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Purpose of school education; education can help students flourish.

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Purpose of school education; education can help students flourish.

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Page 1: "...education can contribute to student flourishing in ways that extend beyond education's cognitive and epistemic aims."

Page 2: "...not only to contribute to immediate student well-being...but also to equip students for the pursuit of subsequent flourishing in adult life and in society."

Also:

Page 22: "Education in its broadest sense might be understood as any process by which persons are shaped and led towards fulfilment (Maritain, 1943)....forces as diverse as parental leave policies, income distributions, and opportunities for breastfeeding all shape both the cognitive development and the future flourishing of children and students. So also does the aesthetic, moral, and religious life of a place or country. All of these things are deeply relevant in the formation of persons."

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5. young person flying. Elliott using Gemini

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Page 2: "Educational systems shape student knowledge, understanding, cognition, development and numerous other aspects of students' lives that help prepare them for adulthood and engagement in society...Families, neighbo[u]rhoods, religious communities, other organi[s]ations, and governments all also play important roles."

"Schools are not responsible for all aspects of a student's flourishing."

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Page 2:

"the relative attainment of a state in which all aspects of a person's life are good, including the contexts in which that person lives." (Vanderweele & Lomas, 2023).

"Education for flourishing in principle then might include the flourishing of individual students as well as the flourishing of the communities and the natural environment in which students live."

"Ideally, education for flourishing would include policies and practices that will equip students to care for themselves as well as make contributions to others and the wider world."

Page 22:

"... the need for partnerships in the work of education for flourishing: of schools to partner with family and parents, with neighbourhoods, with religious communities, and with other organisations to work towards a more holistic education for flourishing."

"A full framework for education for flourishing needs to take into account also the host of societal and communal factors that assist in the formation of persons and enable present and future flourishing."

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1. student flourishing. Elliott using Gemini.

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The scope of "education for flourishing"

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The scope of "education for flourishing"

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Page 3: "The proper scope of 'education for flourishing' arguably lies between the poles of only the cognitive and epistemic aims on the one hand, and the whole of student flourishing on the other."

(i) the development of students' knowledge, understanding, and the cognitive skills and epistemic virtues that facilitate knowledge and understanding

(ii) the promotion of those aspects of student flourishing around which broad consensus can be attained, and concerning which teachers and educational leaders and prepared to address (cf Kristjansson & VanderWeele, 2023)

"We proposed that efforts at education for flourishing focus upon those aspects of student flourishing around which broad consensus can be attained...ideally pertain to teachers, educational leaders, parents, and, when age-appropriate, students."

Page 4:

developing students' knowledge and understanding

development cognitive skills and epistemic virtues that facilitate knowledge and understanding

promotions of aspects of student flourishing around which broad consensus can be attains, and concerning which teachers and educational leaders are prepared to address (Kristjansson & VanderWeele, 2023). (preparedness for this includes psychological willingness and skill and capacity-related preparedness of staff).

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4. young person with key and independence. Elliott using Gemini

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Page 6: Keep the focus of interventions on "aspects of student life that are within the specific purview of the educational system to alter and change."

Be context aware

Page 2: "contextual factors, including the more specific goals of the educational system, the resources that are available, and the cultural context of the students and the institutions involved."

The metrics are relevant across contexts

However, the authors "believe that some of the contours of [their] approach to assessment concerning education for flourishing may be shared across contexts, and that some of the principles that might guide the selection of metrics may be similar across contexts."

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Page 6: "Certain aspects of wellbeing and many assessments of wellbeing have an inherently subjective dimensions".

"It is difficult to assess someone's happiness or sense of meaning and purpose in life without asking them, or others around them"

"For ... self-report to be moderately reliable, it is important that any incentive to misreport be minimised"; "especially important that self-report report assessments are not used in high-stakes settings."

"worthwhile uses of such self-report metrics such as tools for self-reflection, identifying which students or groups are struggling, and in what ways, so they can be offered help, or for tracking over time to discern which aspects of well-being are improving and which are not."

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Page 7:

(i) present flourishing

(ii) academic achievement

(iii) social, emotional, and character-related capacities

"...a pillar might be understood as that which supports the structure, or even that without which the structure cannot stand."

Individual level:

1. present flourishing

2. academic achievement

3. character skills

System level:

1: community flourishing

2: system policies and practices

3: character programs

Page 9: "We believe each of our 'pillars' or categories of metrics is critical in assessment activities concerning education for flourishing. One might add additional structure or assessments to these pillars but without at least these three individual and system level pillars, any measurement approach will be partially inadequate."

"measuring all three pillars will provide a holistic understanding."

"...at the systems level, policies and practices that enable one pillar generally strengthen the other pillars."

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Page 9: "There is evidence...that those who are doing well at a given point in time are more likely to do well at a subsequent point in time." (Chen et al, 2022; de la Fuente et al, 2023).

"Some of this may relate to the resources a student or person has available and the persistence of these resources."

"...when things are going well in one area of life this in fact provides resources to achieve also in other areas of life...happiness often gives rise to subsequently better health, social relations, and workplace success" (Lyubomirsky et al, 2005; Kim et al, 2021).

"...good social relationships give rise to greater levels of mental and physical health, and greater happiness and of meaning" (Kim et al, 2020; Holt-Lunstad, 2002; Weziak-Bialowolska et al, 2022)

"...purpose in life gives rise to better health, happiness, and social relationships (Chen et al 2019, Kim et al 2022)."

"there is evidence for causal relationships between present flourishing and the subsequent flourishing of that person...this is particularly true for children and adolescents as wellbeing in childhood and adolescence powerfully shapes a wide range of later adult outcomes related to flourishing (Campbell & Ramey 1994; Cunha et al, 2006; Hoyt et al, 2012; Knudsen et al, 2006; OECD, 2009; Olsson et al, 2013; Schweinhart et al, 2005; Shonkoff and Phillips, 2000).

"Present suffering can itself sometimes even be a source of growth" (Tedeschi and Calhoun, 2004).

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Page 10:

"...teachers, schools, and educational systems can and do powerfully shape student wellbeing."

"The achieving of education's traditional cognitive and epistemic aims enhances students' knowledge and capacities and is constitutive of wellbeing; the social context that the school provides shapes students' relationships and social connectedness. A good teacher might well help shape a student's character, or sense of purpose."

"Teachers and schools can and do shape and alter students' wellbeing."

To evaluate gains:

1. assess present student flourishing or wellbeing, e.g. via two survey questions in each of five domains of human wellbeing (VanderWeele, 2017).

happiness and life satisfaction

physical and mental health

meaning and purpose

character and virtue

close social relationships

Page 11:

2. present student flourishing can be supplemented by "various demographic, economic, or psychological variables to understand how flourishing varies with respect to these."

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Page 11:

4.2."One of the central ways in which schools and educational systems enhance subsequent student flourishing is of course by developing their knowledge and understanding and by equipping them with cognitive capacities that enable their pursuit of future goals, including capacities for adaptive problem solving" (Stevenson, 2022).

"This provides a foundational and central contribution to the life, development, and subsequent potential for flourishing of students."

"...clear evidence that educational achievement and the acquisition of knowledge and cognitive capacities profoundly affects subsequent student flourishing across numerous domains of life including likelihood of employment, income, social connectedness, likelihood of marriage, happiness, and mental health (Psacharopoulos, 1994; Sweeney, 2022; Harmon and Oosterbeek, 2003" and others).

"Educational attainment is often evaluated both internally within school systems and externally using national and international standardised tests."

"The knowledge and skills will range from traditional subjects such as literacy and mathematics to complex realms including critical thinking (UNESCO, 2017) and adaptive problem solving (Stevenson, 2022)."

"Longitudinal studies conducted in a variety of OECD countries have shown that students with better PISA scores tend to have stronger education and employment outcomes in adulthood, even after controlling for socioeconomic status (OECD, 2018).

Page 12:

"...it would arguably be desirable to supplement standardised summative academic achievement assessment with formative assessment as well. Formative assessment involves ongoing assessments throughout the learning process for the purpose of guiding both learning and teaching. Achievement gains from implementing formative assessment are among the largest reported for educational interventions (OECD, 2005)." "...as this approach enables teachers to adjust teaching to meet individual needs throughout the learning process, formative assessment can directly support students' wellbeing by lessening test anxiety (OECD, 2016; OECD 2021)."

"Knowledge, understanding, and cognitive capacities shape a student's capacity to subsequently flourish...education can powerfully advance student flourishing by developing students' knowledge, understanding and the cognitive skills and epistemic virtues that facilitate knowledge and understanding. All of this greatly enables students' present and future flourishing."

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Page 12: "we could begin by considering what academic knowledge and skills the next generation will need to work toward the SDGs."

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Flourishing and social, emotional, ethical and character-based capacities

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Flourishing and social, emotional, ethical and character-based capacities

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Page 12:

"At school, a student typically learns not only knowledge and skills concerning reasoning, but also how to interact with other students, what their own strengths and areas for growth might be, how to process positive and negative events, and approaches to relating to others and to life. Such learning might also include skills with regard to aesthetic perception and ethical reasoning (Stevenson, 2022)."

"Often this happens naturally in the course of interactions with other students, teachers, and staff. However, sometimes such development is facilitated and more powerfully and intentionally shaped by a thoughtful teacher."

"The school and the classroom provide ...a laboratory for learning about life. Schools have the capacity to affect students' social, emotional, ethical and character development."

"Evidence clearly indicates that social, emotional, ethical, and character-based capacities have the potential to powerfully affect subsequent well-being (Durlak et al, 2011; Belfield et al, 2015; and others).

"Close social relationships are both "an end in itself" (VanderWeele 2017, p.8149) and a pathway to other aspects of both present and subsequent flourishing."

"Positive relationships with classmates (Demir et al, 2007; Uusitalo-Malmivaara, 2014) and teachers (Suldo et al, 2006; Ferguesson et al, 2015) have been associated with student happiness and life satisfaction. Close social relationships also act as a buffer against mental and physical health issues. Substantial research has investigated the importance of social relationships in preventing a wide range of mental and physical health issues in adulthood, linking social connectedness with a lower likelihood of depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, pulmonary disease, obesity, and even mortality (Elovainio, 2017, Holt-Lunstad, 2022, Inoue et al, 2013", and others).

Page 13:

"For children and adolescents, social connection is associated with better immune system health, less depression, less social anxiety, higher levels of self-esteem, and a lower risk of suicide and self-harm (Maes et al, 2017; Holt-Lunstad, 2022)."

"...positive relationships can also nurture the development of students' character skills (Booker, 2006; Choukas-Bradley et al 2015; Jessor and Turbin, 2014; Wagner et al, 2019; and others).

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6. socially well child. Elliott using Gemini

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Character work and harm prevention:

Page 13:

"For children and adolescents, social connection is associated with better immune system health, less depression, less social anxiety, higher levels of self-esteem, and a lower risk of suicide and self-harm (Maes et al, 2017; Holt-Lunstad, 2022)."

"character and character-based interventions affect a host of outcomes including happiness, sleep, and physical health (Curry et al, 2018; Davis et al, 2016; Emmons and McCullough, 2003"; and others). Also depression and anxiety, hope, social relationships, and educational test scores (Alan et al, 2019; Durlak et al, 2011; Kerr et al, 2015; Layous et al, 2012; and others).

"Holistic approaches that integrate character skills and academic knowledge are also promising for boosting outcomes related to" character and academics (Brush, Jones, Bailey et al, 2022; Jones, Brown and Aber, 2011; and others).

"...character skills that nurture close social relationships, such as kindness....and interpersonal trust...support flourishing in students around the world."

"Among the thirty character skills measured, only optimism significantly predicted students' life satisfaction and psychological well-being across all ten countries. However, the effects of optimism may not be universal."

Page 14:

"Optimism that is grounded in a person's resources or agency may be a better target than an ungrounded optimism that things will often just turn out well on their own (Wilson and VanderWeele, 2023)."

Ethical decision-making, collaborative problem solving, emotional intelligence, and the ability to interact in heterogeneous social groups, environmental awareness, global competence and a cosmopolitan ethic of care are all proposed by some as being "competencies for tackling shared global challenges".

Multidimensional measures:

VIA Inventory of Strengths for Youth (Park and Peterson, 2006)

Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (LeBuffe et al, 2009; LeBuffe et al, 2019; Nickerson and Fishman, 2009)

OECD / PISA measures of global competence (OECD, 2018)

OECD / PISA measures for collaborative problem solving (OECD, 2021)

"Further work could also be carried out on the development of further assessments for aesthetic perception and ethical reasoning (Stevenson, 2022)."

"...social, emotional, ethical, aesthetic, and character development of students powerfully affects [young people'

s] present and subsequent flourishing. Moreover, nurturing the development of these capacities better equips students to make contributions to others' flourishing, the flourishing of their communities and the wider world. This can create a virtuous cycle... Metrics concerning such ... development should thus be a part of assessment approaches to efforts directed at education for flourishing."

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1. present community-level flourishing

aggregate type assessments possible

2. academic systems-level educational metrics

aggregate type assessments possible

3. social, emotional, and character-related programs

aggregate type assessments possible

"...it is clearly crucial to support the inextricably linked aims of both the development of cognitive capacities and epistemic knowledge and social-emotional character development" (page 19).

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5.1. School / community-level flourishing

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5.1. School / community-level flourishing

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Page 15:

"The environment in which a student learns and interacts with others inevitably affects their own present, and future, development."

"A healthy school that is well run, with good leadership, good relationships, a positive school climate, cared-for teachers, and good facilities is more likely to be conducive to student learning and flourishing than one that is not."

"...a school's flourishing itself affects students' learning and flourishing."

"...relevant also is the flourishing of the school's teachers, leaders, and other staff....the flourishing of a school arguably extends beyond the flourishing of all of the individuals making up the school. It extends to include a leadership that is competent, caring, ethical and ideally visionary. It extends to include good, trusting, respectful relationships within the school."

"The flourishing of a school extends to having a sense of welcome and belonging and extends to a shared sense of purpose and synergy (VanderWeele, 2019). A flourishing school will likely affect both present and future student flourishing and is arguably even constitutive of such flourishing."

Metrics:

evaluate individual flourishing and school flourishing

"The literature of community wellbeing is much smaller than on individual wellbeing"

Possible: 6 domains - flourishing individuals, good relationships, proficient leadership, healthy practices and structures, satisfying community, strong mission (4 questions per domain). See Appendix!

Page 16:

"...worth especially highlighting the importance of including measures related to teacher-student relationships, including assessment of teachers' relationship skills. Nurturing, emotionally close, responsive relationships with teachers can powerfully support students' wellbeing and learning... Assessments of school culture could also be included."

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5.2. Academic systems-level educational metrics

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5.2. Academic systems-level educational metrics

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Page 16:

"...educational attainment of students critically shapes their capacity for subsequent flourishing."

teacher quality

assessments of the curriculum

assessments of pedagogical approaches

value-added assessments re: changes in students' knowledge and abilities

Page 16:

"Studies across countries have shown that the quality of teachers is the single most important school factor impacting academic achievement (Chetty, Friedman and Rockoff, 2014; OECD, 2005).

"Teachers vary markedly in their effectiveness (OECD, 2005) and yet they greatly influence students' learning and wellbeing (Suldo et al, 2006; Ferguesson et al, 2015; OECD, 2005" and others).

"...relationships with teachers can be especially important for students who are at risk of academic failure (Hamre and Pianta, 2005)."

Teacher quality measures vary by context but can include: subject matter expertise, teacher professional knowledge of research on learning and teaching, teacher social-emotional capabilities.

"Metrics that measure school factors that contribute to the quality of teachers could also be considered...practices for recruiting and selecting teachers, or the availability of professional development for teachers."

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7. teacher who is relational in Australia. Elliott using Gemini

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5.3. Social, emotional and character related programs and practices

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5.3. Social, emotional and character related programs and practices

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Page 17-18:

"Metrics for education for flourishing could also assess students' access to mental health services." "...symptoms of anxiety and depression have risen dramatically among youth internationally"; "...access to mental health services is more important than ever (Children's Commissioner, 2021; Delmastro and Zamariola, 2020; OECD, 2021).

Character-based interventions to promote:

gratitude (e.g. Davis et al, 2016; Cregg and Cheavens, 2020)

kindness (Kerr et al, 2015)

compassion (Kirby et al, 2017)

patience (Alan & Ertac, 2018)

perseverance / grit (Alan et al, 2019)

There is evidence of these strengths on happiness, sleep, and physical health (Coffey et al 2017, Davis et al 2016, Emmons and McCullough 2003). Also depression and anxiety (Wade et al, 2014), hope (Wade et al, 2014), and education test scores (Alan et al, 2019).

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Page 1: "...character formation, to mental health awareness and well-being enhancement, to the development of capacities for adaptive problem-solving, ethical reasoning, and aesthetic perception, to practical skills like financial management." (+ must evaluate effectiveness of programs, schools and systems at achieving goals and ends they purport to accomplish)

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3. character formation for students. Elliott using Gemini

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Page 17-18:

"...numerous well-being interventions and activities have been developed and successfully evaluated."

1. gratitude exercises that enhance happiness, relieve depressive symptoms, and improve quality of sleep and self-reported health symptoms (Seligman et al, 2005; Emmons and McCullough, 2003; Davis et al, 2016)

2. acts of kindness exercises which improve happiness and engagement (Lyubomirsky et al, 2005; Curry et al, 2018)

3. imagining one's best possible self activities which improve happiness, life satisfaction and optimism (King, 2001; Malouff and Schutte, 2017)

4. use of character strengths which can boost happiness and life satisfaction and decrease the likelihood of depression (Seligman et al, 2005; Schutte and Malouf, 2019).

Evidence of well-being activities in non-school settings: VanderWheele, 2020.

Discussion of implementing well-being related activities in schools: Hampson, Hinton, Yemiscigil et al, 2002; McConVille, Hinton, and Lee, 2021).

"Many of these exercises are very easy to disseminate and could therefore be employed broadly. Homeroom periods and tutorials may, for example, be one potential avenue for such dissemination."

Evidence-based interventions and initiatives to promote student flourishing in schools: Hinton, Hill, and Yemiscigil, TBA).

initiatives that nurture close social relationships (e.g. supporting teacher-student relationships, nurturing friendships, and fostering a positive school culture; character skill interventions and programs, including acts of kindness, gratitude practices and others, physical activity (e.g. physical education, sports and active learning pedagogies), learning activities that cultivate meaning and purpose, music and the arts, service learning, playfulness and humour, and connecting with nature.

Metrics: the extent to which schools implement these evidence-based education practices and initiatives. Make assessments flexible enough to capture various manifestations of these practices across different cultures and contexts.

Other metrics: availability of quality PD for teachers in socio-emotional learning, character development, and holistic approaches for teaching character and academic skills together. Assessment of resulting capabilities of teachers in helping to shape social, emotional, and character-based capacities of students.

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Focus on evidence-based programs and interventions

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Focus on evidence-based programs and interventions

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Focus metrics on assessments of at least some programs or interventions that are evidence based

Apply metrics, ensure programs are effective

Also assess wellbeing of teachers, administration, and leadership.

Identify students who are struggling. Offer additional assistance. (Page 20)

Use for predictive purposes.

Identify students at high risk of not flourishing subsequently.

If schools are rewarded based on self-report assessments, there will be strong incentive to over-report or misreport with impacts to reliability and utility. Ditto with deficits.

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"The extent to which teachers and educational leaders are prepared to address student flourishing is not itself static; it can be altered and enhanced."

(Page 21)

"...some schools ... will be better prepared to promote student flourishing than will others....it will be those schools with the greatest resources, both in terms of teacher availability and financial resources, that have the capacity to address the broadest range of aspects of wellbeing."

"...if efforts at education for flourishing are not to exacerbate existing inequalities, additional support and resources will be required for those schools most in need." (Page 21)

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Page 22:

"Arguably, the very act of assessment, and tracking, of education for flourishing metrics in fact itself constitutes an intervention...at the individual level since asking students, teachers, or education leaders questions about their own flourishing can help them to reflect upon their own lives; to see where they would like to make improvements or changes; and possibly to reach out for help."

Also a systems-level intervention because "What we measure shapes what we discuss, what we know, what we aim for, and the policies put in place to achieve those aims" (Pederson 2007, Richardson et al 2021)"

Discussing education for flourishing metrics expands the scope of discussion beyond the important cognitive and epistemic aims of education to student, teacher, and school flourishing more broadly. It broadens the set of policy considerations.

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Wamderweele and Hinton (2024) were funded by the OECD.

References:

Alan, Bonrva and Ertac on trying and grit (2019)

Baumeister and Leary on the desire for interpersonal attachments (fundamental motivation) (1995)

Bartlett and DeSteno on gratitude, prosocial behaviour, and helping when it costs (2006)

Carle, McIntosh, Moore and others on flourishing children and indicators of positive development (2014, book, NY)

Carver, Scheier, Segerstrom on optimism (2010)

Chang on optimism and pessimism and psychological wellbeing (2001)

Cregg and Cheavens on gratitude interventions and effective self-help (2020)

Ferguson, Phillips, Rowley and Friedlander on engagement, mindsets and agency; study of Year 6-9 classrooms (2015)

Fritz, de Graaff, Caisley, van den Berg and Boer on mindfulness-based interventions for children and adolescents with ADHD (2019)

Ferguson, Heller, and Berson on teaching empathy through simulation exercises (2015)

Datniw, Park, Peurach and Spillane on global education experiences and holistic student development (2022)

Datu and Mateo on gratitude and coping / mediating role of emotions (2015)

Demir, özen, Dogan, Bilyk and Tyrell on friendship, mattering and happiness (2011)

Dornbusch, Ritter, Leiderman, Roberts and Fraleigh (2001) on parenting style and school performance

Emmons and McCullough (2003) on counting blessings vs burdens, gratitude and subjective wellbeing.

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Essential English:

Unit 1 (1 core point)

Unit 2 (1 core point)

Units 3 and 4 (2 core points)

Essential Mathematics:

Unit 1 (1 core point)

Unit 2 (1 core point)

Units 3 and 4 (2 core points)

Social and Community Services

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Literacy (1 point)

Numeracy (1 point)

Work readiness / Careers education (1 point)

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20 hours of instructional time

1 QCE point

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What the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Declaration is

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What the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Declaration is

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Dated 18 February, 2000.

"From 2020, the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration replaced the Melbourne Declaration as the ministerial statement of educational goals for young Australians and commitment to action for the coming decade."

"The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration sets out a vision for a world class education system that encourages and supports every student to be the very best they can be, no matter where they live or what kind of learning challenges they may face." (Australian Government Link).

It replaces the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians.

Overview:

Ministers agreed that education should continue to promote "excellence and equity", and enable ALL Australians to become "confident and creative individuals, successful learners, and active and informed community members."

"places students at the centre of their education by emphasising the importance of meeting the individual needs of [ALL] learners, and outlines education's role in supporting the wellbeing, mental health and resilience of young people."

Rationale:

Education, the economy and work are changing in nature

Need skills for the 21st century

Important to learn throughout life (early childhood onwards)

Need to effectively transition between all stages of learning

11 areas for action

support educators

strengthen early childhood education

promote world-class curriculum and assessment

There are specific actions set for middle and senior years (also primary but that's beyond our scope and sphere of influence).

First Nations Peoples:

celebrate and learn from ATSI cultures, knowledge and histories

ensure ATSI peoples are "supported to imagine, discover and unlock their potential"

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1. The Australian education system promotes excellence and equity

2. All young Australians become confident and creative [INDIVIDUALS] and active and informed [MEMBERS] of the community.

(capitals added)

The responsibility to achieve falls on the Australian Governments, the education community "in partnership with young Australians, their families and carers, and the broader community."

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Goal #2.1. "Confident and creative individuals who..."

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Goal #2.1. "Confident and creative individuals who..."

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Goal #2.2. "Successful lifelong learners who..."

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Goal #2.2. "Successful lifelong learners who..."

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Goal 2.3. "Active and informed members of the community who..."

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Goal 2.3. "Active and informed members of the community who..."

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This commitment will be supported by a range of inter-related areas for action:

developing stronger partnerships

supporting quality teaching and leadership

strengthening early childhood education

building foundational skills in the primary school years

enhancing middle years development

supporting senior years of schooling

embedding pathways for learning throughout life and supporting effective transitions

promoting world-class curriculum and assessment

supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners to reach their full potential y supporting all young Australians at risk of educational disadvantage

strengthen responsibility mechanisms with strong, meaningful, accountable and transparent measures

Source: https://www.education.gov.au/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration/resources/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration

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The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration

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The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration.

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How: "Supporting teacher quality and leadership"

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How: "Supporting teacher quality and leadership"

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How: "Strengthening early childhood education"

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How: "Strengthening early childhood education"

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How: foundational skills and middle years development

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How: foundational skills and middle years development

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How: "Supporting senior years of schooling"

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How: "Supporting senior years of schooling"

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https://www.education.gov.au/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration/resources/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration

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How: "Delivering world-class curriculum and assessment"

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How: "Delivering world-class curriculum and assessment"

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How: "Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to reach their potential"

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How: "Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to reach their potential"

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How: "Supporting all learners at risk of disadvantage"

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How: "Supporting all learners at risk of disadvantage"

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How: "Strengthening accountability and transparency with strong meaningful measures"

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How: "Strengthening accountability and transparency with strong meaningful measures"

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"All young Australians will have the opportunity to reach their full potential" (+ two yearly forum for tracking progress)

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"All young Australians will have the opportunity to reach their full potential" (+ two yearly forum for tracking progress)

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ACIE's response to the declaration (critical)

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ACIE's response to the declaration (critical)

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Australian Coalition for Inclusive Education

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12 December 2019 We needed to have a Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability to investigate the failure of education systems to provide inclusive education and address segregation, discrimination, violence and abuse for students with disability. Yet the new Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration endorsed by all Australian Education Ministers today only mentions the word 'disability' once.
For as long as society chooses not to include children and young people with disability in education it sets them up for a life apart and at its margins, and the experiences of violence, abuse neglect and exploitation will remain unresolved and insurmountable.

Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) the national representative organisation for people and young children with disability and the Chair and co-convenor of the Australian Coalition for Inclusive Education (ACIE) recently released the results of its National Education Survey of almost 500 parents and carers of primary and secondary students with disability and found that over the past year around:

1 in 10 students had been refused enrolment

Almost half had been excluded from school events or activities

1 in 4 were subject to abuse by either being restrained or secluded

Half had experienced bullying by other students and by educators

1 in 5 didn't attend school full time

14% had been suspended.

The ACIE is a national coalition to ensure that Australia adopts a human rights and evidence-based approach to education for children and young people with disability. Our organisations together are extremely disappointed that children and young people with disability were not prioritised in this new national plan.

Australian states and territories are not meeting their international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to provide inclusive education, and continue to segregate students with disability, in special schools and classes, along with failing to provide inclusive environments in regular education and continuing to use restraint and seclusion.

Australia was slammed by the UN for failing students with disability in September of this year during the review of its human rights record, with both the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Committee on the Rights of the Child calling on the Australian government to urgently address these issues. UN disabilities expert Dr Markus Schefer expressly noted then that "the Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians [the predecessor of the plan released today] does not explicitly identify students with disabilities as a priority, and it does not commit explicitly to inclusive education".

Once again, despite the fact that 18.8 percent of Australian children require educational adjustments because of disability[1], and they face poorer life chances because they are more likely than people without disability to leave school early and to have a lower education levels, their educational rights have not been prioritised.
Quotes attributable to Mary Sayers, CEO, Children and Young People with Disability Australia:
Together the ACIE calls for:

A National Plan for Inclusive Education and a comprehensive review of policy and practice at all levels of the education system to ensure the rights of students who experience disability are upheld, consistent with Australia's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and in keeping with the definition of inclusive education outlined in General Comment No. 4)

Whole of government leadership and action to provide a universally accessible and fully inclusive education system with clear targets and timetables

Investment in and accountability for improvement in outcomes for students with disability

Phasing out segregated education in special schools and special classes, with no more investment in a dual track system that does not support full inclusion

Education and capacity building for all schools and teachers to provide inclusive education

Quote attributable Michelle O'Flynn, Queensland Advocacy Incorporated
"It really beggars belief that a national education policy fails to prioritise overcoming the educational disadvantage and discrimination children and young people with disability face in their education"
Quote attributable to Sue Tape, Convenor, Queensland Collective for Inclusive Education
"The Disability Royal Commission must hold education jurisdictions to account by making strong recommendations for them to right the wrongs that are happening every day in Australian schools, and for the transition from parallel 'special' and 'mainstream' education systems to one education system for all."
Quote attributable to Gina Wilson-Burns, Deputy Chairperson, All Means All - The Australia Alliance for Inclusive Education

" Many people with disability experience a lifetime of devaluation from birth, through their school years and beyond. The imprint left upon people by the multiple layers of discrimination, exclusion and rejection is often a terrible burden of loneliness, pain or anger. If we don't want adults with disability to face indefinite detention, endure social exclusion then we must start with inclusive education".

Ends The spokespeople above are available for media comment. All media enquiries to marysayers@cyda.org.au or 0407 126 351

FAQs - Some Myths and Truths about Inclusive Education
"Once again Australian students with disability are left without clear national leadership"

"The Australian government has missed an opportunity to send a message that students with disability matter. This is disappointing given that we all know that students with disability are being failed across Australia and that the rate and extent of segregation is growing".
Truths:
[1] National Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD), Report of Government Services 2019

Myths and misguided ideas include:
Evidence review Towards inclusive education: A necessary process of transformation Fact sheets

A school or early childhood service cannot include a student because it does not have enough resources

Inclusive education is only for some students

Students with intellectual disability or complex disabilities cannot be included in general education settings

Inclusive education is when a student attends a 'mainstream' school but they are withdrawn from the class for 'special' education classes or units

Inclusive education can occur in segregated settings

Inclusive education leads to poorer educational outcomes for students without disability because they take up all the teachers time

Students with disability have better educational outcomes in "specialist" segregated settings

Segregated settings keep children with disability safe

Parents can make free and informed choices, in an education system free of 'gatekeeping' and discrimination

Students who exhibit behaviour that is perceived as "challenging" cannot be included in general education

Six decades of research show the benefits of inclusive education for ALL students

Students with disability who are properly supported in general education settings have better academic and post-school outcomes than their peers with disability in segregated settings. But the benefits don't stop there - they also experience a range of social and behavioural benefits

There are a wide range of benefits for students without disability, teachers, educators and the community

Students whose needs are met in a supportive and inclusive learning environment with positive peer role models are less likely to exhibit behaviour that is perceived as "challenging"

Children and young people with disability and their families experience widespread discrimination and 'gatekeeping' and face significant barriers in asserting their right to inclusive education

For more information on the evidence for inclusive education available at https://www.cyda.org.au/inclusion-in-education and includes:

You can download this media release in printable PDF form here.

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New national education policy ignores students with disability - again

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12 December 2019 We needed to have a Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability to investigate the failure of education systems to provide inclusive education and address segregation, discrimination, violence and abuse for students with disability. Yet the new Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration endorsed by all Australian Education...

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Melbourne Declaration vs Alice Springs Declaration

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Melbourne Declaration vs Alice Springs Declaration

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A comparative analysis of the earlier Melbourne Declaration and the Alice Springs Declaration.

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Is this what Dan Tehan means by ‘back to basics’? The Mparntwe Declaration

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The Mparntwe Declaration was released at the end of last year. I do not use the official full title of the document on purpose. I do this as a final hurrah to 2019, the Year of Indigenous Languages and I do this because, as was pointed out, this was the first time a national education…

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Teachers, always have three domains in your consciousness

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Teachers, always have three domains in your consciousness

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Qualification

Subjectification (the most important question for him)

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Teachers must ask themselves, what is "basic" and what is "fundamental".

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Not about the task, but asking 'where are you in relation to all this?'

Engagement in a serious, proper way, beyond concern with course credits (me: not instead of but beyond).

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Educationally, it's more interesting for teachers to open up avenues for exploring rather than answering a question.

Always have a higher purpose as a frame of reference.

Push students to breakthrough (moment of awakening).

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This contrasts with student-centred education. The world is not an object but asks something of us. It asks us, where are you?

School is a time we need to protect. School is precious. The teacher has things to give; opens up worlds for students.