Dear Colleagues,

It has been great to visit more of your schools, early years and OSHC services and witness first-hand what makes Lutheran Education so remarkably special. Thank you for so warmly welcoming me and sharing your thoughts on how we might better support you and your schools and services. I look forward to continuing to work with you and strengthening our connections both within LEQ Secretariat and with our stakeholders and sector partners.  

Some key education policy updates which may be of interest:

• National School Reform Agreement (NSRA) – the Expert Panel that will make recommendations to the Australian Government on the next NSRA has released a survey calling for input regarding issues such as:

o   Improving education outcomes

o   Supporting student health and wellbeing

o   Supporting and retaining teachers

It is important to remember that the NSRA sets out the policy deliverables required of the non-government sector in exchange for certain funding. Further information, including the survey can be found here.

• Free Kindy – There are approximately 8000 Queensland kindy aged children that are not participating in any formal early childhood education prior to school. We know from the evidence that these children sometimes struggle to make a successful transition from home to Prep. The Queensland Government is considering making kindy free for all families across the state, regardless of setting (i.e. it is expected to be available to children attending long day care or sessional kindy). The “free” component will be up to a certain cap to prevent price gouging. This is expected to be announced in the upcoming State Budget on 13 June. More information is available here.
• ACARA’s Professional Learning Hub – New curriculum resources are available on ACARA’s Professional Learning Hub. The new online portal hosts professional learning content modules designed to support teachers in understanding and teaching the new Australian Curriculum Version 9.0. Teachers can choose their own tailored professional development pathway through the professional learning hub, focusing on what they want and need to know, and at a time that suits them. Teachers could also use the content in the modules as stimulus for collaboration curriculum planning with other teachers at their school or in networks. The Hub can be accessed here.
• AERO’s Multi-tiered System of Supports  – The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) has released a report that provides a framework for a multi-tiered system of supports, focused on supporting those students who enter secondary school without having foundational literacy and numeracy skills.  Nationally, close to one in five students starts secondary school three or more years behind their peers, having scored at or below minimum standards for literacy or numeracy. These ‘struggling students’ are at greater risk of disengaging from school and not completing Year 12. The report can be found here.
• Federal House of Representatives Inquiry into the use of AI in Australian Education System – The Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training is undertaking an inquiry into the issues and opportunities presented by AI, and will explore current and future impacts on Australia’s early childhood education, schools, and higher education sectors. Submissions can be made up until 14 July. Further information can be found here.

Yvonne Ries

Deputy Executive Director Education