Minnis Journals

ET News Digest

Your Weekly Education Newsletter

SEEK says it’s good to be an educator
The latest SEEK Employment Report showed that it’s good to be an educator. Job ad growth in industries related to public service continues to outperform other sectors, this includes Education and Training (+11.9%), Healthcare & Medical (+3.7%) and Government & Defence (+2.3%). Read more

1000th PEF Scholar recognised
Since the inception of Public Education Foundation’s (PEF) scholarships program 10 years ago, over 1000 students have been supported with scholarships. The 1000th scholar, Daniel Lahood from Ashfield Boys High was recognised at the Proudly Public Awards Ceremony 2019 at Sydney Town Hall. He is a recipient of the 2019 Union NSW Jeff Shaw Memorial Scholarship.
“When I reflect on the life of The Hon Jeff Shaw, it is an inspiration to me as I feel we both represent very similar values, especially as staunch defenders and advocates for public education in NSW,” Lahood said.
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Cyber attacks on education down 26%
Cyber attacks on Australia’s education sector have dropped to 18% (down 26% from 2017) which saw the sector leave the top spot of most targeted. That’s good news and has much to do with the sector’s high ‘cybersecurity maturity’ rating.
Cyber threats have been a feature for as long as there has been an internet and preparedness for bug attacks can be measured according to a cybersecurity maturity value. Read more

Computer problems the latest of NAPLAN’s many
Thousands of school students were unable to log on or finish the NAPLAN test this week due to online connectivity issues, leaving many in tears after repeatedly losing work; students ended up with shortened time to complete the test and one student, reportedly, had just seven minutes to do his writing.
Some schools were advised to re-sit the test – meaning that students would have a night to think of their creative ideas or responses to questions – while others were told to battle on and finish it on the allotted date. Read more

Cartwheeling kids to better mental health
From tightrope to trapeze, who doesn't like a circus? Now, research from the University of South Australia is revealing the true value of circus skills and their ability to deliver significant mental health benefits for Australian children.
The new study has identified that children's circus skills programs deliver a quantifiable social return on investment by a significant rate of 1.7. Lead researcher, UniSA's Dr Richard McGrath says the finding is potentially life-changing, particularly given the prevalence of mental health conditions. Read more

Time to enter the Vic Premier’s Sustainability Awards
There are plenty of reasons to enter the Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards aside from the environment, including the hip pocket.
Previous entrants in the Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards say that their involvement has led to better staff morale, improved profiling with their customers and stronger community relationships.
Recent research by Sustainability Victoria says that entrants not only demonstrate increased energy efficiencies and reduced bills through their sustainability projects, by telling their stories through the Awards they enjoy a range of other benefits. Read more

QELi and NESLI join forces to boost professional development opportunities
Queensland Education Leadership Institute (QELI) and the National Excellence in School Leadership Institute (NESLI) have a new partnership to further strengthen educational leadership collaboration, providing greater access to professional development opportunities for educators and school leaders in Queensland and across Australia.
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Melbourne Girls’ School joins the fight against gynaecological cancer
Ruyton Girls’ School made a step to address the problem of gynaecological cancers, which are all too common; 17 women are diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer each day, five women die every day in Australia from a gynaecological cancer.
The all-girls school in Melbourne invited Dr Pearly Khaw from The Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) to host an assembly to educate students on gynaecological cancer research and ANZGOG’s critical work into research, prevention and treatments.
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