify and help bring
out those talents.
Critical participants in democracy
I believe its so important that
teachers encourage children to
think for themselves - to challenge
them to take an interest and have a
view about the world around them
and to do the research to back up
their thinking.
Teaching students to watch the
news, to read newspapers and inform
themselves about current affairs is so
important. To know whats happening
in the world around them is so
important and to ask questions about
what they read and see in the news.
Teachers play an incredible role
in teaching students to be critical
participants in democracy; by doing
this theyre doing their students and
the nation a favour.
Australia wide
NSW Proposed National Working with Children Check (WWCC)
On 17 August, the Royal Commission (RC) into Institutional
Responses to Child Sexual Abuse released its Working With
Children Checks Report.
The Report recommended that a national WWCC model
be implemented within 12 months of the publication of
the report. The RC argued that a standardised approach
would allow WWCCs to be portable across jurisdictions,
deal with key aspects of screening in the same way and
eliminate the opportunity for persons to work in locations
with less rigorous checks.
While the Union is not unsympathetic to the call for a
national approach to child protection matters, we are not

convinced that it requires a uniform system of employment
screening. There are problems with some of the current
systems and we would not like to see the worst feature
of each regime merged into one federal regime. Not all
elements of current systems are necessary to achieve
child protection objectives.
An overly zealous approach could compromise employees
rights without gaining improvements in child protection.
The Union is responding to the Report.
ACT ACT Teacher Registration and the Code of Conduct

The Union met recently with Joy Burch, the ACT Minister
for Education and Training to raise matters affecting our
members in the ACT including issues around teacher
registration.
As a condition of teacher registration or permit to teach
in the ACT, teachers are required to comply with a Code
of Conduct. The Code of Conduct, approved by the ACT
Government, includes principles that teachers must, at all
times, demonstrate in their professional practice. Respect
for others is an example of one of the broad principles.
The Union advised the Minister that we were concerned
about the breadth and vagueness of Code requirements,
given that a breach of the Code was a breach of a
registration requirement and could lead to revocation by the
ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) of a teachers right to teach

in any school in the ACT, with a flow on to other jurisdictions.
The Union is seeking that in considering an alleged
breach, TQI should take into account the nature and
seriousness of the conduct concerned, the frequency
of the conduct and how recent the conduct was. This
is to ensure that trivial one-off matters do not destroy a
teachers career. We are also seeking that matters not
relating to a teachers professional work (that is their
private behaviour outside of the school context) should
not be considered.
The Minister listened to our concerns and we have
agreed to outline specific proposals in writing.
Victoria Tackling Occupational Violence
Guidelines to be implemented in all Catholic schools
Does your school have both a clear parental code of

conduct and a policy on the expected behaviour of students
which clearly outline unacceptable behaviours? Do you
have an effective system for monitoring students with known
behavioural problems? Is your staff trained in prevention and
intervention strategies for managing aggressive/potentially
violent behaviour of a student or parent? Do staff know how
to undertake a risk assessment and draw up a management
plan for a student with violent behaviour?
As part of the negotiations of the previous 2008
Catholic Agreement, the IEU and the Catholic Education
Commission of Victoria signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to examine the incidence of occupational
violence in Catholic schools with a view to identifying
effective practices in dealing with violent and aggressive
students and parents/Guardians.
The new guidelines released by the CECV earlier this year

are a result of this consultation with IEU. The guidelines are
holistic, involving preventative, interventionary and post
incident practices. The aim is to assess risk, take measures
to mitigate and remove the risks, manage incidents of
violence and aggression effectively and enact postincident procedures and support in the aftermath of a
violent incident.
These guidelines have had a long gestation but the Safe
and Sound Practice Guidelines (Occupational Violence)
provide schools with an important set of principles and
practical tools for dealing with the
violent and aggressive behaviour of students and
parents/guardians.
Western Australia Fixing some bad connections

Teachers in WA Catholic and independent schools
continue to have significant concerns about the level of
meaningful connection between the Teacher Registration
Board of WA (TRBwa) and the profession.
The object of the Teacher Registration Act 2012 is to
give paramount consideration to the best interests of
school children in Western Australia.
Supposedly on that basis the TRB has consistently
declined to consult effectively with the IEU in regard
to their implementation of a raft of practices and

interpretations of the Act and regulations.
On a positive note at a recent meeting between the
IEU and TRB the TRB committed to regular substantive
meetings and to respond to concerns the IEU has raised
about the 64% increase in renewal of registration fees.
The IEU will also be meeting with the Director of the
Investigations and Compliance Branch to gain an insight
into the decision making process for disciplinary matters.
Queensland Ready for registration renewal

The Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) is preparing to
conduct audits of around 70,000 practising teachers across
the state as part of the registration renewal process that
occurs each five years.
The audit will focus on the continuing professional
development logs of randomly selected teachers
regardless of whether they are teaching full time, part
time, supply teaching or not teaching at all.
The renewal of registration ensures fully registered
teachers are committed to maintaining high standards of
professional practice and conduct.
To meet the requirements of the audit, IEU members
need to provide evidence of participation in suitable CPD
activities such as certificates of attendance.
Forms of evidence may vary and the QCT recommends

keeping a log of your CPD online.
To find out when you need to renew, you can log on to
the QCT website and search the register, or alternatively,
check the details on your Registration Card and
Certificate.
To prepare for such an audit it is your responsibility to
record the CPD you undertake in a format that meets QCT
requirements, keep records and evidence for 12 months
following renewal of registration and make the evidence
available as required by QCT for auditing purposes.
For more information on renewal and recording CPD,
visit www.qct.edu.au/renewal
Northern Territory Prepare for audits

Northern Territory members need to be prepared for
auditing by the Teacher Registration Board (TRB).
The audits happen every five years and are due to
commence in early 2016 in the Northern Territory to ensure
teachers conform to AITSLs Australian Professional Standards
for Teachers and criteria. Director of the NT Teacher Registration
Board, Maree Garrigan, said any teacher who has been
granted renewal of full registration can be subject to an audit.
Teachers who are selected for audit will be notified in
the first school term immediately following the completion
of the renewal process. Those selected will be asked
to present their evidence to support having met the
requirements by the end of the first term.
Required evidence includes:

Currency of practice of a minimum of 180 days
A minimum of 100 hours of professional learning over
the five year period prior to the application for
registration renewal, as measured against the standards
Fit and proper person (results of a National Criminal
History Check no more than 2.5 years prior to expiry of
their category of Full Registration).
Teachers who have been subject to the audit will be
advised of the results in writing via email.
A full list of renewal requirements can be found at
www.trb.nt.gov.au/registration/fullyregisteredteachers
South Australia Balance needed for trade trainers

For some time, it has been possible for people without
teacher registration to gain a special authority to teach in
SA schools under a range of conditions and restrictions.
Some require the undertaking of study towards a teaching
qualification and some are subject or site specific.
Currently the following categories may apply for a
Special Authority: unable to fill an advertised position;
religious/spiritual leaders; instrumental music teachers;
Anangu education (Indigenous); exchange teachers (for
one year) and early childhood teachers.
Arguably, trade trainers delivering VET in schools are not
employed as teachers delivering secondary education
under the Act. But under the current SA Certificate of
Education (SACE) up to 150 credits toward a total of 200
can be earned through VET subjects.
Tasmania Review of the Education Act

Since the latter part of last year, the IEU along with
other key education stakeholders has been involved in
the Tasmanian Governments process of reviewing the
Education Act.
A discussion paper was released late last year outlining
themes and possible options for reform. The consultation
document posed a number of questions around the
functions and scope of the Act.
The IEU has readily accepted an invitation to participate

in a Teacher Registration Board (TRB) working party to
provide advice as to the conditions which should be
imposed on those delivering VET in schools.
To totally deregulate the area would not be acceptable
as there would be no quality assurance to the persons
trade skills, teaching skills or propriety. Similarly it would
be impractical to expect that a trade trainer would have
both current industry skills and full teaching qualifications.
There will need to be a balance achieved as it is
impractical to upskill existing teachers to be experienced
qualified tradespersons just as it is impractical to expect
that a qualified tradesperson would leave their trade to
spend four years training to be a teacher.
The Government received 230 submissions in response to

the discussion paper. A Stakeholder Reference Group was
set up, along with four Working Groups who have been
discussing issues associated with the major themes.
The Government will consider a number of changes and
the IEU expects, along with other stakeholders, that there
will be further extensive consultation before any legislative
changes are made.
Schools to
teach children
about family
and domestic
violence
There has been a push
from psychologists,
educators and those
affected by family and
domestic violence for
schools to start educating
children about it from an
early age. IE Journalist
Alex Leggett takes a look
at how teachers and
principals are able to
deal with the challenge
of teaching respectful
relationships from school
age and why there is
a renewed push for its
inclusion in the Australian
Curriculum.
Education may be the key to

breaking the cycle of domestic
and family violence from an
early age. Experts from a range
of backgrounds are warning that
children in the playground who
appear fearful or withdrawn could
be victims of domestic abuse,
resulting in poor behaviour and
performance at school.
Dr Phil Lambert, General Manager
of Curriculum at the Australian
Curriculum, Assessment and
Reporting Authority (ACARA),
believes while health and physical
education content covers teaching
respectful relationships, more
can be done to develop positive
behaviours and attitudes from an
early age.
The content allows for domestic
violence issues to be taught as
appropriate. We also have the
general capability of personal and
social responsibility which allows
for teaching of domestic violence
matters, Dr Lambert said.
Various agencies and non
government organisations that
work in the area of bullying and
domestic violence have told us the
content and the general capability
focus provides a strong basis for
addressing these matters in schools
in addition to their resources and
support services.
Dr Lambert said the important
thing for people to understand is
that within the curriculum there are
opportunities to address a number of
social issues such as family violence.
I was delighted to have had this

opportunity to speak to the Prime Minister,
the Premiers and Chief Ministers, all of
whom agree with me that family violence
is at the very top of the list of challenges
facing this country, she said.
I was able to give them the message
that ending family violence is not just a
crusade being carried out by a few of us,
but it is supported by thousands more.
The issue of family violence is complex
and needs many different responses, but I
talked about the need to start at the very
beginning, where attitudes and behaviours
are first formed and shaped.
Ive seen some

tremendous
programs
implemented to
really make young
boys and men
understand their
responsibilities
and their own
behaviours as a
friend, colleague,
a member of a
group, and as an
onlooker as much
as a participant.
Dr Phil Lambert
Schools are very important places
because its where we actually have
society at its earliest stage, so primary
prevention is very important.
When we know theres a major issue
in society, the way to resolve it early is
to educate and develop understanding
and skills around changing behaviour and
attitudes, particularly those of young boys
and men.
The existing curriculum
Dr Lambert believes the current
curriculum enables teachers and principals
to address the issues of family and
domestic violence as there are high level
influential programs and initiatives already
in place at schools.
We are on a real trajectory of change
and schools play a very important part in
teaching these behaviours and attitudes.
As reported in The Australian, NSW schools
have committed to tackling the issue
in their lessons from early 2016 following
a Council of Australian Governments
(COAG) meeting with Australian of the Year
and domestic violence against women
campaigner, Rosie Batty, the Prime Minister
and NSW Premier.
The meeting resulted in a positive
announcement of a zero tolerance
approach to domestic violence and it will be
a compulsory part of the NSW curriculum.
Other states and territories have said they
will look at making the changes suggested
by Ms Batty by including respectful
relationship lessons in schools to stop
violence against women.
White Ribbon initiatives

Since 2008, Dr Lambert has been
contributing to the work of White Ribbon as
an ambassador campaigning for an end
to mens violence against women.
Ive represented White Ribbon in
different ways and helped co design the
Breaking the Silence in Schools program,
which has been highly successful, he said.
We started in a group of schools in the
Sydney region, and that has grown quite
dramatically to Victoria, Tasmania and
other states.
To date, Breaking the Silence has reached
over 200 schools and more than 110,000
students nationally.
Dr Lambert agrees that in terms of
respectful relationships between boys and
girls, or men and women, there are many
circumstances related to partners that are
also likely to be followed later in life with
future partners.
There are some young people who
come into school with pre established
beliefs about their own power and authority
and that of others and in this case we are
talking about gender, he said.
The role you play as a teacher or as
principal of a school is about equity. You
not only seek that from young people but
you also model that yourself by the way
you run the school.
Ive seen it in various ways over the
years, and Ive seen some tremendous
programs implemented to really make
young boys and men understand their
responsibilities and their own behaviours.
These responsibilities mean as a friend,
colleague, a member of a group, and as
an onlooker as much as a participant.
Further reading
www.whiteribbon.org.au
http://www.neveralone.com.au
Reference
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/
national-affairs/education/coag-schoolsstep-up-on-domestic-abuse/storyfn59nlz9-1227454542139
Indigenous equals success

the AIME approach
What began as a small
mentoring program 11
years ago with zero
funding has now become
one of the most cost
effective and reliable
solutions to closing
the gap in Indigenous
educational outcomes.
IE Journalist Alex Leggett
spoke to Jack Manning
Bancroft, CEO and
Founder of the Australian
Indigenous Mentoring
Experience (AIME), about
the organisations plans to
reach 10,000 kids across
the country by 2018.
AIME is a dynamic education program

set up in 2005 when Jack was a 19 year
old university student. It all began in
Sydneys suburb of Redfern with just 25
Indigenous high school students and 25
mentors from the neighbouring University
of Sydney. It was a pivotal moment for the
organisation that now works with around
4500 mentees and mentors nationwide.
Since those early days, AIME has stood by
one mantra: Indigenous equals success.
Indigenous kids are born superheroes,
we just show them how to fly, Jack said.
We believed in a day where Indigenous
kids could march proudly alongside their
peers as equals and we wanted to make
that a reality.
With that belief, AIME students
are smashing stereotypes. Students
completing the program are proven to
finish school and transition to university,
training and employment at the same
rate as every Australian child effectively
closing the gap in educational outcomes.
From 2014 to 2015, 76% of AIME Year 12
students transitioned into positive post
school pathways, surpassing the national
non Indigenous rate of 75% and well
above the national Indigenous rate
of 40%.
By 2018, the organisation hopes to
engage 10,000 Indigenous high school
students across Australia every year,
and have each student finishing school
and transitioning to university, training or
employment at the same rate as their non
Indigenous peers, because as Jack said,

these kids deserve no less.
Driving the pipeline of Indigenous talent
Over the past five years, AIME has run a
special session where mentees write and
deliver a speech as the first Indigenous
Prime Minister of Australia. AIME watched
hundreds of students step up to share their
vision, as they were compelled to share it
with the nation.
In 2013 as the federal election was
heating up, AIME launched its own
campaign The Other Election. It
showcased 646 Indigenous students in
Years 10 to 12 delivering what would be
their inaugural speech as Australias first
Indigenous Prime Minister. Over 70,000
votes were cast, with three finalists
travelling to Canberra to meet with the
Prime Minister and deliver their speeches
to a Senate Committee Room packed
with journalists, camera crews, politicians
and the Minister for Indigenous Affairs
Nigel Scullion.
Jacks optimism and sheer faith in
the potential of Indigenous youth is
unwavering.
Theres an amazing amount of talent
out there and we see our job as getting
in alongside teachers and schools to try
and help light that spark of imagination in
kids and unlock the magic of learning for
them, he said.
For the next three years, our focus is
on doubling the amount of kids we are
Theres an
amazing
amount of talent
out there and
we see our
job as getting
in alongside
teachers and
schools to try
and help light
that spark of
imagination in
kids and unlock
the magic of
learning for
them.
working with and to reach out to 10,000

kids per year.
It is an achievable goal. Today AIME is
connecting approximately 4500 mentees
with 1600 mentors across 37 locations and
in partnership with 18 Australian universities
and 350 schools.
Both mentee and mentor benefit from
the pairing, working through modules that
offer launch pads for real life opportunities
for the mentees to extend themselves
through internships for artists, performance
opportunities for musicians, ambassador
programs and more.
We have close to 1500 university
students lining up alongside us who
are mainly non Indigenous and want
to connect with the next generation of
Indigenous kids coming through, he said.
This will help support their transition
to university, employment and further
education at the same rate as every
Australian child to effectively get them
walking past the gap, not just closing
the gap.
AIME has already proven its ability to
achieve their goals of increasing Year
10 and 12 completion rates, as well as
university admission rates for all Indigenous
students in the program. Last year, 93%
of AIMEs Year 12 kids completed school,
which is 6% above Australias nonIndigenous rate of 86%.
The entire AIME program equates to a six
year course known at the AIME Institute,
comprising 49 modules designed for all
year levels. Since 2005, each module
has been developed and delivered by
Indigenous young people and they are
improved each year with input from
AIMEs mentees and mentors. When a
student engages in the AIME program
throughout their schooling career, they
get the opportunity to access more than

150 hours of mentoring and academic
support.
Alongside the AIME Institute are two
other arms of the organisation: Tutor
Squads, which are deployed into schools,
and one-to-one coaching, with career
and post school transition support.
Although its time intensive, we
pride ourselves on tracking every single
students journey through the AIME
program as well as continuing to work with
students after they graduate from Year 12,
with the goal of landing them in a positive
post school pathway, Jack said.
How can you get involved?
There are three simple ways your school
community can get involved:
Jump on the AIME website
www.aimementoring.com and check
out where AIME operates. If you have
Indigenous students at your school, AIME
may be able to support them.
Head to AIMEs online shop
www.shop.aimementoring.com where
you can grab some gear designed by
Indigenous kids, wear it with pride and
help AIME reach 10,000 Indigenous
students by 2018.
Launching in September 2015 the
Ambassadors of Indigenous Success (AIS)
program is a chance for your school to
make a statement that you are willing to
work alongside the next generation of
Indigenous kids and help create a wave
of Indigenous success across the country.
The AIS program offers a toolkit for primary
or secondary teachers, which draws on
AIMEs world-class educational resources
proven to light up kids imaginations. Keep
an eye on www.aimementoring.com for
your chance to be part of the program.
Bubble wrap kids:
Do we have a safety surplus?

A recent study into
students perceptions
of playground safety
adds an interesting but
complicating layer to
the mire that is legal
liability and education,
IEU Victoria Tasmania
Assistant Secretary
Cathy Hickey writes. The
research conducted
by academics Brendon
Hyndman and Amanda
Telford looks at the
growing culture of
surplus safety and in
particular examines
the way students
experience this culture
in the playground.
Dilemma, as described by Wikipedia, is

a problem offering two possibilities, neither
of which is unambiguously acceptable
or preferable. Such is the problem facing
schools in respect to the old school
yard. The promotion of physical activity
during school breaks, and healthy and
appropriate risk taking is well known to
promote ongoing health and important
lifestyle habits. It is also a mandated
part of the curriculum, as well as part
of the knowledge and skills required of
teachers articulated in the Australian
teaching professional standards. Active
play has clearly been associated with
improvements in students physical,
cognitive and social development.
On the other hand, schools and
teachers have become acutely aware
of the heightened expectations around
mitigating and indeed attempting to
eradicate all risk of injury to students. This
is no mere overreaction or paranoia.
Hyndman and Telfords article published
this year on the study in the Australian
Journal of Teacher Education outlines
some of the recent research on student
injury. They point to growing adult concerns
about the danger of school playgrounds,
possibly stemming from playground
equipment being the leading cause of all
child fall-related hospitalisation in Australia
(Berry, Jamieson and Harrison, 2010). The
authors quote Chancellors (2013) statistic
that the majority of primary school facilities
within the state of Victoria are more than
50 years old. Schools are developing
elaborate playground policies and there
are a growing number of schools now
taking out student accident insurance
policies in a strategy to reduce the costs of
students injuries for parents and the need
to enter into litigation.
Impact on activity
Hyndman and Telford give the
readers of their article an excellent
outline of current research in this area.
They detail how physical activity in
Australian school grounds has changed
considerably over recent decades,
reducing students opportunities for
active, creative and diverse play. They list
a number of significant school playground
changes in Victorian primary schools
which have included the reduction of
school break time (lunch and recess);
removal of playground equipment;
merging of school facilities which can
result in crowded play spaces and
restrictive rules relating to students
use of school grounds that can lead
teachers undertaking playground
policing-type roles.
They cite researchers such as Tranter
and Sharpe (2007) and Wyver et al;
(2010) who show a growing societal trend
in Australia of adults wanting to cotton
wool students, including through the
controlling of playground activities, which
have become much more organised,
supervised and directed by adults.
Students views
The Hyndman and Telford study involved
collecting data from seven focus groups
(four primary schools and three secondary
schools) conducted across four schools
(two primary and two secondary). The
aim of the research was to examine
students perceptions of playground
safety influences on physical activity from
the perspective of the users of school
playgrounds.
The study obviously throws up interesting
and useful information to assist in both
the development of schools policy and
The students
reported that the
responsibilities
of teachers to
ensure there
is a minimum
safety risk within
the school
playground
could be stifling.
practices, and also for teacher training

programs, both preservice and ongoing.
Students regularly highlighted the
importance they placed on the benefits
of being able to overcome an element
of danger or potential for injury in the
playground. The prevention of boredom
within the school playground was perceived
to be important to reduce misbehaviour
that could cause injury and to enhance the
students mental wellbeing.
However, this particular reader also
found that the comments and suggested
solutions from students in reality
complicated the existing dilemmas there
seem to always be trade-offs, a having to
choosing between two conflicting or at
least uncomfortable options.
The students reported that the
responsibilities of teachers to ensure
there is a minimum safety risk within
the school playground could be stifling
to the students enjoyment of physical
activities. However, they also stated
that the prevalence of bullying/territorial
issues and taking risks, the interpersonal
influences of peer support and teacher
support (gaining assistance from teachers)
were seen as important to be physically
active within the school playground. Some
students perceived that extra supervision
would ensure they would feel safer
within the playground to be physically
active, and a range of rules enforced
were suggested to influence students
participation in safe physical activity
within the school playground.
Peer and teacher support were
perceived by students to be important
for both protection from bullying and
to ensure that if an injury occurred
that it would be appropriately
dealt with.
The students highlighted the importance

of playground space (playground area
freely available and unoccupied for
activities. However, a common theme
of secondary students was also the
importance of school security (being
free from danger of threat to feel safe to
use the physical playground for physical
activity), as well as student suggestions
for designated playground areas such
as a prep only school playground area
would be important to ensure collisions
and clashes across age groupings are
avoided.
Fallout for schools?
So for teachers, this study does add
new information, from new perspectives.
However, it also reinforces that while we
need to definitely look at school policies
that increase opportunities for students to
be physically active, the need for adults
to mitigate and remove risks still looms
large, even in the eyes of students.
Reference
Hyndman BP, and Telford A (2015)
Should Educators be Wrapping School
Playgrounds in Cotton Wool to Encourage
Physical activity? Exploring Primary and
Secondary Students Voices from the
School Playground Australian Journal of
Teacher Education Vol 40 Issue 6.
Acknowledgement
The data collection for their study was
conducted while Brendon Hyndman
and Amanda Telford were based at the
University of Ballarat. Hyndman is now at
Charles Darwin University and Telford at
RMIT University.
Part of our everyday

Associate Professor
Debra Bateman is the
Deputy Dean, Learning
and Teaching of Global,
Urban and Social Studies
at RMIT University. She
is a passionate writer
and thinker in the area
of Futures Thinking
and has extensive
experience in curriculum
development in schools
and Universities. Debra
argues that the inclusion
of sustainability in
curriculum is a
no brainer.
It is easy to get caught up in the

arguments of how to teach sustainability
in schools, and where it sits within a volatile
and unstable educational policy context.
Amidst a landscape that demands
greater focus on the basics of learning,
described as literacy and numeracy, and
more checking of compliance through
the application of simplistic and flawed
benchmarking and testing, it is increasingly
difficult for teachers to feel the appropriate
level of autonomy to decide what is most
relevant for their students learning. The
purpose of this piece then is to provide
a through line, and enable teachers
to reclaim the pedagogical space to
develop strong sustainable (among other)
perspectives in their day to day curriculum
of the classroom.
Sustainability is about continuance.
In a world where so many things are
disposable, and change is part of the
dominant discourse of western culture, a
great start for thinking about the meaning
of continuities is to identify things around
us that have not changed over time. For
example, the natural rhythms of sunrise
and sunsets continue without change.
Bickering over land and resources has
continued throughout the ages. Within
cultures, there are many traditions and
rituals which have continued without
change. Yet, in a world of change how
are some things sustained and others
not? What are the choices, values and
commitments that embody the types
of action and acceptance that enable
things to remain the same? How can
those same reflections and principles be
applied more broadly?
Who we are and where we are
When I first began teaching, we were
inducted into thinking that environmental
education or learning about principles of
sustainability were things that needed to
be learned in other places. I remember
our annual pilgrimage in the middle and
senior primary school levels to the Gould
League, where children measured
their household rubbish, and
learned about changing
cities and rural
places.
While I still have the wonderful

publications from that organisation on
my bookshelf, and many of the principles
remain important, as Ive researched
more in the area, taught across different
settings, and the Gould League closed
its premises, I feel more committed to the
idea that sustainability needs to be part of
who we are and where we are.
I dont think it matters how it is
taught, but that it is taught. And, like
Indigenous perspectives, sustainability is
not something other. It is part of both
our history and our futures. It is soulful
and practical and part of a shared
commitment that each of us have a role
to play in being responsible and ethical in
our sharing of resources. It is part of every
activity that we do, and every curriculum
design, thinking about how we use time
and people, and how our energies are
put towards shaping powerful, preferable
and purposeful futures.
Practical sustainable curriculum
In my own classrooms and in my role as
a teacher, Ive used various strategies to
develop strong sustainable perspectives
in my classroom. Through a curriculum
leadership role, in one school, we
developed our whole school concert
around the Wonder of Water Through
Time. The concert became an
expression of the key learnings
throughout the school,
journeying from our
preps exploring
how their local
environment
had changed
along the
Merri
Creek
and the
I dont think it
matters how it is
taught, but that
it is taught. And,
like Indigenous
perspectives,
sustainability is
not something
other. It is part
of both our
history and our
futures.
impacts for Indigenous communities, to

our Grade Ones and Twos understanding
the introduction of industrial times
along the same landscape. Our Grade
Threes and Fours inquired into how local
communities grew and were planned
and designed, and where resources were
positioned to give everyone access to
what they needed without compromising
the needs of others. Our Grade Fives
and Sixes explored the increasing need
for power as Australian lifestyles have
changed over time, and the impacts
of immigration through a series of
moments in time such as the Snowy River
Hydroelectricity Scheme.
Ive designed curriculum which is quite
explicit as well, exploring and increasing
childrens awareness of different
environments and why they can
be found on different parts of
the earth from where they
are. Ive asked students to
imagine that they were a
learner in another part of
the world and how they
understand how we live,
in relation to our natural
world. How do people
access the food that
they need, and what
would happen if the supermarkets closed

down? Often, the challenge in this type
of approach is ensuring that children do
not feel hopeless or helpless and that we
equip them to understand differences in
their worlds.
Connection to our planet
A mantra of environmental education
has always been that it should be in the
world, about the world and for the world.
I think of my favourite experience ever,
both with young children and later with
preservice teachers, going on a journey
to a friend and colleagues (Dr Caroline
Smith) permaculture farm. Apart from
helping students understand themselves in
relationship to the sun and its movements,
and the variance of seasons, these trips
put many kids in touch with the land that
they had never experienced. We laughed
as students picked fresh produce, as they
walked the zones, delighting in foods that
they would not ordinarily have eaten.
We feigned horror as kids put their fingers
through worm castings. Ultimately, we
rejoiced in our humanity and our
connection to our planet. Such
experience must be part of
our everyday.
Support staff
tell us your story
In IE wed like to run a section focusing on the fascinating and
diverse work that is done by support and operational staff in our
schools.
Please tell us what matters to you and what youd like to read
about in IE.
Archivists
Aboriginal Education Workers
Bursars and accounts staff
Teachers aides
Clerical and administrative staff
Journalists and communication staff
Foundation and event
Management staff
Maintenance staff
Operational staff
Gardeners
Tradespeople
Canteen staff
Uniform shop staff
Nurses
Counsellors
Information technology staff
Boarding house staff
Bus drivers
Caretakers and security staff
Lab technicians
We want to hear your story, so contact us at iemagazine@ieu.asn.au and tell us what matters to you
Most see a daydreamer.

Some see a philosopher.
Every day you inspire and help people grow so
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were committed to working closely alongside our
customers, to help you build your own healthy and
prosperous future.
As a mutual bank our profits mean real benefits
directly back to you. So no matter what your dreams
for the future, you can bank on us to be there.
Call 1300 654 822
I Visit victeach.com.au
Whats in a name? In praise of

visiting (not casual) teachers
NSW ACT IEU
Organiser and
recently retired
principal Karen
Forbes makes a
heartfelt plea:
For a number of years now, I have slowly

tried to make what I always thought of as
a simple change in the schools I worked
in: to stop calling casual teachers by the
term casual and rather refer to them as
visiting teachers. Whats in a name you
ask? As Juliet says to Romeo: A rose by
any other name, would smell as sweet
because she loves him for himself, not
his name. And I think its high time we
showed a little more respect to our casual
teachers by changing the name from
casual to visiting.
By definition, casual teachers are
employed, well, casually; that is on a day
by day basis. I understand this is a term
that needs to be used industrially as part
of our enterprise agreements, however,
why cant we keep that terminology in the
industrial side of things, but make a slight
change at school level? It seems to be, in
some cases, that this idea of being called
a casual has led to the connotation of
being not quite a real teacher you dont
have a full-time or permanent job, that you
might not be up to date on the latest ideas
in education, your accreditation may be
taking longer to achieve or even may not
have happened yet or even (an oldie but
a goodie), the students muck up more on
a casual teacher you know the stuff!
Well, Id like to propose a change in name
for our hard working and often undervalued
casual teaching staff lets call them visiting
teachers instead. I firmly believe that a rose
by any other name makes a difference
here, lets have a look how.
When we have a visitor to our homes we
are welcoming: we use the visitors name,
we make them feel as if they belong
and that we are happy for them to be

there. Why cant it be the same for visiting
teachers, the ones who come along
and slog out the day when someone is
away? If we apply the same attitude to
our casual teachers, what a difference it
could potentially make.
The casuals here, Can someone take
the casual to the staffroom/classroom?
Whats the casuals name again?
Weve all possibly said or at least heard
these phrases more than once in our
lives if we work in schools. But what if we
changed that to: The visiting teacher
is here acknowledging both that the
person is a qualified teacher and that
they are visiting so lets welcome them
and make them feel valued as a member
of the community. When we speak with
the students about visiting teachers we
suddenly set a different tone visiting,
visitor most students are aware of being
polite and courteous to a visitor, so why
not to a visiting teacher?
And when we change that part of our
attitude, we also change our thinking
about how the visiting teacher needs
support (just like all teachers) with things
like accreditation and registration; with
being made to feel a welcome part of
the school community; with being valued
as someone who has expertise in their
area and is happy to visit your school and
teach on a day to day or temporary basis.
I encourage you to have a change
in your thinking and start remembering
that those casuals are qualified visiting
teachers in our schools, so lets treat them
that way.
What did you do well today?
Why would
a union run a
conference about
mental health,
wellness and
mindfulness, IE
Journalist Sue
Osborne asks.
Many mental health issues arise out

of stress in the workplace aggravated
by issues such as bullying, overwork and
lack of recognition. One in six workers will
take time off due to mental health issues.
Common issues like depression and anxiety
impact on the workplace as well as the
individual and their family, costing the
economy an estimated $12 billion a year.
The IEUs Support Staff Conference Work
Well held on 21 August in Sydney took a big
picture look at what support staff can do
to keep themselves well in the workplace.
NSW ACT IEU General Secretary John
Quessy said the IEU plays a key role in
promoting and supporting the industrial
needs and interests on non teaching staff.
Better working conditions contribute to a
healthy workplace. The IEUs Support Staff
Advisory Committee, acting on feedback
from support staff, decided to extend the
Unions support through this conference.
Keeping positive
Keynote speaker Dan Haesler is an
educator, writer and presenter who
specialises in talking to people about
positive psychology.
He entertained the audience with his
humorous and enthusiastic look at some of
the theory behind what makes us happy, not
just in the workplace but in life as a whole.
Dan explored Martin Seligmans work
on positive psychology and his PERMA
model. Seligman outlined positive emotions,
engagement, relationships, meaning and
accomplishment (PERMA) as the things we
need in our life to achieve a healthy mindset.
Martin Seligman is an American

psychologist, educator, and author of selfhelp books. Since the late 90s, Seligman
has been an avid promoter within the
scientific community for the field of
positive psychology.
His theory of learned helplessness is
popular among scientific and clinical
psychologists. He is Zellerbach Family
Professor of Psychology in the University of
Pennsylvanias Department of Psychology.
Seligman has written about positive
psychology topics in books such as The
Optimistic Child, Childs Play, Learned
Optimism, and Authentic Happiness. His most
recent book, Flourish, was published in 2011.
The whole essence of positive
psychology is to recognise whats going
well and build upon that, Dan said.
Its not about being happy all the time,
its about taking a more positive mindset
and being able to address our own
wellbeing at home and in the workplace.
Giving meaning
Dan said some innovative schools were
looking at providing more meaning to their
support staff by including them more in the
results of their work.
If youve spent days processing the
paperwork for the excursion, perhaps
youd like to go on the excursion and see
the results of that in the kids faces.
Its great that the IEU is addressing
something as important as mental
wellbeing, given we know workplace
mental health can be something of an
issue in the education sector.
The Union is being proactive, rather than

just focusing on wages, although that all
plays into mental wellbeing as well.
I think it is really powerful to spend a
day just addressing positive psychology
and understanding ways to address
depression. I highly commend the IEU for
taking on this initiative.
Workshops at the conference addressed
a number of issues around the topic.
For instance NSW Nurses and Midwives
Association Professional Officer Marc
Hopkins discussed depression and
mental illness in the workplace and gave
participants some important tips on how
to approach a colleague suspected of
being unwell.
If you are
not healthy
in your mind
you cant do
your work so
you need to
regenerate,
and the Union
is streaks
ahead of
anybody else
by recognising
that need.
Better to ask
Marc said it was better to be
embarrassed by asking the question than
not ask and a serious event ensues.
If someone says they are feeling suicidal
or thinking about harming themselves
in some way, there are a number of
responses a colleague can take, including
calling a family member, calling an
ambulance, encouraging the person to go
to a hospital or health centre or make an
appointment with a counsellor or GP or ring
a crisis telephone helpline. Marc said many
employers are now installing mental health
First Aid officers in the workplace as well as
the traditional First Aid officer. There are a
number of courses available for this.
On the other side of the coin, Mandy
Lamkins workshop talked about
meditation as a tool for building up
resilience and preventing mental health
issues arising. Meditation doesnt have to
be in an evening class, it can be done
anywhere. Having a room in schools
with no computers or phones (not the
staffroom) set aside for quiet time is
a start, she said. For more details go to
mandy@mindfulness.com.au.
Vincent Cooper, the Aboriginal
Education Worker at St Josephs High
School in Aberdeen, presented the
acknowledgment of traditional owners at
the start of the conference.
As well as being the Aboriginal Education
Worker, Vincent teaches Aboriginal Studies
to Years 9 and 10.
Support staff need to take time out
to feel they are important. Professional
development for support staff is lacking so
to get a sense of worth, support staff need
a day like this, Vincent said.
I got some good food for thought today.
I really liked Dans idea of not saying to
people how are you? but saying what did
you do well today? Im going to try that.
Healthy mind
If you are not healthy in your mind
you cant do your work, so you need to
regenerate and the Union is streaks ahead
of anybody else by recognising that need.
NSW ACT IEU Vice President Support Staff
Dan Haesler
Carolyn Collins said support staff tend
to be self-effacing and find it difficult to
accept gratitude or to acknowledge their
own worth.
We dont expect anything; were givers,
so a conference like this about our well
being is fantastic.
Seven members of the support staff
team from St Dominics Centre for Hearing
Impaired Students at Mayfield near
Newcastle, including teachers aides,
secretarial staff, pastoral care staff and
library assistants were able to attend the
conference. Two signers were present
during the conference for one member of
their staff.
They said the day was special for
them because there is no professional
development for support staff offered by
their diocese, and it was a great opportunity
for them to spend time together.
Working in a special needs school is
very draining and we understand and use
positive psychology ourselves.
Its a challenge dealing with our
students, parents and school community,
and if we couldnt call on positive
psychology we wouldnt survive.
Were great supporters of the Union and
really pleased the IEU has given us this day.
Wellbeing is really at the heart of
education.
References
http://danhaesler.com/ieu/
http://positivepsychologyprogram.com/
broaden-build-theory/
https://www.authentichappiness.sas.
upenn.edu/
Developing globally
competent learners
Marilyn Snider was
an education officer
with the Global
Education Project
and is now Director
of Bethink Global,
advising schools
and organisations on
learning in a globalised
world. She writes
that global change
is dynamic and the
underlying conceptual
and moral issues are
often complex.
Awareness of the economic, social

and political interdependence
that affects all aspects of our lives
continues to grow. The global nature
of our environment is generating
new understandings and concerns.
The future holds many challenges for
young learners. Global education is
responding to those challenges.
Global education is ascribed with a
variety of understandings, explanations
and approaches around the world. The
broad concept itself has been given
a number of names. My particular
preference is global learning.
Whatever the perspective to global
education, there are shared aims that
exist among all forms of the theme.
These commonalties appear to be
particularly in the areas of their shared
global orientation, pursuit of personal
and/or societal transformation of
thinking, active and inquiry based
teaching and learning methodologies,
and overlapping content. To a greater
or lesser extent their practitioners
tend to see these educations as
contributing to or aligned with Global
Citizenship education.
The Melbourne Declaration on
Educational Goals for Young Australians
of 2008 states: All young Australians
become successful learners, confident
and creative individuals, and active
and informed citizens who are
responsible global and local citizens.
A global citizen contributes to and
acts for a more peaceful, just and
sustainable world. Enabling young
people to participate in a better
shared future for all is at the heart
of this education. With a deep
synthesis of theory and practice,
global education is a response to
engage learners in issues critical to
understanding their communities,
their world and their future.
How do our learners become
global citizens?
Simply, they need to be globally
competent.
Global competence is the capacity
and disposition to understand and act
on issues of global significance; issues
such as interdependence, globalisation,

cultural diversity, human rights, social
justice, environmental, social and
economic sustainability, food security,
population distribution, biodiversity, the
poverty cycle, wellbeing and peaceful
conflict resolution.
The globally competent learner
investigates the world, including their
immediate environment and beyond,
recognises perspectives, both their own
and others, communicates ideas and
collaborates with diverse audiences
and takes creative action on issues
of global significance to improve
conditions both locally and globally.
The Australian Curriculum sets out
the core knowledge, understanding,
skills and general capabilities
important as a foundation for
future learning, growth and active
participation in the Australian
community. After 15 years of
bipartisan support for a national
Global Education Project, the
importance of delivering global
education in Australia seems distracted
with current competing political
discourse and agendas.
With the implementation of the Global
Goals for Sustainable Development
and the significant impact of UNESCOs
decade for Education for Sustainable
Development, we will likely see an
emerging name change to Education
for Sustainable Development. It has,
as its focus, the goal of every human
being to acquire the knowledge,
skills, attitudes and values necessary
to shape a sustainable future for all.
(UNESCO Education sector)
In terms of active participation and
uptake of global learning, here are some
guidelines for your school to consider.
What does global learning mean for the
school and community?
Global learning principles are
incorporated into the mission
statements and curriculum documents
of the school.
The school actively supports and
resources the inclusion of global
perspectives in the curriculum and
wider school programs.
A global
citizen
contributes
to and acts
for a more
peaceful,
just and
sustainable
world.
What does this look like in the

curriculum?
The curriculum has strong relevance
for all students and challenges and
counters stereotypes of other cultures
and countries and reflects concern
about local and global poverty,
injustice, conflict and sustainable
development.
Global perspectives influence
teaching and learning across all the
learning areas and at every stage of
learning.
What does this look like in
the classroom?
The classroom set-up and
environment promotes cooperative
interaction and effective
communication.
Teaching and learning activities are
designed to foster learners sense of
their own value and encourage them
to take responsibility for their own
learning, take part in decision making
and to learn processes of negotiation
and consensus building.
Learners are encouraged to use
critical thinking skills and to apply these
skills effectively to a broad range of
problems using a diversity of media and
other resource materials. Teachers and
learners have positive values they
believe in the potential of others, have
compassionate concern for the rights of
others, and care for the environment.
Teachers and learners are
actively learning skills of intercultural
communication, peaceful conflict
resolution, visioning and contributing to
a fairer and more just world. Teachers
and learners are committed to taking
action to build a better world for all and
providing a sense of hope for the future.
Some activities for the classroom
Peace Haven for Bears (Years F-2)
A bear had escaped from his forest
where all the other bears have been
fighting. Discuss how you think this bear
is feeling. If the bear came to you for
help, how would you care for it?
Thinking Globally: Global Perspectives
in the Early Years Classroom (2008)
Disaster Preparedness (Years 5, 6)
Various disasters are investigated to
develop an understanding of causes,
effects and the types of assistance
communities such as in Laos, Philippines
and Indonesia need to recover.
Learners also explore how disaster
preparedness can mitigate their impact
and build hope and resilience.
Global education website
Migration (Year 10)
The Globalising World investigates
how migration from 1945 to the present
day has shaped Australian society. This

unit focuses on changing migration
policies and the development
of human rights and anti-racism
movements in Australia.
Australian Human Rights Commission
Building a systematic and cohesive
program requires a whole school
approach and focussed leadership.
Support for teachers to strengthen
global perspectives within the
curriculum is not only timely but
imperative if our future citizens are to be
prepared as stewards of our planet.
References
Contesting and Constructing
International Perspectives in Global
Education, Reynolds R, Sense Publishers,
Rotterdam, 2015
Websites referred to below were
accessed one or more times in the
period July to August 2015
http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/
verve/_resources/GPS_web.pdf Global
Perspectives: A framework for global
education in Australian schools
http://www.tidegloballearning.net/
primary-early-years/quality-globallearning-meeting-needs-learners
http://deeep.org/wp-content/
uploads/2015/01/DEEEP4_
QualityImpact_Report_2014_web2.
pdf Monitoring Education for Global
Citizenship: A Contribution to Debate
http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_
resources/National_Declaration_on_
the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_
Australians.pdf
http://asiasociety.org/files/Literacy%20
Quick%20Sheet.pdf
http://asiasociety.org/files/bookglobalcompetence.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/
images/0014/001416/141629e.pdf
publications/food-for-all.html
global-issues/gi-disasters.html
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/ourwork/education/publications/rightsedglobalising-world
http://asiasociety.org/
globalcompetence
Living in the now:

Mindfulness meditation a growing trend
In recent years,
mindfulness
meditation has
found its way
from international
workplaces into
schools. IE Journalist
Alex Leggett
investigates how
mindfulness is
being perceived by
teachers and how
the outcomes are
improving mental
health and wellbeing
for students.
The growing trend of teachers adapting

their teaching strategies to include
mindfulness comes after results show
students are improving because of it. The
practice of mindfulness meditation teaches
students to be aware and focused on the
now, teaching the mind not to wander,
a concept that originated in Buddhism.
Mindfulness is the secularised form of this
meditation and has been incorporated
into workplaces around the world including
government organisations, hospitals,
universities and schools.
History and evidence
In terms of the classroom, mindfulness
has been on the rise in Australia, following
its introduction to schools in the UK, Europe
and US. Its been implemented in Oxford,
Harvard and now in Melbourne universities
like Monash. A study from Oxford even
found mindfulness meditation exercises
can reduce relapses into depression by
44% with some researchers saying it is as
effective as taking antidepressants.
Monash has overwhelmingly embraced
the concept with its implementation
stretching back to its medical students in
1989. Now they have expanded the model
into a wide range of faculties including
Business, IT, Engineering, Law, Psychology
and Sport.
Mindfulness and technology
Clinical psychologist Richard Chambers
and Monash colleague Craig Hassed,
specialise in mindfulness-based therapies
and have written a book called Mindful
Learning. Their goal is to embed
mindfulness into the Australian curriculum
by 2020 to build emotional resilience where
it matters most during a childs schooling.
Its becoming more and more obvious
that childrens most important life skill is
to develop attention, and if they cant
keep focused then theres no learning. Its

crucial for people to learn to communicate
and empathise with each other from an
early age, Dr Hassed said.
Mindfulness affects memory, brain
development and physical health and a
lot of research has been done to show that
it can influence and improve DNA repair,
which slows down the rate of ageing.
Dr Hassed said there are many fields of
research on social and emotional training
and there is a myriad of reasons why it is
also good for students physical health.
One of the main reasons it is so
important right now is the overuse of
technology and excessive screen time that
impairs students ability to engage. So this is
a type of antidote in some respects.
Mindfulness as a practice can be
divided into two aspects the meditation
sessions where a young student may
meditate for around 10 minutes and the
informal practice, that is, students ability
to be mindful as they go about their dayto-day life.
During the past 10 years, weve been
running programs in schools and one of
the first was with the Methodist Ladies
College in Melbourne. We ran a program
for Year 12s and had 20 students who
went through it.
We measured their wellbeing and found
those who underwent mindfulness training
had their mental and emotional health
improve in contrast to the rest of the Year
12 cohort, he said.
In terms of scepticism over the practice,
Dr Hassed said if there are initial doubts
about the program, he refers people to the
evidence to show it works.
I talk a lot about the science behind it
in a simple, practical way. Generally their
arguments are not based on anything
substantial its about looking at the bigger
issue of how to engage attention.
Monash has been involved in the

development of an app called Smiling
Mind, described as modern meditation
for young people in an increasingly fastpaced world.
I am an ambassador for the app and
my colleague Richard was very active in its
development, Dr Hassed said.
Smiling Mind is a free smartphone
and web app developed by a team of
psychologists with expertise in youth and
adolescent therapy.
The apps website describes it as a simple
tool that gives a sense of calm, clarity and
contentment.
Children today need it now more than
any other generation, Dr Hassed said.
A lot of schools use the app as a
supplement to their mindfulness programs
in order to engage students and help
combat stress.
Dr Chambers believes it is important to
make mindfulness more accessible to
young people in a digital age where they
are constantly being distracted.
Thats what we have done with Smiling
Mind we adapted some of the more
complex language for school age kids, but
adults can still use it.
Its becoming
more and more
obvious that
childrens most
important life
skill is to develop
attention, and
if they cant
keep focused
then theres
no learning.
Mindfulness in the future

The World Health Organisation (WHO)
has predicted mental health issues are
likely to be one of the biggest burdens to
the health care system by 2030. So, is there
a way to tie mindfulness in to pre existing
bodies combatting depression such as
MindMatters and Beyond Blue?
Dr Chambers hopes the government can
look at funding a mindfulness program to
ensure wellbeing is a priority in curriculum.
Its more than just wellbeing.
Mindfulness also enhances academic and
work performance, and has other benefits
like developing communication and better
relationships.
This combination less stress, better
performance is why it belongs in
education.
References and additional information
http://mindfulnessinschools.org/
http://smilingmind.com.au/
www.monash.edu/counselling/mindfulness.html
http://www.oxfordmindfulness.org/wpcontent/uploads/jccp-paper-021213.pdf
Balanced space
Brisbane Girls Grammar School has
their own wellbeing program that looks
at helping students cope with the stress
and anxieties of adolescent life.
School psychologist Jody Forbes said
it is about being in the moment, not
thinking too far ahead and not worrying
too much about the future.
She said Wellness Wednesday is part
of a new program she coordinates
called Balance@BGGS.
Its a type of holistic program
available to all of our students, she said.
The idea is to provide information,
skills and activities that enhance
emotional, social, cognitive and
physical health.
She said more programs will be on
offer in 2016 and one of their teachers,
Donald Pincott, has been trained in
accredited mindfulness program .b,
and coordinates the relaxation sessions.
They come in at lunch time, take
off their shoes, lie down and relax.
Numbers vary so sometimes we have
20, sometimes there are just two
students, Ms Forbes said.
She said the sessions go through lunch
and run for about 20 to 30 minutes.
The sessions start at 12.50pm
and then the doors close. Girls are
encouraged to eat their lunch first and
then they can come along.
Our new addition of Year 7 students

to Girls Grammar has sparked more
interest from younger grades in
balance activities.
Girls at the school were recently given
the opportunity to attend a three week
mindfulness course held on Monday
afternoons a day that is perceived by
many as the most stressful of the week.
We have many courses involving
stress management, study skills, getting
balance and developing confidence,
and we are looking to get more alumni
involved in activities.
We have a dedicated Balance
Space with bean bags where students
can just drop in on Tuesdays and
Fridays at lunch. Its a social place
where there are games such as Uno
and mindfulness colouring to help
them stop, release stress and be in the
moment.
We also have a Friday lunchtime
knitting club where two alumni ladies
come in and teach students how to
knit. Its also a break from technology
and electronic devices.
The school has a Bring Your Own
Device (BYOD) policy and its important
to have some down time away from
laptops and tablets.
IEU takes a stand

against sinister Act
The Federal
Governments new
Border Force Act
Section 42 forbids
teachers who
work in Australias
immigration detention
centres at Nauru,
Manus Island and
Villawood to speak up
about any information
they come across
in the course of their
work. The IEU strongly
opposes this Act.
The IEUs position is
outlined in a policy
from the Federal
Council, IEU Organiser
Dave Towson writes.
Former Integrity Commissioner Phillip

Moss headed up an inquiry that found
evidence of sexual and physical assault
against children and women in Nauru. The
inquiry had passed their findings to the
relevant ministers. The Minister had been
aware of these sexual abuse allegations
against children for 17 months before any
action was taken.
The Moss Enquiry noted Nauru had no
compulsory Working with Children Checks
for staff and no mandatory requirement
for reporting abuse. Still the Australian
Government sends children to Nauru
without the proper regulatory safeguards.
In fact, instead of addressing this
legal deficiency new Australian
legislation takes us in another direction.
The Australian Border Force Act 2015
came into force on 1 July. Under the
Act (Section 42) entitled Secrecy, it
is a criminal offence, punishable by
imprisonment of up to two years, for
any person working directly or indirectly
for the Department of Immigration and
Border Protection to reveal to the media
or any other person or organisation

anything that happens in detention
centres like Nauru and Manus Island.
Teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers,
social workers and other professionals
could face prosecution and up to two
years imprisonment for speaking up for
people in their care.
NSW ACT IEU General Secretary John
Quessy said: The sinister Border Force
Act Section 42 makes it an offence for
an entrusted person to make a record
of, or disclose protected information.
Would the Prime Minister be happy to
accept that those caring for his children
were fearful of speaking out about
suspected abuse? A consequence
of these laws, perhaps unintended, is
that abusers will be protected and not
exposed, Mr Quessy said.
Basically what the Federal
Government is doing with the introduction
of this law is punishing teachers
for standing up for their students,
whose classrooms happen to be in
a detention centres.
Detaining a
single asylum
seeker on
Manus Island
or Nauru costs
$400,000 per
year. Allowing
asylum seekers
to live in the
community
costs the
taxpayer
$12,000 per
year.
Culture of secrecy
This law came into effect while the Royal
Commission into Institutional Responses
to Child Sexual Abuse is giving voice to
victims whose assailants were protected
by a culture of secrecy and cover up.
The IEU condemns the Border Force
Act along with the continuing practice
of keeping children in detention centres,
the denial of rights to asylum as provided
for under international covenants and
attempts to silence the Human Rights
Commission.
Those people not moved by
humanitarian arguments might consider
the economic cost of mandatory
detention and offshore processing.
Detaining a single asylum seeker on
Manus Island or Nauru costs $400,000 per
year. Detention in Australia costs $239,000
per asylum seeker per year.
Allowing asylum seekers to live in the
community while their claims are being
processed costs the taxpayer $12,000 per
year and even less if they are allowed the
right to work.
For the privilege of sending people
to Cambodia, we are paying the
Cambodian government $40,000,000. The
first four refugees to be sent to Cambodia
from Nauru have been transferred
to Darwin awaiting transportation to
Cambodia. One Iranian couple, one
single Iranian man and another single
Roghinga refugee from Burma out of a
population of nearly 700 detainees on
Nauru are the only people so far to have
accepted an offer of $15,000 to uproot
their lives again and move to Cambodia.
Kids in detention
There are about 220 children in
detention centres in Australia and Nauru
today. There are another 863 children
in community detention and a further
3,257 children on bridging visas which
means their parents often have no work
rights and limited access to government
support.
The following statement was endorsed
by the Federal Council of the IEUA on 29
April this year:
That the IEU deplores the current
treatment of asylum-seekers by the
Australian Government and condemns
the Federal Government and the
Opposition for failing to deal with the
asylum seeker boat issue in open, fair and
honest manner.
The IEU believes that the Governments
decision and legislation to resort to
punishment for those fleeing persecution is
wrong and misguided.
The IEU urges all political parties and
members of parliament to stop using
policies regarding asylum seekers to
foster misunderstanding, social division
and distrust, and instead use it as an
opportunity to get on with the job of
fulfilling Australias commitment under
the Refugee Convention to treat people

humanely, process applications for
asylum onshore, and promote the better
treatment of asylum seekers and refugees
in our region.
The IEU calls on the Australian
Government to abandon third country
(off-shore processing) altogether and
to reform Australias stance on asylum
seekers in line with our international
obligations.
The IEU condemns the placement of
children in detention centres.
The IEU calls for:
All political parties to respect and
acknowledge that neither indefinite
detention nor sending asylum seekers
to uncertainty in other countries can be
presented as a just or credible response to
the needs of people seeking refuge and
protection in Australia.
All parliamentarians to exercise
leadership and reframe the national
debate about refugees and asylum
seekers, explaining that the majority of
people who have entered Australia by
boat seeking asylum have been found to
need protection from persecution, and
therefore that the vulnerability of asylum
seekers must be a primary consideration
in any government response to people
movement.
The Australian Government to
immediately move to process all asylum
seekers onshore. Following initial detention
for preliminary health and security checks,
a detention that should be capped
at one month, after that, while their
refugee status is being determined, they
should be released into the community
on conditions that will ensure that they
remain available for processing and
(if necessary) removal. They should
be allowed to work and live in dignity.
Detention beyond the initial processing
should only occur in exceptional
circumstances.
The Australian Government to enable
Australias community sector to support
and resettle people humanely and
effectively, as an appropriate, sensitive
and least expensive solution to Australias
humanitarian responsibilities, instead of
spending substantial funds deporting
people overseas and building facilities
offshore.
The Australian Government to
immediately comply with the Convention
of the Rights of the Child, where children
as asylum seekers and unaccompanied
minors are entitled to have their welfare
and human rights protected and their
right to an education upheld.
The rejection of the Temporary
Protection Visa (TPV)/ Safe Have
Enterprise Visa (SHEV) system and provide
all refugees immediate access to a
permanent Protection Visa (PV).
The Victorian Experience
Supervision, yard duty and fights

your rights and obligations
IEU Victoria
Tasmania Senior
Industrial Officer
Denis Matson
looks at the legal
responsibilities
of school staff
when supervising
students.
Teachers and support staff

The duty of care requires teachers
to take all reasonable measures to
ensure the safety of students under
their care. Support staff are generally
not professionally trained for the
management of groups of students,
but are expected to act reasonably
to protect those they are supervising.
How these obligations translate into
appropriate steps to take in particular
circumstances is horribly vague.
The legal obligation:
What is reasonable?
Courts, in finding teachers and
schools negligent, have repeatedly
used words like A teacher must take
such measures as are reasonable
in the circumstances to protect a
student from risk of harm that the
teacher should have reasonably
foreseen, so ask yourself:
what would a reasonable

person (being a teacher) do in the
circumstances, and
what harm is reasonably
foreseeable?
Courts have also declared that:
a higher standard of care is required
for younger students and those with
disabilities
the principal is responsible for
making arrangements for adequate
playground supervision
teachers must carry out their
supervisory duties in such a way that
students are reasonably protected
from harm, and
it is not just the teachers who are
rostered on who have a duty of
care. If a teacher notices something
that endangers students but does
nothing about it, they will ordinarily
have failed in their duty of care.
For a non teacher, the test will be

what a reasonable person in his/her
position would do. Unlike teachers,
support staff are not exposed to
losing their registration. But they could
face prosecution for negligence
or, more likely, termination of their
employment. Proving negligence in
such matters is generally difficult and,
if it can be shown that you acted
reasonably, there will be no grounds
for termination.
Policies
Schools and principals tend to believe
that they can acquit their responsibilities
by simply having a policy and a roster.
The policies often do no more than try
to shift the onus onto staff. If the policy
or roster is unreasonable, or doesnt
work properly, staff should document
this (emails will do) and insist on
improvements. If the school fails to act
appropriately, the staff will carry less risk.
The schools policies definitely
should include the times of supervision
(including weekends) so that staff,
students and parents are in no doubt
as to when supervisions is provided
and when no responsibility is being
taken by the school.
Fights
There is a general duty of care to
prevent injuries, but you may not be
required to physically intervene. The
Victorian Civil and Administrative
Tribunal has found that a failure to
intervene did not constitute serious
incompetence and reinstated a
teachers registration. Again, it will
depend on what is reasonable
in the circumstances, like: the age
of the students, their physical size,
your size, whether the student(s) are
armed, whether intervention is likely
to be futile or may endanger you.
Incidentally, an intervention which
would endanger you is probably a
breach of your duty under section
25 of the Occupational Health
and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) to take
reasonable care for your own safety.
When relief doesnt show up?
Schools tend to say that that staff
must stay out on duty. Imagine a
court hearing would they think your
lunch break or the prevention of harm
to kids was a greater priority? There
are systems in place at some schools
that help staff remember when they
are on duty, and provide the steps
to get a reliever when someone
forgets. If the problem is more than
occasional, you should document it
and insist the school sets up a system
to ensure that relief is available. You
have a legal right to a lunch break

and, while you might accept a
shorter break on the odd occasion,
a systematic failure to ensure you
get your break exposes the school
to penalties.
Off campus supervision
Some schools have instituted
supervision at train/tram stations
away from the school. By doing this,
the school exposes itself to extended
liability (as it then has some authority
and control over events well outside
the school grounds). The obligations of
school staff remain the same as if they
were in the school grounds.
Other schools have introduced
policies requiring staff to report
misconduct occurring off the school
grounds (students smoking or wearing
uniform incorrectly in public). As a
guide you can only report what you
are absolutely certain of. If you are
not on duty, you have no authority to
investigate. The measure of the right
response is what is reasonable in all
the circumstances.
Being sued
Its extremely rare for school staff
to be sued over supervision, let
alone found negligent. Normally an
aggrieved parent will sue the school,
not least because, if found negligent,
they are more likely to have the
resources to pay damages. If sued,
staff will normally be indemnified by
their school. In NSW, employees acting
in the course of duty must by law, be
indemnified by their employer in almost
all circumstances. In other states
if you are sued, you should check
whether your IEU membership includes
professional indemnity insurance.
Further Information
For further information and advice
contact your IEU office.
Yard
duty hints
Keep a roving eye and move
around systematically.
Report every incident.
Dont participate in schoolyard
activities when you should be
supervising.
Raise every instance where relief
doesnt arrive in writing.
Talking point...
A specialist science
teacher in every primary
school a good idea?
Rosa Wilkinson
Principal
St Josephs School
West Brunswick, Victoria
Last year the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory
Group made a number of recommendations regarding
teacher training in Australia. Recommendation 18 of the
document Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers stated
that providers equip all primary preservice teachers with
at least one subject specialisation, prioritising science,
mathematics or a language.
I agree that primary teachers need to improve their
knowledge in the areas of science, maths and language
and one effective way would be for them to specialise in
a subject when training. However if the aim of this reform
is to improve overall student performance in these areas,
this strategy alone will not achieve this outcome. Alongside
this initiative we need a variety of effective professional
learning models in the workplace; this two pronged
strategy will build teacher capacity and therefore improve
student engagement and outcomes. Extensive professional
learning programs conducted in the school, which include
regular input from a specialist, an opportunity to trial
strategies and peer coaching which includes effective

feedback, will produce teachers with greater expertise
and confidence in science, mathematics and language.
It is also important to note that the very reason the
primary school teachers role is a generalist one is because
we know that it is crucial for a young childs learning
to develop the skills needed to access, understand
and engage with the content of a subject area. While
it is important for students to develop strong content
knowledge, developing skills is equally, if not at times,
more important in the learning process. Therefore in order
to fill the knowledge gap which primary teachers may
have in particular subject areas, many primary schools
already employ specialists to work with both students
and teachers. This strategy engages students, but more
importantly builds teacher capacity; a strategy which will
have greater impact in schools and on students on a long
term basis.
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
Science communicator and author
Catering for natural scientists
Primary teachers tell me that once they get something going with kids it works
well but they dont know what to start with.
Kids are natural scientists. Science is not a bunch of facts like how high Mt
Everest is or how deep is the deepest ocean. Science is a dynamic process of
trying to understand the universe, which is always changing.
I go to primary schools and the kids are open and will ask anything. Not so
at high schools. We need a dedicated science teacher in schools so they
know what pathways to take primary kids down, in the same way you need
someone who knows how to teach music. Science is about demonstration and
you need someone like the Surfing Scientist http://www.abc.net.au/science/
surfingscientist/ in every school.
If you cant achieve that, his website is a good resource. Heres one to try. Get
a flat bowl and fill it with water. Put four different coloured M&Ms in at separate
corners from each other. As they dissolve watch what happens with the
coloured dye. He showed this one to me and I was blown away. Demonstration
is best.
In Australia, we are in a phase where education is regarded as an
unnecessary and intolerable burden on society rather than as an investment
in our future. Until that changes we are not likely to see dedicated science
teachers in schools, unless the music teacher goes or the sports program is
cut. In Germany degrees are free and in Asia teachers are treated with great
respect. Until there is a change in Australia we are not going to do much about
getting a dedicated science teacher in primary schools.
Debra Guthrie
Head of Faculty Sciences
St Ritas College
Clayfield, Queensland
After working in education, in both the private and state
systems, I believe that it is important for all students to have
the knowledge and skills gained from the study of Science
and Mathematics, and it must start at the primary school
level. It is important, not just to the individual, but to the
nation. A nation that encourages an understanding of
scientific issues is a nation that is looking into the future.
It is important for the individual to have an understanding
of the world around them and as a civilization, we need
to make informed choices in how we care for our world
and efficiently utilise its limited resources. As a nation, it is
important that we are planning to handle issues of a growing
population, coupled with the need for increased productivity
and employment opportunities. Hence, we need to ensure
that we have the people with the knowledge, creativity
and foresight to teach our children, drive research and
lead innovation.
Scientific understanding and technological know-how must
start in the primary schools and be further encouraged in
secondary, guided by teachers who are specifically qualified
in the area. Staff being well trained and having a passion
for science is essential in motivating students.
Sufficient time also needs to be allocated to the science
curriculum. However, I do not believe that it should be
mandatory to study science subjects past Year 10. Forcing
students to study science in the senior years will not increase
the numbers of the sort of people needed in science-based
positions or continuing into research. We need to support
those who want to progress into Science areas by driving
funds into programs like STEM and teaching training, and
offering better financial assistance to those undertaking
research.
Thanks
Mrs Appleby
Look where I am today
because of your class.
qiec.com.au
Super is like a good education.

Youll appreciate it in the future.
QIEC Super Pty Ltd ABN 81 010 897 480, the Trustee of QIEC Super ABN 15 549 636 673, is Corporate Authorised Representative No. 268804 under Australian Financial Services Licence No. 238507 and is
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Helping a young nation grow

Prep teachers (back
from left) Judy Scott,
Terri Lucas, and
Esther Bond made
East Timorese student
teachers Jovita
Freitas Ximenes (left)
and Sonia da Silva
Belo feel welcome
at St Agnes Primary
School. (Courtesy
of BCE)
Australians often
take receiving an
education or having
a school close
by for granted,
IE Journalist Alex
Leggett writes.
There are mixed

influences
from different
education
systems such
as Portuguese
and Indonesian
systems, which
focus on the
teacher talking
for most of
the time with
students listening.
For developing countries such as

our close neighbour, Timor Leste
(East Timor), its residents are still
coming to terms with rebuilding their
education system and schools after
violent conflict razed much of the
countrys infrastructure during its fight
for independence in 1999. Earlier this
year, two graduate teachers from
Timor Leste visited staff and students
at St Agnes Catholic Primary School
in Brisbanes south, where they learnt
new practices and training so they
could open their first school with a prep
class in the remote town of Gari-uai in
the countrys north-east.
After graduating from the Catholic
Teachers College in Baucau, Jovita
Freitas Ximenes and Sonia da Silva Belo
arrived at St Agnes in April to observe
and learn from Australian teachers
and receive training to teach about 45
students at the new school.
Loreto Sister Diaan Stuart, who
accompanied the pair during their visit,
has travelled to Timor to help open the
school Loreto Gari-uai School. She
says the project aims to help improve
the education standards in the country
and allow more opportunities for
people to have a quality education.
St Agnes Principal Rick Sheehan
said the project was such a success
they would look to do it again in the
near future.
It was such a great experience we
are now in the process of organising for
a young male teacher from the same
area to come out later in the year,
he said.
Enrolments are growing and the new
school at Gari-uai will soon expand to
include Years 1 and 2. As a result, there
will be a need for more teachers who
understand a child centred approach
to teaching and learning.
Mr Sheehan said the key is training
Timor Lestes new teachers to equip
them with the tools to develop basic
school systems and improve national
literacy rates for future generations.

During their stay at St Agnes, Jovita
and Sonia found one of the main
differences in the teaching methods
was less talking from the teacher
and more class participation,
allowing students to share their
thoughts and learning through
engagement and interaction.
There are mixed influences from
different education systems such as
Portuguese and Indonesian systems,
which focus on the teacher talking
for most of the time with students
listening, he said.
Sister Stuart has been working in
Timor Leste for over 10 years and has
already established a crche there.
Some years ago we had another
young Timorese teacher who spent a
term with us to see how we operated
in prep, and then she went back to
establish the crche.
For this new project in Gari-uai,
St Agnes and the Loreto Sisters entered
a partnership with Brisbane Catholic
Education and received approval
and support from its Executive Director
Pam Betts.
Sister Stuart wanted the young
teachers to experience Australian
contemporary childhood centres and
see more creative ways of teaching
and learning. She asked us if we
would have the young teachers here
for a period of time, so they could
observe good child-centred teaching
practice, Mr Sheehan said.
As for the schools construction, it
has begun its life as a shed - donated
and refurbished by local villagers
under the direction of the Loreto
Sisters. It is in the process of being
upgraded with more sections to be
added in 2016. By building schools
for remote communities in need, the
Loreto Sisters, St Agnes and Brisbane
Catholic Education have committed
to furthering the education of many
East Timorese people into the future.
Recent research
Targeted teaching
The huge spread of student achievement in the same
year levels is one of the biggest challenges facing teachers
and the school system. The Grattan Institutes new report,
Targeted Teaching: How Better Use of Data Can Improve
Student Learning, explores what can be done about it:
http://grattan.edu.au/report/targeted-teaching-how-betteruse-of-data-can-improve-student-learning/
Outcomes improve if Commonwealth
leaves schools to the states
The most efficient way to run, fund and regulate primary
and secondary schools in Australia is for the State and
Territory Governments to have sole responsibility, a report
published today by the Melbourne School of Government
has found.
The report, Schooling Federalism: Evaluating the Options
for Reform, assessed the four reform options proposed
by the Reform of the Federation Taskforce in the Prime
Ministers department for their effectiveness, feasibility,
equity and more.
It found that the current system of mixed and overlapping
responsibilities is one of the most complex and inconsistent in
the developed world and contributes to the widening gap
in outcomes between disadvantaged and advantaged
students, and weakens funding and program effectiveness.
Report author, Research Fellow and PhD candidate
Bronwyn Hinz from the University of Melbourne, said that if
the current system continues without substantial reform
it poses dire consequences for individual students and
the nation.
Stagnant or falling results in the national literacy and
numeracy (NAPLAN) tests indicate new approaches are
needed if we are to lift educational results.
http://apo.org.au/files/resources/melbourne_school_of_
government/56641-schooling_federalism_evaluating_the_
options_for_reform.pdf
Analysis and research into coeducation
in Australia and the UK
The question of whether single sex or coeducational
schools provide the best environment for students has
been researched extensively across the English-speaking
world. The abundant academic research has considered
the question in terms of academic achievement, a raft
of social outcomes whilst at and after school and the
experience of schools that make the transition from single

sex to coeducation. Whilst the research provides important
lessons for schools, particularly in making the transition to
coeducation, it cannot be reasonably concluded that
either structure is superior on any significant criteria.
This paper seeks to provide comprehensive background
information pertinent to the question of whether The Armidale
School should move toward coeducation in some form.
http://www.as.edu.au/content/uploads/2015/02/FinalCoeducation_Research_Paper_Feb_2015.pdf
The shared work of learning: Lifting educational
achievement through collaboration
In The shared work of learning, authors Tom Bentley and
Ciannon Cazaly argue that leaving the momentum of
educational improvement to the status quo will result in
widening inequality and stagnation in Australia.
Through a detailed analysis of three school systems, the
authors demonstrate why collaboration is poised to deliver
the next big wave of gains in education.
http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/reports/the-sharedwork-of-learning/
The teacher workforce in Australia:
Supply, demand and data issues
This paper provides a brief overview of the current teacher
workforce situation in Australia. It highlights workforce trends
and projected growth, and areas where the collection and
analysis of additional data may assist in the targeting of
effective policy.
Demand for teachers is on the rise. The population of
primary students is set to increase dramatically over the next
10 years. Secondary schools will start to see the increase
flow through from 2018. Part-time employment of teachers
is becoming more prevalent and the proportion of male
teachers in secondary school continues to decline.
Teacher supply varies across Australian states and
territories. Most states have a current, and in some cases
considerable, oversupply of generalist primary teachers.
The secondary workforce is more variable in terms of the
availability of teachers by subject areas as well as across
states. Regional and remote areas tend to experience
greater difficulty attracting and retaining teachers at all
levels than do their metropolitan counterparts.
http://research.acer.edu.au/policyinsights/2/
Could a canine companion

help your students learn?
While there are only
a handful of schools
in Australia currently
using an educational
support dog, the trend
is expected to spread
as word gets around
about the amazing
benefits dogs can
provide to students. IE
Journalist Sue Osborne
sniffed out the details.
The charity Assistance Dogs Australia

(ADA) has trained five dogs (three in
NSW, one in Queensland and one in WA)
to work in schools, with more about to
be placed. It trains labrador and golden
retriever puppies to provide practical
assistance to people with physical
disabilities (opening doors, picking up
pens) or to act as assistance dogs that
work with people with dementia, learning
difficulties, autism and post traumatic
stress disorder. It also provides facility
dogs, which work in hospital, hospices,
aged care facilities, drug and alcohol
clinics and prisons.
Puppies come from breeders and the
ADAs own breeding program. It takes
two years to train a dog at a cost of
$27,000. Puppies are assessed during the
training process to decide if they are
best suited to active highly trained work
assisting a person with a physical disability,
or to provide other skills in addition to
companionship.
ADA Instructor Team Leader Katie
Saran said any school that applied for
an educational support dog would go
through an assessment period.
The dog would live with a primary
carer who worked at the school,
and one other person at the school
would be trained to take responsibility
for the dog. No one else handles the
dog so there is no additional workload
for teachers, and more consistency
for the animal.
During the application process we

would get a picture of what the day to
day environment of the school would be
like and what skills would be beneficial for
the school, Katie said.
The first school ever to receive an
educational support dog from ADA was
Lake Illawarra High School in NSW.
Support Unit Teacher Ryan Olender was
volunteering as an educator for dogs
being trained to become an assistance
dog in hospitals and prisons. He teaches
students with autism, a mild intellectual
disability, or those with emotional
problems who might live in a refuge,
have been in juvenile justice or had
other problems.
It seemed like a natural progression to
me to start bringing a dog into school,
Ryan said.
As soon as we did it, it worked wonders.
In conjunction the Support Unit Head
Teacher Martin Moore, they applied for
Benson, and he started at the school in
2012. Benson lives with Ryan and comes
into school three or four days a week.
When hes not up for it or if I have sport I
leave him at home.
Ryan said Benson is particularly effective
when working with students who have
difficulties in forming relationships and
communicating.
Benson creates an environment where
emotionally disturbed students who
struggle with empathy and showing love
can practice and develop those skills.
Its given me
more time
to teach
as I spend
less time on
classroom
management.
The kids focus
on their work
more when
Benson is in
the room.
Its a lot easier for a student to give

a dog a cuddle or pat and share that
affection with each other.
A lot of students dont get a chance to
do that at home. The dog gives them a
sense of responsibility. They assist with his
grooming or toileting and it emulates a
stable home environment for them.
Since Bensons introduction, attendance
at the school has improved. Ryan reports
less negative incidences in the classroom
and a calmer atmosphere.
Some staff thought it would be
distracting having a dog in the
classroom but its turned out to be
the exact opposite.
Its given me more time to teach
as I spend less time on classroom
management. The kids focus on their work
more when Benson is in the room.
One of the best results is the
kids improved ability to share and
communicate with each other since
Benson. They wouldnt reach out to other
students or help them out as much before.
NSW ACT IEU Organiser Karen Forbes has
seen positive results from the interaction of
an autistic child with her dog Jess.
When she was principal of a rural
Catholic primary school she lived in the
convent adjacent to the school. Her
golden retriever Jess would come to the
fence whenever she heard the bell and
get snacks from the children.
One of the schools students, diagnosed
with autism, was nonverbal and subject to
occasional meltdowns.
After a few months we realised this
student was having less meltdowns when
he was outside with Jess. She seemed to
come up to the fence to look for him,
Karen said.
One day I found him in my backyard
sitting with her. We started taking him
to see Jess whenever he was displaying
challenging behaviour and he would
calm down immediately.
The student was allowed to walk Jess
around the school oval, and staff noticed
that he was speaking to the dog in his
own language.
His parents always believed he had the
potential to learn in his own way, we were

lucky to have a dog like Jess to open this
up for him.
Karen emphasises that this connection
was purely spontaneous and could
probably only work in a small country
school.
I would not recommend people do this,
they should go through the proper process
with Assistance Dogs Australia if they
would like a dog.
As educational support dogs are
relatively new there is not much research
on how they work. Katie has done a
literature review and found a study in the
Australian Occupational Therapy Journal
in 2005 which reported individuals may
experience immediate physiological
consequences simply by touching an
animal, particularly a dog.
The Journal of Contemporary
Psychotherapy in 2014 found
incorporating a therapy dog in 14 play
sessions can significantly increase speech
in children aged 7-10 who have autism.
Another study found dogs act as a
transition allowing autistic children to
bond with them and subsequently
people and become more aware of
their environment (Qualitative Health
Research 2008).
If you are interested in an educational
support dog for your school, the program
set up requires onsite training at the
Sydney national training school. Costs
for travel and accommodation are not
covered however the training itself is
provided free. This is followed by in situ
training both in the home and school
environment where the dog would be.
The dog is provided free of charge
however all initial costs and ongoing
costs for the health of the dog are to
be covered by the school/carer. This
includes food, bedding, toys and
veterinary health care for the life of
the dog.
ADA is always looking for puppy
educators too.
Contact Assistance Dogs Australia by
email lmoore@assistancedogs.org.au or
phone 1800 688 364.
Oscar winning
Australians
It may be
surprising to realise
that 47 Oscars have
been awarded
to Australians in
the history of the
Academy Awards
to date.
It all began in 1942 when Damien

Parers evocative documentary Kokoda
Front Line was presented with the best
Documentary Oscar, a film produced by
Ken Hall, a major filmmaker in Australia
then. The film portrayed the devastating
war conditions in Papua New Guinea, and
trumped some of the censored footage
the Americans had been shooting during
World War II. The other documentary
Oscar winners were Eva Orner and Alex
Gibney for their film Taxi to the Dark Side
(2007). Other winners include: Catherine
Martin, a four time Oscar winner for both
her production design and costume
design for Moulin Rouge (2001) and The
Great Gatsby (2013), both for director
Baz Luhrmann. The other major winner
for Costume Design, is Orry-Kelly (subject
of Gillian Armstrongs fine documentary
Women Hes Undressed, 2015) who won
three Oscars for: An American In Paris
(1951), Les Girls (1957) and Some Like It
Hot (1959). Also winners in Costume Design
are: John Truscott (Camelot, 1968), who
also won for Production Design, and Lizzy
Gardiner and Tim Chappel for Adventures
of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1995).
Cate Blanchett has received two Oscars,
one for Best Actress in Blue Jasmine (2013)
and the other for Best Supporting Actress
for The Aviator (2004). Nicole Kidman won
for Best Actress in 2002 for The Hours. The
Acting awards are interesting as two of
them have been awarded posthumously.
One to Peter Finch for Network (1976) and
the other, as supporting actor, for Heath
Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008). Also,
Geoffrey Rush won Best Actor for Shine
(1996), and Russell Crowe was best actor
for Gladiator (1999).
Animation has been a good category
for Australians. George Miller won the

Best Animated Feature award in 2006 for
Happy Feet, while in the Short Animation
category, Suzanne Baker and Bruce Petty
won for Leisure (1977), Adam Elliot won
for Harvie Krumpet (2003), and Shaun Tan
and Andrew Ruhemann won for The Lost
Thing (2010).
There have been six Australian
cinematographers who have received
Oscars: Robert Krasker (The Third Man,
1950), Dean Semler (Dances With Wolves,
1990), John Seale (The English Patient,
1996), Andrew Lesnie (Lord of the Rings
Fellowship of the Ring, 2001), Russell Boyd
(Master & Commander: The Far Side of the
World, 2003), and Dion Beebe (Memoirs of
a Geisha, 2005).
In the Editing category, Kirk Baxter won
two Oscars: The Social Network (2010) and
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011). For
Music, Peter Allen received an Oscar for
cowriting the Best Original Song for the film
Arthur (1981).
For Original Screenplay, Jane Campion
won for The Piano (1993), while for
Adapted Screenplay, John Farrow won for
Around the World in 80 Days (1956). Best
Sound Design went to the team involved
with The Matrix (1999), while the team for
that film also won Best Visual Effects. The
other Australian winner for Visual Effects
was the team involved with Babe (1996).
Peter Krausz
Peter is the Former Chair of the
Australian Film Critics Association, hosts a
weekly film radio program in Melbourne:
Movie Metropolis, and is a film journalist
and film festival consultant. He can be
contacted on: peterkrausz8@gmail.com
Inspiring your
students with apps
and games
I want to inspire the

students in my class
to reach beyond the
boundaries of my
experience. I want to
open the world up to
them and the best way
that I can do that is
through technology. I
have included in this
article some of the apps
and programs that have
inspired me. I have
taken on the challenge
of learning to code with
the aim of participating
in the Hour of Code held
by Code.org. Their aim is
to get 10 million people
globally to participate in
one hour of coding
in December, writes
Sallyann Burtenshaw,
teacher at St Bernards
Primary Batemans
Bay, NSW
Being a complete novice I started early

in the hope that by December I will be
able to complete more than five minutes
of coding without tearing out my hair.
A session on http://codecademy.com/
confirmed that I havent started too
early. I recommend this site for anyone
with permanent scratch marks on their
forehead. (Im wondering if this is how
Scratch got its name.)
Scratch
Scratch is a great Coding App to use
with the kids, who of course quickly
become the teachers. I am constantly
amazed at how swiftly their brains adapt
to new stimulus. Using the experts in your
class is by far the quickest way to learn
and is a great survival strategy for those of
us who are not naturals.
QRafter
This is a little gem with a trillion uses.
I have used this successfully for Kinder
orientation. When parents come into the
school they are able to scan QR codes to
see the band performing, sports sessions in
motion, choir etc.
I have also used this code for reading
buddies. I filmed the buddies reading
then made codes which were displayed
in kindergarten. During silent reading
the Kinder students were able to have
a number of books read to them by
scanning the code with the iPad.
Skype
Anyone with a school band may
want to look up Skype Classroom Lets
Unite The World With Music (https://
education.skype.com/projects/3242let-us-link-the-world-with-music-skylight).
The aim is to create a global concert
in which musicians will follow the sun

sharing a piece of classical music for 24
hours creating a bridge of peace. There
are loads of other great activities on
Skype Classroom aimed at connecting
classrooms all over the world.
Minecraft
Oh no! I hear you shout but the
kids love it and it can be a great
tool for encouraging creativity. I am
using Minecraft as a reward to build
collaborative learning in HSIE. Teams that
are working collaboratively get to build
part of the imaginary world created by the
class. On this world they have to provide
the building blocks of society which
address the topic of needs and wants.
Minecraft also has a competition out:
Build Australias Perfect National Park
which some children are working on at
home. There is also a site called Autcraft
which is designed to create a safe place
for children with ASD to play mincecrat.
http://www.autcraft.com/
Stile
I recently completed a free eight day
trial of Stile. This is an Australian made
collaborative platform similar to Edmodo.
It is very user friendly. I found that it put
everything that I needed in one place
which in a crowded curriculum is gold.
There is a cost involved but I would
recommend anyone with BYOD having
a look. If you are using it in your school I
would love to get some feedback on its
effectiveness.
I hope this has inspired you to take up
the technology challenge. The following
quote got me stated on my journey.
Inspiration doesnt happen to you. It must
be generated by you. Susan Sazza.
ITS
ABOUT
BEING
WEALTHY
AND +
WISE
Thats why were dedicated to
educating and empowering
our members.
To help you enjoy true wealth

in every sense of the word,
we have developed a website
at www.truewealth.com.au
which is packed with great
articles just for you.
Issued by NGS Super Pty Limited ABN 46 003 491 487 AFSL No 233 154 the Trustee of NGS Super ABN 73 549 180 515.
From wellbeing and lifestyle

to wealth and retirement, our
articles cover a wide range of
topics to help you build your
wealth of knowledge and get
the most out of life.
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issue 3|Vol 45|2015

Take advantage of Union Shoppers collective buying

On average, members save between

BIG savings on a wide range of products & services!

1300 368 117

Indigenous equals success

What began as a small mentoring program 11 years ago with...

News and views from around Australia

There has been a push from psychologists,

A recent study into students perceptions

Part of our everyday

Associate Professor Debra Bateman

Recently retired principal Karen

What did you

Why would a union run a

Marilyn Snider was an education

Living in the now:

The Federal Governments new Border

Deputy Leader of the Opposition,

Bubble wrap kids: Do we

IEU takes a stand

Supervision, yard duty

Denis Matson looks at the legal responsibilities

A specialist science teacher in every

Australians often take receiving an education

The huge spread of student achievement in

While there are only a handful of schools

Oscar winning Australians

Inspiring your students

I want to inspire the students in my

In recent years, mindfulness meditation

For too long our governments, and

Have your say

The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP

I was brought up in the southern

history teacher. Im really interested in

important to me, such as what I was

identified that my daughter was very

independent education| issue 3|Vol 45|2015|5

national approach to child protection matters, we are not

ACT ACT Teacher Registration and the Code of Conduct

ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) of a teachers right to teach

Victoria Tackling Occupational Violence

Guidelines to be implemented in all Catholic schools

Does your school have both a clear parental code of

The new guidelines released by the CECV earlier this year

Western Australia Fixing some bad connections

6|independent education| issue 3|Vol 45|2015

to their implementation of a raft of practices and

Queensland Ready for registration renewal

Forms of evidence may vary and the QCT recommends

Northern Territory Prepare for audits

Required evidence includes:

South Australia Balance needed for trade trainers

Tasmania Review of the Education Act

The IEU has readily accepted an invitation to participate

The Government received 230 submissions in response to

8|independent education| issue 3|Vol 45|2015

Education may be the key to

I was delighted to have had this

Ive seen some

White Ribbon initiatives