Something Political 18.8.10

With an election looming this weekend, I just have to air my views on our education system. Just reading for assessment task one, has made me so aware of the differences that exist nation wide in education systems and the need to change this to create the better Australia they keep promising us! As the Federal Election draws near and the promises are being announced each day with ever increasing amounts of money pledged to fix this or that, I ponder the need for real policy changes in Federal thinking on education. We have NAPLAN and a national curriculum, but I don’t see the changes happening that will really make a difference.

If the Federal Government wants to really take this country into the 21st century and grow our wealth of ideas and standing in the world, then it must reconsider its approach to education. A national curriculum is one thing but what about a national Information Literacy policy? What about really spelling out what it means to be able to reach the goal of an Australia up there with the best in the world, on a par, or even better, producing a literate, creative future.

Our education system is beleaguered by public exams and now a national curriculum all underscoring the need to use “teaching to the test’ methods. Schools and teachers are hard pressed to deliver what everyone wants. We talk about change, but lets start at the source, the policy makers, the money makers! Lets set in place an environment that will foster the type of thinking that will make Australia equal to other countries in the 21st Century. Release education systems form these type of benchmarks and spell out what is needed so it becomes a national system of IL, not just an election promise, current today and gone once the votes are cast. What about a bi-partisan committee that actually does something, makes it happen, because unless some thought is given to this it won’t happen and it makes it hard for public education to move forward if it is bound by old fashioned public exams and rules and conventions.