Building a highly qualified early childhood workforce
Source: Victoria. Department for Children & Early Childhood Development
As part of the Early Childhood Workforce Strategy, financial assistance is being offered to build qualifications and expertise for people in the childcare industry.

Initiatives to Help Improve Kinder Management
Source: Victoria. Minister for Children & Early Childhood Development. Media Release
"An improved approach to kindergarten management will help deliver better services for children and help relieve pressure on parent led kindergarten committees of management. Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development Maxine Morand launched the Brumby Labor Government’s new Kindergarten Cluster Management Policy Framework and funding of $520,000 to assist develop cluster management in Victoria.Opening the Kindergarten Cluster Management Forum in Melbourne, Ms Morand said cluster management relieves the administrative burden on parents involved in their kindergarten management and kindergarten teachers, freeing them up to focus on teaching. Kindergarten cluster management brings together a group of kindergartens under the management of a single organisation, such as the local council. They can then appoint someone to manage the administrative and professional development requirements for a number of centres.“A recent review of kindergarten cluster management in Victoria found that cluster management has resulted in significant benefits to families, kindergarten staff and the community,” Ms Morand said."

Targeted Early Numeracy
Source: New South Wales. Premier. Media Release.
"The Targeted Early Numeracy program will pay for 1,000 teachers to receive expert training each year so they can identify and foster students with numeracy difficulties. The Minister for Education and Training, Verity Firth, said the Targeted Early Numeracy intervention program would help to ensure all students were on track with numeracy by the time they finish Year 2."

Improving education for children entering care
Source: New South Wales. Minister for Education and Training and Minister for Community Services. Joint Media Release.
"Minister for Education and Training and Minister for Community Services announced additional resources to support the education of children and young people coming into care. Minister Firth said $25 million funding over four years has been allocated to implement education initiatives under Keep Them Safe, the NSW Government’s reforms in response to the Report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW. "These new education initiatives are about helping children entering care to improve their participation and performance at school," Ms Firth said."

NSW Government Initiatives on International Education 2010
Source: New South Wales. Premier. Media Release.
"The Premier’s Council on International Education, a high-level body and the first of its kind in Australia, will implement the Government’s initiatives and drive further reforms to ensure New South Wales maintains the highest standards of international education and builds on its reputation as the destination of choice for international students."

New Degree-Qualified Paramedics for Tasmania
Source: University of Tasmania
"Tasmania’s ambulance service is set to reap the benefits of directly employing ‘home grown’ degree qualified paramedics for the first time. Direct tertiary recruitment is the new way of paramedic employment for Tasmania, and this is a tremendous step forward in our ability to attract top-quality, degree qualified Tasmanian recruits.These new employees will be mentored closely by expert pre- hospital clinicians for a period of 12 months following recruitment, to ensure they have the right balance of academic and practical knowledge. The new fast-track course means that for the first time the ambulance service and Tasmanians needing emergency medical care will benefit from the skills and expertise of local degree qualified paramedics.”

SCHOOL’S IN FOR RECREATION AS PART OF GREEN SPACE PLAN
Source: Queensland. Premier. Media Release
"Queenslanders will get the chance to have their say on how school ovals and playing fields could be transformed into recreational green spaces in the lead up to the Queensland Growth Management Summit on March 30 and 31.
Premier Anna Bligh said the idea will be included in a series of documents that will be progressively released for consultation over the next four weeks.
Ms Bligh said an important area to be looked at for better growth management was the expansion of land for public recreation rather than conservation.
"We want to open up as much green space as possible, particularly in the South East Queensland corner, to ensure the amount of land for public recreation expands in line with a growing population," she said.
Some school ovals do open after hours on an ad hoc basis but what we are proposing is a structured scheme that can open up schools right across the State."

$10 MILLION PROGRAM TO SKILL WORKERS FOR CSG-LNG INDUSTRY
Source: Queensland. Premier. Media Release
"Premier Anna Bligh has announced a flagship partnership with industry to develop a $10 million program to train thousands of workers needed for the new Coal Seam Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas industries. Premier Anna Bligh said the program would cater for the up to 18,000 direct and indirect jobs and was part of the Government’s election commitment to create 100,000 new jobs in this term of government. "If Queenslanders are to see the full benefits of the opportunities this new industry will create we need to make sure they can develop the skills they need to harness the boom," she said. The eight proposed CSG-LNG projects under consideration across the state will generate unprecedented demand for workers with specific technical skills.
It’s essential that our training system is geared to meet industry demand – that’s why we’re developing this program hand in hand with industry."

Draft Australian Curriculum (NOTE: Registration Required to View or Comment)
Source: Australia. Minister for Education and The Prime Minister. Joint Media Release.
"Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today released the first draft Australian Curriculum for students from Kindergarten to Year 10 in the subjects of English, maths, science and history. Having an online curriculum means the curriculum will be dynamic, and easily updated, in contrast with the static, hard-copy format. The Australian Curriculum will be among the world’s first curriculum delivered online. From next year, students from all states and territories will be able to move schools, school systems and states and be taught the same knowledge, skills and understanding as part of a curriculum for the 21st Century."

NEW TAFE PARTNERSHIP FOR RACING
Source: NSW. Minister for Racing and Gaming. Media Release.
"Racing NSW and TAFE NSW launched a historic training partnership to secure a growing national and international interest in the Thoroughbred racing industry. Minister Kevin Greene said the partnership with Western Sydney Institute will deliver training and education to the industry’s current and future workers. “The NSW Thoroughbred Racing Industry is a major employer in NSW and this partnership between TAFE and Racing NSW is a ‘win win’ for both the State and the NSW Racing Industry,” Mr Greene said."

XSEL program launched.
Source: NSW. Minister for Education and Training. Media Release.
"The Minister for Education and Training Verity Firth will join 30 students from remote
parts of NSW who will use the latest technology including laptops, interactive whiteboards,
web streaming and videoconferencing as part of a new virtual selective school.
The Government’s new xsel program allows academically gifted students in remote areas to
remain at home, close to their family and friends, instead of travelling to regional centres to
attend selective schools."

School sectors unite to tackle school violence
Source: Queensland. Premier and the Minister for Education and Training. Media Release
"In a first for Queensland, all school sectors will unite to tackle school violence.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Education Minister Geoff Wilson were joined by Executive Director of the Association of Independent Schools David Robertson and Executive Director of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission Mike Byrne to announce the establishment of the cross-sector Queensland Schools Alliance Against Violence.
Premier Bligh said the group would be responsible for overseeing the implementation of world’s best practice measures to help tackle schoolyard violence.
"The playground of today no longer stops at the school fence, it extends to cyberspace and beyond," Ms Bligh said. My Government is working cooperatively with the Independent and Catholic school sectors to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Queensland students.”

New laws to lift standards in Queensland schools and childcare centres
Source: Queensland. Minister for Education and Training. Media Release
"Primary teachers will be tested on their literacy, numeracy and science skills before entering Queensland classrooms under new laws passed by the Bligh Government.
Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson said the amendments would allow the Queensland College of Teachers to develop a new testing regime for teacher graduates.
“We expect testing to begin by the end of 2011,” Mr Wilson said.
This move is in response to a key recommendation by Professor Geoff Masters as part of his report into Queensland’s education system."

SCHOOL-BASED APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINEESHIPS REVIEW RELEASED
Queensland. Minister for Education and Training. Media Release
"The Bligh Government is working with the Training Ombudsman to improve outcomes for Queensland’s apprentices and trainees. Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson has welcomed the release of the Training Ombudsman’s review of school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SATs). “The report makes a number of recommendations about how the Government can improve outcomes for these students,” he said. “Queensland leads the nation in the rate of SATs, with 42% of Australia’s total, and we want to ensure we’re doing everything possible to maintain that status. “We also need to work harder to ensure the young people undertaking SATs are supported to continue their training once they have left school.
This is an issue the Ombudsman raises in his report and it’s something the DET will examine closely to see how we can do it better.”

International education rules strengthened
Source: Australia. Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Media Release. "The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today welcomed the strengthening of rules for education providers of international students by requiring all colleges to re-register under new, stronger criteria by the end of 2010. This will mean that all education and training providers currently registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) will have to re-register under the strengthened criteria by 31 December 2010. Providers will also have to prove that education is their principal purpose and that they are able to deliver that education to a high standard."

Aboriginal Economic Development Officer Program
Source: NSW. Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Media Release.
"The NSW and Federal governments are getting behind a new initiative to create small business opportunities for Aboriginal people in Western Sydney. NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Paul Lynch and Federal Member for Parramatta Julie Owens today launched the Aboriginal Economic Development Officer Program at the Western Sydney Business Centre in Parramatta.
The Federal and NSW governments have provided almost $1.5 million to create 10 new positions under the program."

STUDENTS BECOME LIFESAVERS UNDER CPR SKILLS PROGRAM
Source: Victoria. Minister for Health. Media Release
"Victorian students will be taught how to perform CPR as part of a $3.7 million Brumby Government program to give the community life-saving skills.
At Sandringham Secondary School, Health Minister Daniel Andrews said Ambulance Victoria would teach students how to respond to cardiac arrest in an Australian-first initiative.
“The 4 Steps for Life program helps people to recognise cardiac arrest warning signs and when to call ‘000’, while also teaching skills in performing CPR until an ambulance arrives,” Mr Andrews said. “More than 20,000 community groups and 825,000 Victorians have already learned the life-saving skills offered in 4 Steps into Life. This $3.7 million boost will enable even more people to be equipped with these vital techniques.”
Mr Andrews said under the pilot launched, about 2000 students at schools in six regions across Victoria will be provided with the information, confidence and skills to administer CPR."

Call for more public schools to take on independent status
Source: Western Australia. Minister for Education
"The State Government today called for more schools to become Independent Public Schools to build on the success of the initiative.
Education Minister Liz Constable said feedback from the 34 Independent Public Schools that began at the start of the year had been overwhelmingly positive and the schools had already experienced a surge in community involvement.
The Minister said schools that took on independent status - such as Roseworth Primary School in Girrawheen where today’s announcement was made - had the ability to attract high calibre community members to their boards."

Premier’s Council on International Education
Source: NSW. Premier. Media Release.
"The NSW Government will set up a Premier’s Council dedicated to the needs of international students in the State. The Council is one of a range of measures announced by the Premier Kristina Keneally today at the Premier’s Indian Community Roundtable. The Premier’s Council on International Education - the first of its kind in Australia - will be chaired by the Director-General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Mr Brendan O’Reilly and representatives of industry and service providers, and international student representatives."

Community Awareness of Policing Program
Source: NSW. Premier. Media release.
"Community leaders and celebrities are being recruited to undergo special one-off police training, under a program to strengthen relations between the police and the community.
The Community Awareness of Policing Program is a global best practice initiative giving
community leaders first-hand experience in the challenges, dangers and realities faced daily by
NSW Police officers."