Click here to download the program brochure for the APPA/NZPF Trans-Tasman Conference advertised below.

As well as the schedule for the conference, the program brochure lists the names of the international keynote speakers, including Andy Hargreaves (USA), Kishore Mahbubani (Singapore), Pasi Sahlberg (Finland), and Yong Zhao (USA).

Our Primary Purpose: Leading Learning

The Australian Primary Principals Association and the New Zealand Principals Federation invite school leaders to attend the next Trans Tasman Conference.

Venue: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Date: 18-21 September 2012

Click here to download the Conference Brochure.

Click here to download the Conference Registration Flyer.

Click here to go to the conference website.

A Consistent ‘Foundation’ Around Australia

The Australian Government Primary Principals Association, AGPPA, representing over 5300 government schools principals around Australia, met this week in Canberra.  

AGPPA seeks to address the sheer problem of the different names used for the year of schooling prior to Year 1 around Australia.  

“We want consistency in terminology so we can compare apples with apples” said AGPPA President Gabrielle Leigh.

Click here to read the complete media release.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, ACARA, responsible for developing the Australian Curriculum, has called the year of schooling prior to Year 1, Foundation.

AGPPA urgently calls for a common sense and consistent approach across Australia.

“The first common year of full time schooling, the year before Year 1, should be called “Foundation” in all state and jurisdictions’ says Gabrielle Leigh.

On a second issue, AGPPA acknowledges that School Opinion Surveys have been used for many years to gather views to inform school planning and future direction.

“We believe that School Opinion Survey results provide feedback to school communities enabling them to plan more effectively for the future and we endorse the right of parents to have accurate and quality information about their child’s school.” says Gabrielle Leigh.

However, schools have long recognised that Opinion Survey results provide a subjective viewpoint that requires further investigation. It should be noted that opinion surveys measure perception not performance.

AGGPA strongly recommends that information from School Opinion Surveys is only available at the school level. School Opinion Surveys should not be included on the MySchool website as this is subjective information that cannot be considered as a valid measure of school performance nor a means of objective comparison.

The words of a primary school learning support coordinator are still ringing in my ears, “There are so many damaged children in this class it makes you cry”. This comment, although quite alarming to a parent or community member, is getting far too familiar in primary schools around this state.

To a primary school teacher, a damaged student means a child who will probably grow up to be a damaged adult; an adult who will have difficulty with relationships, struggle with a permanent job because of their poor literacy skills, have a high probability of abusing illegal substances, be susceptible to mental health issues and probably spend some time in a jail.

In the past, these children were nearly always from low socio-economic areas, however, schools from all areas are now having to deal with at-risk children.

Click here to download the complete article in a PDF file.

Read more: Damaged Children, Damaged Society - An Opinion Piece

This report, launched by the Minister for School Education, The Hon. Peter Garrett, earlier this year, can now be pubished here for all AGPPA members. It was the report from a three year project conducted by four academics from universities across Australia, in partnership with AGPPA and the Foundation for Young Australians.

The report outlines the results of research into how the purposes of education are understood and enacted in Australian Primary Schools and in the wider community. Click here to go to the report's website page for the report and associated papers and links.

AGPPA has made a submission to the Review of School Funding in response to the four research papers commission by the review panel. Click here to download the AGPPA submission.

AGPPA has released 3 new Discussion Papers They are:

• Australian Curriculum

• Empowering Local Schools

• Online Diagnostic Tools 

Click here or on the Discussion Papers menu item above to view and download the papers.