Avondale becomes Australia's newest University

BY JAMES CARTER

Avondale College at Cooranbong has become the first new university in Australia in almost a decade.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency announced the change in classification as the faith-based institution achieved requirements under the Higher Education Standards Framework. 

Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Petrie says the new status will provide the institution with new opportunities. 

"We focus very much on applied research, on research that makes a genuine difference on communities so we are looking to further strengthen that. 

"It will give us further opportunities to collaborate with other institutions, to continue to strengthen our learning and teaching portfolio and stronger connections in our local community," Mr Petrie said.

Avondale first applied for university status in 1994 and worked to broaden its teaching and research profile. 

The now-university was established in 1987 and is a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist system of universities and colleges worldwide.  

Avondale has more than 1200 students studying across four disciplines and two campuses at Cooranbong and in Sydney at the Adventist Hospital. 

Pictured: Students at Avondale College.
Image: Supplied.

ROADwhyz 10th Anniversary

By MATT JOHNSTON

Local road safety initiative ROADwhyz is celebrating its 10^th anniversary.

Co-creator Michelle Davis is one of the driving forces behind ROADwhyz, and is proud of having reached approximately 40,000 students. “We target teenagers in year 11 and 12, and other at-risk [drivers] – those between the ages of 18 and 25.”

The approach behind ROADwhyz is to make younger drivers think about the consequences of their choices behind the wheel. “We don’t teach them how to drive… we don’t tell them what they should do or how they should do it.

“We just simply say ‘choice and consequence- it’s in your hands. All you have to do is follow the road rules.”

Michelle’s faced her own struggles with the consequences of traffic accidents, having lost her two teenaged sons in 2005. It’s inspired another element of ROADwhyz, where they talk about the consequences for everyone who isn’t in the car when there’s a crash.

“I, as a mother, I try to get them to understand how important their lives are and how much their mother will miss them if they don’t come home.”

ROADwhyz’s message has been impacting on the community, with Michelle being recognised by students four years after workshops. A frequent comment is that the workshops are tough, but they’re important.

Other speakers at the workshops include emergency responders such as paramedics and police officers. While students are often lectured about how to drive on the roads, these first-hand accounts drive home the consequences of drivers’ choices.

Michelle says the workshops are “hard hitting, it’s factual, it’s real. Everybody should watch it.”

Their 10^th anniversary is a chance for ROADwhyz to celebrate the significant mile-stone, and reflect on their hopes to remove the over-representation of younger drivers in crash statistics.

ROADwhyz Co-creator Michelle Davis, roadwhyz.com

UPDATED: Department of Education responds to surveillance camera allegedly uncovered at a primary school in Maitland

BY JESSICA ROUSE

UPDATE:

The Department of Education has since responded to 2NURFM's request for a response.

"Student wellbeing is Ashtonfield Public School's highest priority.

CCTV cameras can support the school as a safe environment, and the school has signage throughout advising that CCTV can be used outdoors and indoors in general use areas and classrooms.

A camera has been put in plain sight in a classroom as part of a response to a police matter.

The matter does not involve nor put any students at risk, but it is not appropriate for the school to comment on such matters."

In addition, the Department provided reasons for why public schools use CCTV surveillance which included monitoring premises for after hours security and during the course of the working day for added security; they say surveillance is also used to monitor sick bays and student time-out rooms or other specific areas in schools.


EARLIER:

It's understood a surveillance camera has been discovered at a primary school in the Maitland area in a kindergarten classroom.

A concerned parent contacted local MP Jenny Aitchison after she discovered the camera and then heard three different stories about why it was there.

She's demanding the correct answer after she was first told it was a part of a high school students project, then the Department of Education allegedly told her it was a part of a film and then she was also told it was to catch someone who was apparently bullying a teacher.

"Given that there are three stories the onus is really on the Department to say why the camera was there, you know if the reason given by the director, of course, is that it was to be covertly finding out about bullying of a teacher that is also a concern, just the bullying in itself, but also how the school is addressing that issue," said Jenny Aitchison.

There are now reports the surveillance has now been removed but there's no solid answer about where it has gone.

"The video has actually been removed and the department isn't sure where it is so there are quite a few concerns about that. I've contacted the minister this morning about that and we've asked him to look into that issue. I understand the parent did also address that concern to him."

The Department of Education has been asked for comment.

Fire at Belmont High School

BY JARROD MELMETH

Students have been evacuated from Belmont High School following a fire believed to have broken out in a wood work classroom just after 12pm.

Fire and rescue crews were called to the scene of the fire, which is believed to have started in the classrooms dust extractor.

No one is believed to be injured, but police and ambulance are on the scene as a precaution.

A political statement, not an education statement: MacDonald on Foley

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Opposition Leader Luke Foley visited Medowie yesterday committing to build the high school which was promised 15 years ago.

But the state government have been quick to say it's no longer needed in the area because since it was initially required both Irrawang and Hunter River High Schools are now both under capacity.

There was talk of building a high school for Medowie back in the early 2000's, but now in 2017 the need is no longer there according to the Department of Education. Both Irrawang and Hunter River High are at 1,539 students which is under capacity.

Luke Foley & Kate Washington in Medowie on
Tuesday.
Image: Twitter @Luke_FoleyNSW

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald says the figures aren't that different to back in 1996 so he just doesn't see the point.

"It's just disappointing that the Opposition Leader won't take the advice of the Department of Education which is very clear in this case that in the Medowie area we need to back the two schools that are there now - Irrawang and Hunter River High - and not build and not promise to build a high school that's not needed for many many years."

The Opposition Leader also called on the current government to step in and make a move towards building a school, but the government won't have any of that.

"What this is, is a political statement not an education statement. It would penalise the school communities and the students of Irrawang High and Hunter River High. There is capacity at those schools, it would mean weaker subject choice for those schools and they would be even further under capacity," said Scot MacDonald. 

Foley: Medowie High School will happen under Labor

BY JARROD MELMETH

15 years after a Medowie High School was first put to parliament, the NSW State Opposition have reconfirmed their 2015 election promise to build the school.

In 2015, NSW Labor went to the polls promising a new $40 million high school during its first term if elected.

NSW Labor Leader Luke Foley was in Medowie on Tuesday to announce the re-commitment and to also call on the government to deliver the project.

The 2016 census has revealed that Medowie is home to almost 10,000 people, with almost 3,000 residents being aged between 0 and 19 years old. The census also shows almost 500 high school students are travelling outside of Medowie to attend school.

The nearest government high school to Medowie is Irrawang High School which, in 2016 had a maintenance backlog of $1.53 million and received only $1.1 million in funding from the State Government in May.

Hunter River High School is the next closest government high school to Medowie which also had a maintenance backlog of $1.46 million before receiving only $1 million from the same government funding.

NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley said only Labor is prepared to invest in what our public schools need.

"Six years of neglect means we now have a school overcrowding crisis.

"When it comes to investing in our children's education, Labor will do so much more than the Liberals and Nationals," Mr Foley said.

The calls for a public high school in Medowie first began in 2002, when the then Member for Paterson Bob Baldwin acknowledged the community's need for a high school in the area.

Last week NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian was in the Hunter boasting record spending on education in the state which Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington says is laughable considering Medowie is being shunned once again.

"I have been involved in the local campaign for the past 11 years and other people have been involved in it longer than me.

"We have known that we have needed a high school there for so long now and yet the current government continues to ignore the need and the demand from the community.

"It is about our kid's education and their health and well-being. When they are spending over two hours on a bus every day to get to and from school, that takes a lot of time out of their day and out of their ability to connect with their friends and the community.

"From everything I am doing in Parliament; I keep calling for it, I keep being told that it is not needed, so I am now convinced that the only way that we will see a high school in Medowie, is if Labor is elected in 2019," Ms Washington said.

Luke Foley & Kate Washington in Medowie on Tuesday.
Photo Source: Twitter @Luke_FoleyNSW

Growing concerns for Hunter TAFE

BY JARROD MELMETH

Following the recent collapse of Careers Australia, after the company was placed into voluntary administration last month, the TAFE Community Alliance is calling on the Federal Government to redirect public funds to restore the Hunter TAFE system as a trusted vocational education training provider.

Careers Australia first made waves in the Hunter when its Steel River, Newcastle campus suddenly closed its doors in July 2016, leaving 300 students in need of a new VET provider.

Last month the company was placed into voluntary administration six weeks after it was stripped of federal funding due to poor completion rates and aggressive recruitment regime. 

Spokesperson for the TAFE Community Alliance Linda Simon said public education needs to remain a priority.

"What we have seen for a number of years now is that governments have decided to make funding competitive in the VET area and consequently we have had a lot of private companies that have set up delivering VET who is about profit rather than delivering a quality education for students.

"Consequently, a lot of those companies have acted unethically. They have gone out aggressively marketing the students, who may or may not want to undertake these courses or understand what it is all about, and some have ended up in a lot of debt.

"A number of these companies have been caught out and they have collapsed leaving students stranded," Ms Simon said.

The renewed calls for redirecting funds back into TAFE coincide with concerns over a federal government decision to outsource the Australian Migrant English Program contract to American-owned private provider Max Solutions.

Hunter TAFE currently serves 200 students studying the AMEP course, with many of those students being migrants and refugees who have fled war-torn countries.

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said a private provider will not be able to provide the services a public TAFE can.

"Things such as quality teachers who are trained linguists, but also trained in trauma informed teaching practices, because we should not forget that a number of these people have come from war-torn countries, have undergone all sorts of devastating trauma in their lives, which is almost unimaginable for most Australians and need that informed practice of teaching.

"Teachers who can identify, manage and support people who have been through extreme levels of trauma," Ms Claydon said.

Ms Claydon also said during a Senate estimates hearing last week, Max Solutions had been found "non-compliant" following an audit.

"I have raised directly with Max Solutions some of the concerns people have raised.

"We want adequate responses to the questions being asked.

"Max Solutions is a large American-owned company with outlets all around the world.

"It is a profit making business with very clear contrasts to Hunter TAFE and there are questions for me also around whether a profit making business will have to prioritise profits for its shareholders above and beyond the delivery of excellent and quality courses for its students.

"I have concerns around whether the provider will be able to continue the small outreach programs into rural parts of the rural parts of the Hunter Valley that were undertaken by Hunter TAFE.

"I am concerned that not all of the capacity that TAFE had into that region will be met and those much smaller class sizes will be found to not be profitable enough by the provider to continue.

"Where does that leave those students?

"There are a lot of unanswered questions because the government has handled the transition process appallingly.

"If there are any questions around the compliance issues, they must be addressed and it is definitely in the providers' interest to have that addressed on the public record," Ms Claydon said.

Demountables on the rise in Charlestown

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison is calling on the Berejiklian Government to address the increasing number of demountables in her electorate.

The number of demountable classrooms has risen to 48 according to figures obtained by the state opposition under the Freedom of Information laws.

Jodie Harrison says the growing population of Charlestown isn't stopping anytime soon, and the government need to recognise this and work towards installing more permanent learning spaces.

"We know that there are more houses in the area, we know that there are people moving into the area and we also know that the government should be providing classrooms for our kid's education and they need to be permanent classrooms because we know that this is going to be an ongoing population increase."

The demountables are taking up, and taking away, valuable playground space from schools, with Warners Bay High School at the top of the list with the most demountables in Charlestown.

The MP says the reliance on these demountable classrooms needs to stop, and it needs to stop now.

"I would certainly hope the Minister for Education and the Premier have been looking at population growth in the area and making sure they're providing infrastructure to deal with that population increase. Our kids deserve a quality education and quality spaces."

The "Big Picture" of learning at Cooks Hill Campus

BY JESSICA ROUSE

In what many would call an unconventional way of learning, there's a high school campus in Newcastle guiding students through their year 12 studies with project-based learning.

Rather than one exam at the end of their schooling year determining what they’re going to get and what pathway they will take, students at the Cooks Hill Campus instead finish high school with a portfolio of their best work from year 9 through to year 12 about their ideal career path.

It’s all a part of Big Picture Learning, and really is all about the big picture.

Cooks Hill Campus is linked to Newcastle High School and classed as a public government school. The Big Picture design is used in 20 campuses throughout Australia and encompasses project based learning combined with a living to learn idea where students go out once a week into the workplace and experience real world learning.

“In a mainstream school you might have a student who has a clear idea – yes I’m in year 10 and I want to become a plumber, and then that student will finish school, go and do a TAFE course and then realise they don’t like it and they’ve wasted their time,” said advisory teacher Brendt Evenden.

There's only 136 students at the campus at any one time and for every 17 students there’s one advisory teacher.

Brendt Evenden is one of the advisors who sees the same 17 students throughout their whole schooling career.

The advisors ensure students meet the outcomes of the high school curriculum through their project and work together with students to work out how they can do it through their chosen projects across multiple subjects.

“Advisers know their students really well with one advisor for 17 students so that’s very different to one teacher for 30 students in a classroom and seeing five different lessons a day (in mainstream schools),” said Brendt.

At a time when students are becoming increasing disengaged from learning, the Cooks Hill Campus aims to re-engage students who can’t connect with the curriculum of mainstream high school.

“Often in mainstream school students don’t get to really follow at a great depth what they’re really passionate about,” said Brendt, and often that’s how they become disengaged.

Once students finish year 12, they can use their portfolio to go onto TAFE, or even move onto university to study a degree based on their work.

Brendt says the campus is getting a lot of interest with students, and they’re currently inviting year 8 students to put forward their interest for enrollment into the 2018 intake of year 9.

“If they’ve (parents) got a child sitting in a classroom in a mainstream school and they’re just not doing what they love or feeling bored or disengaged in some way – we’re not about the students who are mucking up, we’re about the student who really finds education isn’t working for them so we give them the chance to find their passion and get education that way.”

For more information head to www.cookshill-s.schools.nsw.edu.au 

Gonski changes 'fair': MacDonald

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT

State Premier Gladys Berejiklian has praised the Turnbull Government's decision to fund Gonski 2.0 but says it had better be fair.

Scot MacDonald

Speaking at the National Press Club in Sydney on Wednesday, Ms Berejikliam said the state government will "expect the original agreements and funding arrangements we signed up for to be delivered".

Announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday, Gonski 2.0 will divert funding from 24 of the nation's wealthiest schools to help fund 9400 other schools across the nation.

The Premier's calls have been echoed by Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald, who considers the changes to be fair.

"Personally, I don't think that is a bad system.  I do hear what the Catholic school system is saying that they have some fears; [Education Minister] Simon Birmingham has put out some re-assurances," he said

"Each school will be looking at the detail in the near future.

"As the biggest state, with the most number of school students - about a third of the school population - NSW will be looking at this very closely."

The debate surrounding Gonski funding has been ongoing since the Gillard Government, which commissioned David Gonski to investigate needs-based funding.

The Coalition has been adamant that money does not make schools better, with Mr Turnbull's announcement marking a stunning backflip on policy.

Mr MacDonald identified four schools in the Hunter with large maintenance backlogs, suggesting some are almost $2 million.

He says it's now time to stop arguing and come to an agreement.

"We've now got serious money on the table from the federal government'" he said.

"I very much hope and expect that NSW will get the funding it was originally promised."

Labor Visits Overcrowded Schools

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT

Shadow Education minister Jihad Dib has visited the Hunter today to tour public schools in Newcastle’s western suburbs to get a better understanding of the issues of overcrowding.

Jihad Dib

He was joined by Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery who holds the issue of student and teacher welfare close to heart.

“As a former teacher myself, one wants to teach in classrooms that are comfortable because that enhances better learning,” she said.

The pair will sit down and discuss possible solutions with local Principals.

Nine schools in the western suburbs are at full capacity, while more are nearing capacity.

The Government has been blamed for the overcrowding, with Hornery suggesting they haven’t given schools the opportunity to have growth space.

“This Government has forced schools that are above capacity to make the difficult decision to either place more demount-able classrooms on shrinking school space or continue teaching in overcrowded classrooms,” she said.

“I would like to encourage the Government to ensure that they pay attention to the needs of all schools in NSW.”

A 2012 study looked at overcrowded schools in Pakistan and found it can often lead to lower education standards.

"The outcome of the study indicated that effective teaching was not possible in overcrowded classes and majority of the teachers were facing instructional, discipline, physical and evaluation problems," the study found.

To address the issue, the study’s writers, Parveen Khan and Mohammas Iqbal suggested it was the Government’s job to help.

“In order to solve these problems … [the] government should make strict rules and policies regarding optimum students in classrooms and provide sufficient budget to education department for providing better facilities in schools,” the study found.

Sonia Hornery echoed the study’s findings.

“If you have a classroom that’s overcrowded you simply as a teacher don’t get the time to spend attention individually on each student,” she said.

“It’s making sure we can accommodate our students and families for the future needs and future growth in the Wallsend area.”

Teachers Losing Out in Cessnock Jail Expansion Plans

BY BRIDGET GUNN

Multiple teachers are set to lose their jobs in the controversial 1,000 bed expansion of Cessnock jail.

These proposed changes to the numbers of teachers employed at the jail have raised serious concerns, as the proposed teaching staff will be untrained and not fully qualified.

The government has made plans to cut the 9.5 full time teaching positions back to 2 positions as part of an employment outsourcing scheme.

Phillip Chadwick from the NSW Teachers Federation says these changes will have serious long term effects, as inmates won't learn skills necessary to reintegrate into society.

"One third of the people who might find themselves in prison have very poor language, literacy and numeracy skills, and it is vital that they have the right people in front of them giving them those skills so that when they do leave prison they can reintegrate and make their way back into society," says Chadwick.

"One of the key things that the education systems currently do is they interrupt that cycle of long term generational crime, and so it is vital to have highly trained teachers in place to break that chain."

"Under the new system, the people doing the education in our prisons won't have a proper teaching qualification, it will be a Certificate Four qualification and this is a real disaster for rehabilitation in our correctives services."

An immediate action training drill at Cessnock Jail
Source: The Newcastle Herald

Major Changes Announced for Hunter Tafe

BY GABRIEL PARKER

Hunter TAFE will be folded into a single statewide institution as part of a plan to save on administration costs.

It follows an April report which found TAFE NSW spends up to 60 cents per dollar on administration and backroom tasks.

It's unclear what this will mean for Hunter jobs, but Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald says it's a positive step.

"I think this is long overdue, TAFE of twenty, thirty years ago the people are comparing with doesn't exist anymore. The workforce is very very different, we all understand that. It is very much a services growth economy these days. That means different courses, that means different modes of delivery.  I think we should look on the positive side of this. I think we can have an a lot more nimble, a lot more competitive TAFE going forward" he said.

Scot MacDonald

Hunter school maintenance backlog soars

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The NSW Department of Education’s latest annual report revealed a $281 million underspend in Hunter schools.

In 2014-15, the Baird Government were committed to investing $14.2 billion on education. Instead, the Department’s own report found there the underspend of $281 million.

Schools in the Hunter are currently facing maintenance backlogs totalling $70 million, with Maitland High School at $1.6 million and two high schools in Raymond Terrace sitting at $1.5 million in maintenance backlog.

The maintenance backlog consists of basic issues such as toilet and sewer repairs, painting, replacing windows, fixing damaged rooves and other general repairs.

The report also revealed in 2015 the government decreased spending on maintenance in Hunter schools by $26.6 million dollars increasing the maintenance backlog.

Shadow Minister for the Hunter Kate Washington says that these small problems will only continue to rise, with the State Government failing to take responsibility.

"It continues to rise because government doesn't spend anything on fixing the small problems, so the small problems get bigger and bigger until it becomes this massive backlog and the government just puts its head in the sand".

"We've got the Federal government threatening to push more responsibility back onto the state government, the state government isn't taking the responsibility it needs to take already for our public schools. It's leaving a dire situation in our public schools".

There is also an increasing demand for a public high school at Medowie, as the community continues to grow making the underspend even more concerning.