To make my own biases clear, I’ve long been of the view that the Australian publishing industry is made up of a bunch of smug, underperforming, unimaginative bastards who conspire to make my beloved books more expensive.
I don’t know if they’d be first against the wall, waiting for a bullet, come the revolution. But if [...]

The ABC brings word of a push by the local education union to have the Government impose fines on any media outlet that has the temerity to take government information and compile it.
Penny Gilmour from the Australian Education Union says she is still worried that newspapers could compile publicly available results and publish simplistic lists.
“We [...]

Andrew Barr is very excited by the opening of a vast student accomodation complex at the University of Canberra:
Minister for Education and Training Andrew Barr today officially opened the University of Canberra Village, a $38 million, 507 bed student accommodation complex on campus.
“With a 5-star energy efficiency rating, passive solar designs, grey [...]

When the ACT Government began rolling out plans for “Super Schools” many were apalled at the idea of cramming overly disparate age groups into the same facility.
The Liberals’ Steve Dozspot is claiming that out at the newish West Belconnen Kingsford Smith School all is not well:
“Systemic bullying and a lack of a ratified school specific [...]

I have a child in kindergarten 2009 and kind of presumed that I could claim the new Education Tax Rebate for only half of the 2008-09 financial year.
However I’ve discovered (quite by accident) that the Canberra Preschool Society have a ruling from the ATO that children attending preschool (at least at government ones that are now [...]

We currently live in Belconnen and are planning to move to the Woden/Weston area in the next couple of years.  We both work in Woden and have children attend childcare in the area and would like to enrol our eldest child in a preschool here mainly for logistical reasons (ie. picking up after school) and [...]

Andrew Barr has announced that the ACT Government is going to pay for a thousand extra students to attend CIT next year, up from 300 current scholarship places to 1,300.

An extra 1,000 Canberrans will have access to scholarships to help them study at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) from 1 July this year, Minister [...]

The Canberra Times has a story on beatings in Queanbeyan yesterday:
Two teenagers are believed to have been targeted by a pack of up to 10 youths in a series of premeditated attacks across Queanbeyan.
It is believed some of those attackers have taken photos and video footage of the incidents on their mobile phones.
On Monday [...]

Andrew Barr has proudly announced that Canberra’s schools have picked up $140 million in stage two of the Primary Schools for the 21st Century program (more memorably referred to as P21).

Sixty seven schools across the ACT will receive funding to build major infrastructure such as new libraries, multi-purpose halls, classrooms, assembly halls and performing arts [...]

Back at the end of April I was astonished that Steve Doszpot was pushing for the Government to take over the provision of disabilities in private schools.
I went so far as to label it the most pointless whinge in history and this morning it appears I was wrong.
I still maintain that for the long term [...]

The Liberal Steve Dozspot’s pom pom girls often ascribe amazing powers to him.
But his latest media release suggests he too subscribes to this thinking.
The headline promises a great deal:
DOSZPOT TO TACKLE BULLYING IN ACT SCHOOLS
A tall order for a shadow minister. And through what mechanism is he going to solve a problem that’s been with [...]

The National Excellence in Teaching Awards have been announced for 2009 and Phillip Hall from Yarralumla Primary School is carrying the flag for the ACT.
This from the media release:
Phillip recognises the special needs of students with autism and has developed systems to ensure that his students can achieve their very best. Using techniques such as [...]

The Greens’ Meredith Hunter is leaping upon doubts raised by a single education expert Professor Brian Caldwell over publishing of school performance data.
“We expect the Education Minister to address concerns about the potential negative effects of the introduction of new testing and reporting systems that will make compiling league tables possible – a policy [...]

Last night I attended an information night re the new Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School in Harrison.
It was mentioned that a site has also been reserved for a Catholic secondary school in Gungahlin, and I wondered if anyone knows where it actually is? Apparently, it was suggested, the site may not actually be used for [...]

It seems simple enough, pay your talent more to stay.
But the Canberra Times gives an insight into how simple things can go terribly wrong in the totalitarian wasteland of the education system.

”The Government won’t agree to an uncapped number of positions at that level [$100,000pa],” Mr Barr said. ”We can’t just write a [...]

Big ups to my man Drummett who came out of nowhere to claim this week’s coveted FOTW with this stellar effort:
#14 posted by Dummett
(Newbie)
22:53, 24 May 2009
hey everybody,
i would just like to start off by saying i am an ex student of gold creek school (1998-2008)and although you could say i have never experinced [...]

I’ve just been looking through a full page ad in the Canberra Chronicle for ACT Public Schools.
It advertises the Information Sessions at Canberra’s High Schools and Colleges throughout May and June.
But every date (or day) is incorrect.
Alfred Deakin High has 2 sessions, on Friday 16 May and Thursday 22 May, but the 16th is a [...]

The Canberra Times brings news that the Australian Catholic University is going to set up a public policy institute.
The sort of public policy they’ll be promulgating no doubt to be of a Catholic bent. Something confirmed by dean Patrick McArdle’s promise to provide “an explicitly religious voice”.
One supposes they have the right to articulate their [...]

The Shadow Minister for pointless whinges, Steve Doszpot, has once again excelled himself.
“I have received details from a concerned parent that the Education Minister, Andrew Barr, used school students in his own cynical publicity machine by inviting cameras into a Canberra School without the approval of parents for the children to be filmed,” Shadow Minister [...]

The Canberra Times reports that there were 26 cases of students found with illegal drugs in public schools last year (no mention of the teachers), and just five cases of dangerous items (sharpened rulers etc).
This really is unnacceptable. What’s wrong with the kids of today? There should be far more of this stuff going around.
Or [...]

The Canberra Times brings word that Andrew Barr is considering paying parents encourage them to get involved with school boards.
He said he was ”not suggesting directors’ fees a la company board of management, but it might be worth considering tying in some money to make a broader range of parents participate and to recognise that [...]

The ANU Reporter’s Jane O’Dwyer has had a look at the heated parliamentary debates of 1946 surrounding the foundation of Canberra’s Australian National University.
The concerns of Adair “Chill” Blain, Member for the Northern Territory, seem particularly far sighted:
He also feared the rise of ‘rat-bag’ views would infest the University though the inclusion of the [...]

[ 4 June, 2009; 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. ]

Here’s something for younger readers trying to figure out what to do with their lives. This from the email that came in:

We are a small group of youth working to organize Canberra’s first Sustainable Careers Expo, seeking skills and energy from passionate people.

We are looking to promote environmental courses, jobs/careers, volunteering opportunities, and support for [...]

Here at RiotACT we consider ourselves connoisseurs of the fine art of complaining.
But we doff our lids to Steve Doszpot’s latest effort:
Shadow Minister for Education and Disability, Steve Doszpot, has today condemned the Stanhope-Gallagher Government for failing to acknowledge the rights of 411 students with a disability currently enrolled in the non-government school sector.
The ACT [...]

The ANU brings word that, for those of you with better than average tertiary qualifications, a chance is coming up to fulfill every West Wing fan’s dream, to be more like Josh Lyman.
In particular they’re holding an information session on how to apply for the next round of Fulbright Scholarships:
An information session on Fulbright Scholarships [...]

As a former student (graduate) from one of the primitive predecessors of the so-called Super School concept, I am ready to speak out about the priorities and spending from these schools.
At A***** School, year 3-10 students share the same grounds, with no privacy from each other, the seniors (9/10′s) sharing classes with many year 8′s, [...]

[First filed: April 14, 2009 @ 09:55]

Very very quietly, without a media release, the ACT Department of Education and Training has slipped out it’s “Pathways to the future” paper.
The paper is dated February 2009, but the DET website reckons it was released on the ninth of this month.
The Canberra Times, however, is now onto it. [...]

[ 5 May, 2009; 5:00 pm; ] ANU has announced that they’re going to hold a Graduate Studies Information Night on 5 May.

The Student Recruitment Office is holding a Graduate Studies Information Evening Tuesday 5 May 2009 from 5pm to 7pm at University House.

The evening will allow prospective graduate students to find out about ANU and the graduate coursework and research [...]

I am seeking to contact former students of Marist Brothers Primary School Queanbeyan. Particularly those who had knowledge of or contact with Brother Francis (Franco). 
I can be contacted on moulis05 at hotmail.com. Any correspondence will be held in the strictest confidence.

[First filed: April 01, 2009 @ 15:08]
Andrew Barr is thrilled to announce that for the first time in a decade there are more children enrolled in public schools than the year before:
“This increase in enrolments shows that the ACT Government’s record investment in public education is paying dividends,” Mr Barr said. “This is a direct [...]

I’m hearing that a group of Hawker College (possibly Canberra High) students chose to pay a disruptive visit to Daramalan yesterday.
Anyone got more on this?
Here’s what I have so far:
Supposedly a large group of hawker college students ran thru dara yesterday dressed in caps and white face/smog masks Armed with bats etc, went on a [...]

Andrew Barr has announced he’s roped in “Professor Tony Shaddock, an internationally respected expert” to conduct a review of education for students with special needs.
“The ACT Government is determined to ensure equity for every student in the ACT,” Mr Barr said. “This means ensuring that every student gets an education that challenges them, meeting both [...]