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| Helping Australian teachers share lesson plans could improve stagnating student results, Productivity Commission says | Helping Australian teachers share lesson plans could improve stagnating student results, Productivity Commission says |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A national database of lesson plans was one of the recommendations of the fourth interim report into how to lift Australia’s flagging productivity | A national database of lesson plans was one of the recommendations of the fourth interim report into how to lift Australia’s flagging productivity |
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| A national online database of lesson plans would help teachers cut hours from their weekly workloads and help reverse years of stagnating student results, the Productivity Commission says. | A national online database of lesson plans would help teachers cut hours from their weekly workloads and help reverse years of stagnating student results, the Productivity Commission says. |
| The commission’s fourth interim report on how to lift Australia’s flagging productivity focused on building a skilled and adaptable workforce. | The commission’s fourth interim report on how to lift Australia’s flagging productivity focused on building a skilled and adaptable workforce. |
| Naplan test results show one in three school students don’t meet minimum literacy or numeracy standards, and Catherine de Fontenay, one of two commissioners leading the inquiry, said “anything that improves our foundational skills in schools is going to have the biggest impact on productivity”. | Naplan test results show one in three school students don’t meet minimum literacy or numeracy standards, and Catherine de Fontenay, one of two commissioners leading the inquiry, said “anything that improves our foundational skills in schools is going to have the biggest impact on productivity”. |
| The commission said it “repeatedly” heard during consultations that the tools and resources available to teachers varied between jurisdictions and sectors, while not all states and territories had developed lesson planning materials to share through a database. | The commission said it “repeatedly” heard during consultations that the tools and resources available to teachers varied between jurisdictions and sectors, while not all states and territories had developed lesson planning materials to share through a database. |
| The commonwealth should invest and promote a single online platform containing the materials, the report said, with the understanding plans would be adapted for local contexts and for the wide range of students’ abilities. | The commonwealth should invest and promote a single online platform containing the materials, the report said, with the understanding plans would be adapted for local contexts and for the wide range of students’ abilities. |
| The commission also said the federal government should take the lead in devising a national approach to education technology in schools, including tools using artificial intelligence. | The commission also said the federal government should take the lead in devising a national approach to education technology in schools, including tools using artificial intelligence. |
| “Effective implementation of both reforms requires collaboration and buy-in from state and territory governments, school sectors, school leaders and teachers,” the report said. | “Effective implementation of both reforms requires collaboration and buy-in from state and territory governments, school sectors, school leaders and teachers,” the report said. |
| De Fontenay said the inquiry had revealed a lack of coordination around how to use AI in the classroom. | De Fontenay said the inquiry had revealed a lack of coordination around how to use AI in the classroom. |
| “What we found is that all the states are on a journey. A lot of them are at the (stage) of trying to ban the use of GenAI, with various levels of success,” she said. | “What we found is that all the states are on a journey. A lot of them are at the (stage) of trying to ban the use of GenAI, with various levels of success,” she said. |
| While some state school directorates are focused on the risks, others are developing their own GenAI tools, including Educhat in NSW. | While some state school directorates are focused on the risks, others are developing their own GenAI tools, including Educhat in NSW. |
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| “Teachers are in a very difficult situation right now,” De Fontenay said. | “Teachers are in a very difficult situation right now,” De Fontenay said. |
| “All continue to experiment and try out different technologies, but in the midst of the fear there is lots of potential as well. | “All continue to experiment and try out different technologies, but in the midst of the fear there is lots of potential as well. |
| “For a kid who is struggling, AI can tailor the next question based on how they are doing on earlier questions, and then give them work that targets their weaknesses. | “For a kid who is struggling, AI can tailor the next question based on how they are doing on earlier questions, and then give them work that targets their weaknesses. |
| “There’s a lot of potential, but there are always risks. This has to be a collective agreement in terms of how to proceed.” | “There’s a lot of potential, but there are always risks. This has to be a collective agreement in terms of how to proceed.” |
| A week out from treasurer Jim Chalmers’ economic reform roundtable, the commission also recommended easing regulatory restrictions around the jobs Australians are able to perform, which it said were exacerbating skills shortages. | A week out from treasurer Jim Chalmers’ economic reform roundtable, the commission also recommended easing regulatory restrictions around the jobs Australians are able to perform, which it said were exacerbating skills shortages. |
| “They should start by considering occupations – including motor vehicle repairers, painters and decorators, and hairdressers – where OERs [occupational entry regulations] apply in only some jurisdictions and are not demonstrably improving outcomes.” | “They should start by considering occupations – including motor vehicle repairers, painters and decorators, and hairdressers – where OERs [occupational entry regulations] apply in only some jurisdictions and are not demonstrably improving outcomes.” |
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| De Fontenay said it was not a question of doing away with minimum requirements, but pushing back against creeping “credentialism”. | |
| “It’s more a question of proportionality. Audits are a good example. Right now the level of auditor requirements are the same as if you are auditing BHP or a small enterprise. We think there should be a lower tier risk of licence with simpler requirements,” she said. | “It’s more a question of proportionality. Audits are a good example. Right now the level of auditor requirements are the same as if you are auditing BHP or a small enterprise. We think there should be a lower tier risk of licence with simpler requirements,” she said. |
| In aged care, the demands and expense of educational requirements could be a barrier to somebody with a natural aptitude, De Fontenay said. | In aged care, the demands and expense of educational requirements could be a barrier to somebody with a natural aptitude, De Fontenay said. |
| “We don’t want to see people who are really suited to this type of work prevented by excessive entry requirements. | “We don’t want to see people who are really suited to this type of work prevented by excessive entry requirements. |
| “And in particular, we’d like to see in remote communities that it’s easier for people to receive culturally safe care from people in their communities.” | “And in particular, we’d like to see in remote communities that it’s easier for people to receive culturally safe care from people in their communities.” |
| The interim report also proposed initiatives to boost the skills of those already in the workforce. | The interim report also proposed initiatives to boost the skills of those already in the workforce. |
| The commission recommended providing financial incentives, potentially in the form of a tax credit, to small and medium-sized businesses who invest in training their staff. | The commission recommended providing financial incentives, potentially in the form of a tax credit, to small and medium-sized businesses who invest in training their staff. |
| The report also backed better recognition of prior education and making it easier for students to claim credit for other study. | The report also backed better recognition of prior education and making it easier for students to claim credit for other study. |
| “AI is very much on everyone’s minds, but occupational change has been a big feature of labour markets here and overseas,” De Fontenay said. | “AI is very much on everyone’s minds, but occupational change has been a big feature of labour markets here and overseas,” De Fontenay said. |
| “We need to prepare people to change occupations when their preferences change, or when their professions shrink or evolve.” | “We need to prepare people to change occupations when their preferences change, or when their professions shrink or evolve.” |