Changes in education

Ross Farrelly writes about the shortfall in young people aspiring to be teachers, claiming there are more lucrative attractions in IT and finance. To counter this, Farrelly proposes that schools need to be profit driven, instead of being seen as altruistic establishments.

Imagine a system in which the teacher who needed to earn more went away and prepared his lesson better, marked his essay more diligently, studied each child in his class, analysed their needs and examined every possible avenue he could to help that child learn - and was then financially rewarded for their improved performance.

Meanwhile, the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority has proposed changes to the structure of VCE English; with a shift away from literature and towards oral presentations. Is it reflective of a post-literate age, or a ‘dumbing down’ of education?