Dean's Report
South Australian Education Review
I spent the beginning of this week in South Australia where I am leading a Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment Review of the SA Education Department. This project will continue over the next three months as we assess the Department’s capacity to contribute to a world class education system in South Australia by supporting curriculum delivery in schools and preschools. The Department is focusing on delivering major improvement in its education system within 10 years. They have identified the importance of ensuring teachers have the support they need to effectively deliver the curriculum and help for every child, in every class, in every school to grow to their full potential.
Teaching Workforce Taskforce
The MGSE Teaching Workforce Taskforce has now appointed Wells Advisory as the consultancy to undertake an independent review of MGSE’s teaching workload model, including a comparative analysis with other workload models operating at the University and one other external University from the Group of 8. The Wells Advisory team includes Principal, Sarah Griggs and Senior Business Analysis, Anna To. In addition to the comparative analysis, Sarah and Anna will be conducting targeted stakeholder consultations and designing an online survey to ensure all MGSE staff have an opportunity to provide input into the review. The Taskforce will deliver their final report in July 2019.
Annual Research Performance Meeting
Tomorrow Jan van Driel, Bella Blaher, Helen Cahill, Keryn Negri, Shelley Gillis and I will be attending MGSE’s annual research performance meeting with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Jim McCluskey and PVC Research Capability, Julie McLeod where we will discuss MGSE’s research performance, building upon the discussions that occurred during 2018. This meeting is a part of the University’s annual business planning cycle and the discussions undertaken will inform the broader planning cycle activities and the Divisional Business Plan. The purpose of the meeting is to look at how research expectations have been established, understood and embedded in the performance development review process and socialised at MGSE, including new researcher development programs and measures to support equity and diversity.
Latest Pursuit article
I encourage you to read Associate Professor Tricia Eadie’s article published today in Pursuit as part of the University’s Election Watch project. Tricia discusses the complexity of the early childhood and care sector and the need for bold policy reforms which take a long-term approach to the future prosperity of Australia. The root of the problem, she argues, is that if we acknowledge that the first five years are the most critical for later social-emotional wellbeing, academic success and life-long opportunities then we should be equally, if not more outspoken, about the provision of quality education and care programs in our preschool years and insist that they are funded with the same long-term commitment as our schools.
Don’t forget to register for our end of semester celebration on Friday 31 May from 3-5pm in studioFive which will be an opportunity for us all to relax and catch up after all the work of the past few months.
Lastly, I hope you all enjoy exercising your democratic right to vote on Saturday and, no doubt, there will be much to discuss on Monday morning.
Jim