http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/education/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/eight-simple-rules-for-losing-your-doctoral-virginity/ Right now, there are thousands of brand new PhD candidates entering universities around the country. Many of them will be highly anxious, knowing that they have a long, difficult journey ahead of them which, statistically speaking, they have less than a 75 per cent chance of completing successfully. Emma Jane last year described doing a PhD as “childbirth for the brain”. And, while I liked her sentiment, I don’t agree that the whole process really has to be so “mind-meltingly, stomach-churningly, sleep-deprivingly difficult”. Just as there are many things expecting or labouring mothers can do to make childbirth easier and more bearable – epidurals, controlled breathing exercises, gym balls, warm baths, happy gas, umm… taint massage – there are some simple rules Doctoral students should follow in order to deliver their baby without recourse to forceps or an episiotomy. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/eight-simple-rules-for-losing-your-doctoral-virginity/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/eight-simple-rules-for-losing-your-doctoral-virginity/#item7702 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-world-has-always-been-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket/ Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-world-has-always-been-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-world-has-always-been-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket/#item7671 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-directly-to-jail-do-not-pass-year-six/ In Texas and in many other parts of the US, the government has hit upon a neat new approach to dealing with troublesome students in schools. Instead of old-fashioned methods like detention or sitting in the corner of the classroom, the State has employed a legion of armed police to patrol the state’s school corridors. That means hundreds of students are finding themselves charged in the school grounds with offences such as ‘disrupting class’ and are being forced to appear in court. For many, the charges lead to prison terms, in what has been described as a ‘schools-to-prison’ pipeline. These are not rare or extreme cases. This is not a nightmare vision conjured up in the pages of a George Orwell novel. In fact right now, hundreds of students are being charged daily with offences ranging from swearing in school, being late to school, playing up on the school bus, smoking cigarettes or wearing inappropriate clothing. In 2010 close to 300 000 tickets were issued to schoolchildren as young as six in schools - resulting in fines, community service and prison terms. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-directly-to-jail-do-not-pass-year-six/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-directly-to-jail-do-not-pass-year-six/#item7669 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Were-all-going-on-an-endless-uni-holiday/ In a previous life, I was a chef. Not a great one, but I do have the little certificate and scars to prove it. The hours were long. I am sure we have all heard the horror stories of 16 hour days and 80 hour weeks so there is no need to discuss that at length. Anyhow, I decided that my future wasn’t in the kitchen, so university beckoned. Fast forward a couple of years and university holidays have come around again. On the 11th of November last year, I went on university holidays. I will not go back until the end of February. That’s around 110 days. It is a long time. Even so, it’s apparently not quite long enough. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Were-all-going-on-an-endless-uni-holiday/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Were-all-going-on-an-endless-uni-holiday/#item7578 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-worry-theyre-taking-good-care-of-your-children/ Imagine you are the harried working parent of a bustling four-year-old child - unless of course you’re actually in the zone right now, experiencing all those many wonders first hand. Next year’s the big one. School, and potentially a 13-year stretch of study, social integration, with hopefully some fun and a few of life’s lessons in the mix. As you’re dropping them off at the local pre-school before zooming off to work, it is time to wonder how much do they really need to learn right now. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-worry-theyre-taking-good-care-of-your-children/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-worry-theyre-taking-good-care-of-your-children/#item7567 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/higher-student-fees-just-arent-feasible/ Dear readers, please do not run away or close the window because I’m an Arts student: I have something important to say. Over the past five years I have enjoyed a successful “career” (for wont of a better word) studying at four different universities and I now find myself in the early stages of a Doctorate. There are many observations I could make about universities (my wife removes sharp objects from the room when anyone mentions VSU) but the issue most worrying me at the moment relates to the Group of Eight’s attitude towards funding and student contributions. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/higher-student-fees-just-arent-feasible/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/higher-student-fees-just-arent-feasible/#item7402 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-gillard-leave-the-schools-alone/ The Prime Minister’s decision to throw Peter Garrett, the education minister, a lifeline in the form of Brendan O’Connor to manage the school funding review, chaired by David Gonski, proves how sensitive and potentially politically damaging the issue is. Non-government schools enrolments have surged over the last 15 or so years with much of the increase occurring in low fee paying non-denominational schools in marginal seats that are crucial in any election campaign. During the 2004 election campaign Mark Latham’s hit list of wealthy private schools proved an electoral liability and when education minister, the now Prime Minister Julia Gillard, assured non-government schools and their parents that schools would not suffer financially as a result of the review. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-gillard-leave-the-schools-alone/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-gillard-leave-the-schools-alone/#item7391 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/poetry-is-not-dorky-high-school-just-ruins-it/ In most social circles being into poetry has about the same social cache as having an STD. Small children are introduced to poetry early in the guise of nursery rhymes and they can’t get enough of it. The lilt and the quirk of the language in these rhymes pleases them automatically and profoundly.  But then something happens, and by the time a kid is a teenager they may as well stick a “kick me” sign on their own back if they want to carry around a book of poetry. And adults that are interested in poetry will find that even “top notch” bookstores usually have more titles on cake decoration than of verse. Where and why does poetry lose its fan base? piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/poetry-is-not-dorky-high-school-just-ruins-it/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/poetry-is-not-dorky-high-school-just-ruins-it/#item7324 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/time-to-inject-some-rational-thought-into-anti-vaxxers/ The Government has hoisted up a large and slightly unwieldy carrot to boost immunisation rates. Families could miss out on around $2100 if the kids don’t get their jabs. The announcement comes in the midst of a whooping cough outbreak, and at a time when clusters of non-vaccinators are allowing preventable diseases to incubate. The Government’s changes, which will mean those who don’t immunise will not be eligible for three payments of $729 under Family Tax Benefit A, is well intentioned, if clumsy. Under the current system families get an immunisation allowance – even if they are “conscientious objectors” – but this will now be scrapped, while more immunisations will be added to the schedule. Here’s the likely outcome. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/time-to-inject-some-rational-thought-into-anti-vaxxers/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/time-to-inject-some-rational-thought-into-anti-vaxxers/#item7254 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/whether-public-or-private-our-schools-deserve-a-fair-go/ Last week on The Punch, conservative education writer Kevin Donnelly laid into a report proposing a new model of universal funding for public and private schools. Here, the report’s author, Jennifer Buckingham from the Centre for Independent Studies, sets the record straight. School choice means different things to different people. In essence, it refers to the principle that parents should have the right and the means to choose their child’s school, and that this choice should be not be restricted to government schools. To adhere to this principle, a school funding system must have several key features. First, it must be child-centred. The amount of public funding provided for the education of each student must be based on their individual needs and circumstances. Second, the type of school attended, whether government or non-government, should not affect the level of funding. Third, students should be able to enrol at any school of their choice. And funding entitlements should follow students. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/whether-public-or-private-our-schools-deserve-a-fair-go/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/whether-public-or-private-our-schools-deserve-a-fair-go/#item7199 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Margaret Court was right - we’re all going to Hell. But she wasn’t the first to tell us, we’ve been going to Hell for centuries. Here Simon J Green digs up the transcripts of the Margaret Courts of their day. February, 2012 The state of the planet today makes me sick. Back in my day, children respected their elders. If you didn’t show the right amount of respect, you were given the strap. I got bamboo across my palm thrice in school and it did me the world of good. Something else that made me the sensible person I am today: a decent education. The corner stone of that education was maths. If more kids were taught mathematics in school, there’d be less drop outs, less teen pregnancies and more graduates going to university.