Minnis Journals

ET News Digest

Your Weekly Education Newsletter

Youth are happiest in apprenticeships and full-time work says largest national youth survey
Earning money and the independence and dignity that that provides makes for happier young people and winning an apprenticeship leads to the highest level of wellbeing among young Australians out of all post-school pathways, according to the results of the nation’s largest youth survey. Read more

Program sees autistic toddlers thrive in mainstream kinder
Toddlers with autism can thrive in normal kindergarten environments if provided with the correct scaffolding and La Trobe University’s Group-Early Start Denver Model (G-ESDM) looks to be one intervention that works well.
During research across three centres toddlers with autism showed improvements in their vocal skills, social interaction skills, imitation, verbal cognition and adaptive behaviours. Read more

Pay attention to ADHD kids
Interventions which include one-to-one support and a focus on self-regulation improved academic outcomes in kids with ADHD.
Children need to learn to spot how they are feeling inside, to notice triggers and avoid them if possible, and to stop and think before responding. This is much harder for children with ADHD than most other children, but these are skills that can be taught and learned. Read more

Nowhere to run for cheaters
While it’s prevalent at universities, cheaters’ days might be numbered as markers have shown themselves to be adept at indentifying which assignments are not the work of the student and the ability improves with training.
Around 15.7% of university students admit to contract cheating or paying others to do their assignments for them which makes for an industry with an estimated global worth of approximately $400 million. Prior to training, markers correctly labelled papers 75% of the time, afterwards 86%. Read more

Catholic School Principals plan for future
As the current crop of Catholic School Principals retires there’s concern that no one is stepping up to the plate.The Catholic Schools’ Middle Leadership Program developed by experts at NESLI addresses the necessity of developing new leaders. Delivered over a six-month period, it offers a blended program delivery that focuses on the critical dimensions of effective, collaborative leadership within the Catholic schooling context. Read more

Students asked which anti-smoking ads work best
Quit Victoria’s annual Critics’ Choice initiative invites students to appraise anti-smoking ads and high school students are being called upon to get involved.
Now in its 18th year, the program encourages students nationwide to watch and critique 11 anti-smoking advertisements from around the world, and vote on which is the most effective in deterring young people from smoking.
Read more

Expanded Qld disciplinary powers harmful
Legislation expanding Queensland principals’ disciplinary powers was intended to decrease the number of suspensions and exclusions but has had the opposite effect, increasing the numbers of students excluded and suspended, impacting the transition from primary to secondary and feeding into the school to prison pipeline.
After the legislation was introduced, exclusions briefly decreased, but reached a new high in 2017. Enrolment cancellations peaked in 2014 and decreased somewhat over the next 3 years. But from 2014 to 2017, suspensions per student increased by 16.67%. Read more