Rattler had a front-row seat as more than 200 members turned out at the Sydney Masonic Centre to hear Kate Ellis, Minister for Early Childhood and Childcare, and Adrian Piccoli, NSW Minister for Education, tackle the sector’s hottest topics.
The site of Senators Kate Lundy and George Brandis slugging it out on Monday night’s episode of Q&A on ABC Television pretty much summed up the sad state of affairs in the national political debate on asylum seekers – lots of talk, argument, grandstanding, pontificating, blame, but not much listening.
This, of course, is not an issue that is going to go away quickly, and there are no easy solutions for the ALP, politically speaking.
Last year, Australia marked the 20-year anniversary of the adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child but with 1,048* children currently in immigration detention, there is little to celebrate. Ingrid Maack reports.
Australians watched in horror last December as we saw televised images of a boatload of refugees swept into the sea off Christmas Island.
When it comes to pay packets, not all teachers are equal. Suzanne Kowalski-Roth from the NSW/ACT Independent Education Union (IEU), explores this much-needed campaign, and outlines why pay parity needn’t be a utopian daydream.
In a utopian Australia, young children would be valued by our society, and the role of early childhood teachers in nurturing and educating children would be truly understood, articulated and affirmed.
How do you respond to an adult who tells you they were abused as a child? While we are well rehearsed in child protection, there is little guidance available for when a colleague or parent makes a disclosure. Child protection trainer Karen Roberts shares her story.
Listening to the truth of someone’s life is a privilege and an honour. When you tell someone your history, they should receive it as such.’ (Bass & Davis, 1997, p.100).
The first part of this quote is something I say frequently, as a trainer in child protection. As educators within children’s services, it is important that we learn how to respond to a child’s disclosure of abuse, and this is a vital component of child protection training. Continue Reading →
