In this issue:

• Teaching Reading - The report and recommendations from the Committee for the National Inquiry into t
• More emphasis on technical skills required
• Busy young Australians get most satisfaction
• Gold medal for ACER researcher’s work in Kenya
• ACER UPDATE

The much anticipated report from the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy, Teaching Reading, was released on 8 December by the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson. The committee for the inquiry was chaired by Dr Ken Rowe, Research Director ( Learning Processes) at ACER. In this article Dr Rowe outlines the three key principles underlying the report and recommendations made by the committee. A slightly shortened version of this article was published in the opinion section of the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday 9 December 2005.

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A greater focus on developing technical skills in secondary schools is required to draw more young Australians into apprenticeships, a recent research report by ACER recommends. The report, Participation in and Progress through New Apprenticeships, released in mid-November, also indicated that more effort is required to attract Year 12 completers to the trades.

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Young Australians are highly satisfied with their life and careers according to recent findings from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) that suggests being fully occupied in work, study or a combination of the two is a major influence on satisfaction. Overall, the study’s participants were highly satisfied with their career and life in general. Those who had the greatest time commitments to study and/or work were the most satisfied.

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ACER Research Fellow Dr Njora Hungi was awarded a Gold Medal for a presentation he delivered to the IIEP-UNESCO International Invitational Educational Policy Research Conference in Paris in September. The study examined factors at the pupil, class and school levels that influenced achievement in mathematics and reading of Standard 6 primary school pupils in Kenya and also examined performance of schools across provinces in Kenya.

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National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy reports available

The report of the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy, Teaching Reading, and accompanying reports are now available via the website of the Department of Education, Science and Training. The Report and Recommendations, Literature Review and A Guide to the Report and Recommendations for Parents and Carers are available for download.
Full Report from DEST website

 

Literature Review on Barriers to Employment for Indigenous Victorians

ACER has been commissioned by the Victorian State Services Authority to write a review paper that will identify structural, cultural and other barriers to employment. The paper will also identify the drivers of participation of the Indigenous community in Victorian public and private sector employment. Sets of principles and policies will be derived to inform the Victorian Government's consideration of its Wur-cum barra strategy to increase employment of Indigenous Victorians.

 

Masters appointed to IBO research committee

ACER's chief executive Professor Geoff Masters has been appointed as a member of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), research committee under the category of external expert for a three year term from May 2006.