Entries by Darryl Butler

Education in Rural Australia Vol 13, No 2 (2003)

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Volume 13 (2) 2003sized

Journal Papers

The Rural Population Transformation and Education in Australia

David McSwan, School of Education, James Cook University

Abstract

This paper aims to relate the Australia data on rural­-urban migration and economic change to education. It illustrates that there has been scant policy attention to the fundamental role of education in the changing nature of Australia’s rural areas. Australia’s rural policy has been firmly driven by the massive political power of the rural industries and mining lobbies; the voice of rural communities being lost to the winds. Governments […]

Education in Rural Australia Vol 14, No 1 (2004)

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Volume 13 (2) 2003sized

Journal Papers

Some links between economic and social changes in rural area and the need for reform in rural education

John M Bryden

Abstract

This paper discussed the principal economic and social changes taking place in rural areas of the OECD countries, identifies some of the key future challenges they face, and proposes some necessary shifts in the system of education of children and young people if these challenges are to be addressed.

Consequential Learning

Jack Shelton, Program for Rural Services and Research, University of Alabama

Giving All/Reaping […]

Education in Rural Australia Vol 14, No 2 (2004)

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Volume 13 (2) 2003sized

Journal Papers

Beyond The Agricultural Paradigm in Regional and Rural Australia: Building Capacity to Create a Preferred Future

Janelle Allison, Centre for Rural and Regional Innovation, The University of Queensland Jock Douglas, Wyoming, via Roma

Abstract

Regional and rural Australia is undergoing significant change. Among the drivers for change are: (1) an emerging discourse on nature that challenges the agricultural centric view which has dominated regional and rural Australia; (2) transforming agricultural landscapes, which are increasingly multifunctional and complex; and (3) a search for a contemporary bush […]

Call for Abstracts: 2016 SPERA/ISFIRE Conference

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Rural Education: Place, Pedagogies, Partnerships and Possibilities

SPERA, in partnership with the SiMERR National Research Centre at the University of New England, invites you to submit abstracts for the 32nd National SPERA Conference and 4th International Symposium for Innovation in Rural Education.

Hosted by CQUniversity Australia and supported by the University of Tasmania, the 2016 conference will bring together a range of national and international teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, academics, pre-service teachers, community members and parents who are passionate about rural education. The conference will be held at CQUniversity Australia’s Ooralea Campus in Mackay, Queensland between […]

32nd National SPERA Conference and 4th International Symposium for Innovation in Rural Education

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Early Bird Registrations are now open!

SPERA, with the SiMERR National Research Centre at the University of New England, invites you to join us for the 32nd National SPERA Conference and 4th International Symposium for Innovation in Rural Education.

Hosted by CQUniversity Australia’s Ooralea Campus and supported by the University of Tasmania, the 2016 conference will bring together a range of national and international teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, academics, pre-service teachers, community members and parents who are passionate about rural education.

Rural Education: Place, Pedagogies, Partnerships and Possibilities

Where: CQUniversity Australia: Ooralea Campus (Mackay)
[…]

Transparency needed in teacher recruitment: The smoke may be clearing in the ATAR battle

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ACER recently reported that:

In recent debates about ATARs we have lost sight of what matters most in teacher recruitment: selecting high-quality candidates to ensure a strong profession, says Lawrence Ingvarson.

NSW Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli has been accused of ‘attacking students with shameful elitism’ with his plan requiring new teachers appointed to NSW government schools to have attained a high standard of English and Mathematics at Year 12. Recent evidence suggests several of our universities might instead be accused of shameful opportunism in their teacher education offers, showing little regard for […]

“The spatial distribution of curriculum in (rural) schools: broadening access” ACSA Webinar

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Phil Roberts is part of the SPERA Executive and a lecturer at the University of Canberra.

On Thursday 2 June 2016, 7-8pm AEST Phil will be presenting an Australian Curriculum Studies Association (ACSA) Webinar to discuss:

“The spatial distribution of curriculum in (rural) NSW schools”

            This webinar explores access to the senior secondary curriculum and approaches to broadening access, particularly in rural areas.

REGISTER HERE

This webinar examines the existence of a curriculum hierarchy in the (NSW) senior secondary curriculum and examines its socio-spatial distribution.  The presentation then explores approaches to broadening access […]

Labor will need more than scholarships to make teaching science an attractive career

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Shaun Belward wrote in The Conversation on 20th May 2016

Labor has proposed to invest $400 million to ensure that all high school science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) teachers are fully qualified.

While this education policy may look appealing, there is a distinct lack of breadth in what is on the table.

The aim of the policy is to boost STEM grades and take up of these subjects at school and university. But does research say this will help?

Why are there so few specialist teachers?

The decline in participation rates in STEM subjects in secondary school is […]

The Federal Budget and Regional Australia

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Article published by Regional Australia Institute

The Federal Budget 2016-17 has been released with a focus on creating long term growth and jobs. The measures have been described by commentators as modest, with big spending promises or cuts kept to a minimum in this year’s announcement. The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) takes a look at the detail and how the measures stack up for regional Australia.

Headline Initiatives – SME Tax Cuts and Youth Jobs Plan

The most important headline initiatives of the 2016-17 budget for regional economies are the small business tax package and the youth jobs plan.

Regional Australia […]

Federal budget 2016: education experts react

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Article written for The Conversation by Glenn C. Savage, Conor King, John Fischetti, Megan O’Connell & Perter Goss

The government is spruiking a focus on education to drive innovation in the 2016 budget but it has put off higher education reforms in favour of further consultation.

The higher education reforms, which included the deregulation of university fees, were announced in the 2014 budget and will now be delayed for another year.

The total spend on education in this year’s budget is A$33.7 billion. This includes an agreement to fund schools to the tune of $1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020, […]

Call for Papers: Unsettling Place and Space.

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Editors: Sarah Pinto, Shelley Hannigan, Emma Charlton and Bernadette Walker-Gibbs

This edited collection will examine the ways in which considerations of place and/or space can be unsettling. It will draw together researchers from across the disciplines in order to chart the unsettled landscapes in which we find ourselves. We invite contributions from researchers from a range of disciplinary perspectives who are interested in space and place that speak to the key theme of unsettling, broadly conceived.

For further details please see

Please send abstracts of 200-300 words, along with a short bio, to sarah.pinto@deakin.edu.au by Monday 16 May 2016.

 

DEAL OR NO DEAL? BRINGING SMALL CITIES INTO THE NATIONAL CITIES AGENDA

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Article published by Regional Australia Institute

Australia’s 31 small cities are a diverse, growing and highly productive network of urban areas. They are already home to 4.5 million people and contribute 15 per cent of national economic activity as well as being the services hubs for the majority of regional Australians.

Analysis of small cities’ recent performance shows that they have been catching up to our major cities in productivity terms, now achieving 88 per cent of the productivity of the big five cities. Our small cities also outperformed the economic growth rates achieved by our major cities between 2002 […]

Pre-service Teacher Sponsorship 2016

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Apply today!

Sponsorships are available for pre-service educators to attend the 32nd National SPERA Conference, 28 to 30 September 2016, Mackay, Queensland.

If you are a pre-service teacher and thinking about a career in rural, regional or remote education, you could receive:

• complimentary attendance at the upcoming SPERA conference, being held this year at CQUniversity Australia’s Ooralea Campus in Mackay, including attendance at all social events

• your travel and accommodation costs paid

• complimentary one-year SPERA membership, to enable you to benefit from the connections you will make as a result of attending the conference.

To apply, please […]

Australian Rural Education Awards 2016

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Call for Nominations

Since 1994, the Australian Rural Education Award (AREA) has been awarded annually to an institution, organisation or industry to recognise excellence in rural education in Australia.

Category 1
Existing projects that demonstrate a proven link between a rural, regional and/or remote school or learning context and the local community, and benefiting a defined group.

Category 2
Future projects that support new and creative thinking in professional practice aimed at improving student outcomes in a rural, regional and/or remote setting.

Category 3
Pre-service teachers or institutions recognising demonstrated excellence in professional learning practice in rural, […]

SPERA Annual General Meeting 2015 Minutes

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SPERA Annual General Meeting 2015 was held at Deakin University Geelong, Waterfront Campus on Thursday 5th November 2015.

The following were nominated and accepted for Executive.

  • Don Boyd
  • John Borserio
  • Louisa Bowman
  • Philip Roberts
  • Dorothy Donovan
  • Paula Jervis-Tracey
  • Jodie Kline
  • Sue Ledger
  • Louise Martin
  • Brian O’Neill
  • Sue Trinidad
  • Charles Bradley – Public Officer

Following the AGM a special Executive meeting was held on Friday 3 October where the following were nominated and appointed:

  • Brian O’Neill – President
  • Sue Ledger – Vice President
  • Louisa Bowman – Treasurer

Minutes from the AGM are available as a PDF file: 

Five new frameworks that can drive teacher education reform

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Written by Professor John Fischetti for The Conversation

There have been more than 100 reports critiquing teacher education in Australia since the 1970s.

These reports led to new tests and more accountability standards and measures of teacher behaviours.

Today we have a regulated profession that has not changed the content of what is taught as much as developed a tick box compliance process.

We need a major revamp of teacher education from the inside out that actually changes the model to provide all children with the education that is right for them.

The implications for schooling, teaching and teacher […]

32nd National SPERA Conference 2016

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Rural Education: Place, Pedagogies, Partnerships and Possibilities

Hosted by CQUniversity Australia’s Ooralea Campus and supported by the University of Tasmania, the 2016 conference will bring together a range of national and international teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, academics, pre-service teachers, community members and parents who are passionate about rural education.

Where: CQUniversity Australia: Ooralea Campus (Mackay)

When: 28-30 September 2016

Download the full flyer here: 2016 SPERA-ISFIRE Conference Flyer (2Mb)

Early Bird Registrations are now open!

Sub Themes

While this conference invites a wide range of submissions that address the general theme, we encourage […]

What’s so hard about teaching? Words of advice for new teachers

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Article written by  Misty Adoniou for The Conversation

The first term of the school year is coming to a close. For most beginning teachers the school holidays cannot come soon enough. All of them feel exhausted.

Most will be anxious about the quality of their work – have their students been learning, are their colleagues satisfied with their efforts, are the parents happy?

Many will be wondering if they can make it through the rest of the year.

Some will leave.

What is so hard about teaching?

Teaching is complex. A primary teacher manages the learning […]

2016 ACEN Student scholarships

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Eight scholarships of $1,500 for remote and regional Australia

Applications are now open for scholarships to provide financial support for students undertaking a work integrated learning (WIL) placement in a regional or remote area of Australia as part of their 2016/2017 university studies.

Once again eight scholarships to the value of $1,500 each are being offered to eligible university students.

In 2015 the eight scholarships of $1,500 were awarded to students in the following degrees

  • Doctor of Medicine
  • Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Social Work
  • Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology
  • Bachelor of Education (Primary)

Innovation Watch

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Innovation Watch is a national network of regional Australians that have come together to share ideas about successful community-led development.

It is a platform to exchange ideas and learn from the experiences of others about what works in regional development. Discussions focus on practical initiatives that are driven by the local community.

Regional Australia is innovative and thriving. Much of this innovation is driven from within by locals who are passionate about the area, understand the opportunities and can mobilise the wider community. By sharing real success stories we hope to inspire other communities to implement locally-led […]

Julia Gillard to attend as Australia’s oldest continually running school in Newcastle celebrates 200 years

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Article written by Jackson Vernon for ABC News

Former prime minister Julia Gillard will be part of the upcoming bicentenary celebrations for Australia’s oldest continually running school.

In February, Newcastle East Primary School will mark 200 years since it was opened in 1816.

Back then 16 students made up the first class, including a mix of children from convict and free-settler parents.

Principal John Beach has been heading the bicentenary preparations and said it was an important milestone for the nation.

“Very significant for the history of education in Australia because our school has roots going back to the […]

Remote Education Systems

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Ninti One CRC Remote Economic Participation

Ninti Graphic

About the project

The Remote Education Systems (RES) project aims to find out how remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can get the best benefit from the teaching and learning happening in and out of schools. It is doing this by engaging with members of communities, schools, government agencies and other end users who want to find ways of improving outcomes for students in remote Australia. To date we’ve engaged directly with more than 1200 remote education stakeholders across […]

Closing the ‘digital divide’ for disadvantaged students

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Thursday 21 January 2016 Joint Media Release from The Department of Education and Training SPERA Conference 2009 Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham

  • Minister for Education and Training

The Hon Christopher Pyne MP

  • Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
  • Leader of the House

 

Australian students from rural, remote, disadvantaged and Indigenous schools stand to benefit from a $6.9 million Turnbull Government initiative to improve digital technologies training for teachers.

Minister for Industry, Innovation […]

2016 Grant Opportunities

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Happy New Year! To help you make the most of 2016, the following are some grant opportunities that may be of interest to you or your organisation.

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) currently has four grant opportunities available, as follows:

  • Tackling Tough Times Together: Closing on Wednesday 27 January 2016, the Tackling Tough Times Together grant aims to help communities access resources to support one another through the drought. The grants on offer go up to $20,000, however the FRRR also welcomes expressions of interest for grants up to $50,000.
  • Goulburn Valley-McEwen Foundation: […]

RUN welcomes changes to Youth Allowance to help regional students

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The Regional Universities Network (RUN) welcomes changes to Youth Allowance which will make it easier for rural and regional students to go to university.

The changes, passed by the Federal Parliament on November 12, will result in all dependent children being taken into consideration in the assessment for Youth Allowance eligibility, softening the reductions in support as family income increases.

The Chair of RUN, Professor Jan Thomas, said the changes mean that more regional students will qualify for Youth Allowance to help them go to university.

“Far fewer regional Australians attend university compared to people in capital cities. The changes […]

Thank You Deakin

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Since the first SPERA National Conference was held 31 years ago, a great deal has been achieved, many innovative practices have been celebrated and ground-breaking research around the provision of education in rural areas has been published. All of these achievements have been designed to prepare teachers to undertake careers in these areas and to provide rural students with a smorgasbord of opportunities to open doors for them.

The recent 31st National SPERA Conference continued the fine tradition of linking people who have a diverse range of interests but with the unifying desire to improve the educational and training opportunities for those living in the bush. The conference organising […]

Improving mathematics and science education in rural Australia: A practice report

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Robert Whannell, Steve Tobias

There has been a steady decline in the number of secondary and tertiary students studying mathematics and science. Rural schools also report a shortage of qualified teachers in these disciplines. This paper describes the steps taken at the University of New England (UNE) to improve the provision of mathematics and science education (MS) in rural Australia. Initiatives such as the use of an online interactive digital classroom by rural NSW schools presenting MS contexts based on a SMART (sustainable, management, and accessible rural technologies) Farm will be presented. Research to improve teacher confidence and competence in these areas will be discussed along with the steps being taken to develop a Higher Education Research Facility (HERF) which will support research and engagement in the STEM domain.

Using virtual worlds in rural and regional educational institutions

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Sue Gregory, Lisa Jacka, Mathew Hillier, Scott Grant

This paper presents four case studies from two regional and two metropolitan Australian universities, showcasing how 3D virtual world platforms have been used to connect, engage and motivate students in both co-located and non-co-located contexts. The case studies provide practical examples of how virtual worlds and associated applications have been operationalised in real teaching and learning contexts involving a range of different disciplines. For rural educators looking for innovative ways to enrich the student learning experience, the case studies offer first hand insights into the potential and the problems of using virtual worlds for educational purposes.

Comparing rural and urban education contexts for GLBTIQ students

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Tiffany Jones

This paper considers the different experiences for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) students from rural and urban education contexts. It draws on data from three studies of GLBTIQ students I have conducted since 2010, including a 2010 online survey of 3,134 GLBTIQ students in which one fifth came from rural areas; a 2012 study of transgender people and a 2013 study of transgender and intersex students. The different studies repeatedly showed that GLBTIQ students from rural and remote towns experienced isolation, social discrimination and a lack of appropriate services and support. They were less likely to feel safe at school, at social occasions and on the internet than their urban peers. Many aspired to leave their rural and regional homes to become the person they wanted to be in an urban environment. The paper concludes by recommending specific training, resources and contacts to improve rural education services for these students.