Dean's Report

MGSE External Advisory Board

The MGSE External Advisory Board met last week for the third time and it was a particularly vibrant and engaged discussion reminding me of how fortunate we are to have people of this calibre generously giving their time and expertise to MGSE.

I provided them with a report on our current strategic initiatives, including the work of external consultants on our workload model, continuing progress on our financial model, and the functional review of professional staffing at MGSE. I also updated them on the new Teacher Candidate support model which has been positively integrated within schools hosting MGSE candidates.

The Board meeting also included a stimulating presentation by Professor Sandra Milligan on A New Currency for Assessment and Recognition of Complex Capabilities. This topic provoked a valuable and wide-ranging discussion on the current and future state of assessment practices in Australia. Professor Milligan articulated the limitations of some existing broad-scale assessment tools such as ATAR and discussed alternatives which may better serve individuals, workplaces and society in the future. Early childhood learning was mentioned as an excellent potential partner in a new assessment framework, as the sector has more flexibility in its curriculum and the quality of teaching and socio-emotional support provided to children are both seen as particularly important.

This month’s episode of Talking Teaching also delves into the area of early childhood education as it examines the growing national momentum for pre-school for three-year-old children and analyses the success and continuing challenges highlighted in the recent national review of Early Childhood Education Lifting our Game. Worth a listen.

ARC grant success

Congratulations to Dr Mary Leahy and her team who have been successful in securing an ARC grant for their project Trade union training: reshaping the Australian industrial landscape, which will provide an insight into how the current education and training system might meet the needs of the workforce in a rapidly changing and increasingly insecure labour market.  The interdisciplinary team includes the faculties of Arts and Law as well as RMIT, the ACTU and the Union Education Foundation.

Student farewell

This week we also held a mid-year farewell for MGSE students who have completed their studies across a range of our courses. Thanks to Clair Richards, Maria Henriquez, and student-at-work Yasmine Luu, for organising this event so that our students could celebrate their success with families, friends and MGSE staff.