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Highlights the professional development program for teachers of the Methodist Ladies College in Melbourne, Victoria. Features of the program; Objectives of the project; Factors that contributed to the success of the program.

The article focuses on the move of the Australian government to demand eight states and territories administered by Labor governments to contribute more to university funding after rejecting the requests to increase spending on higher education. A vice-chancellor has called for a reorganization of the funding system. University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis cited that Australian students paid among the highest fees in the world though institutions took less money per student than it cost to provide their education.

The article reports on changes in the rules determining whether an institution can use the title university in Australia. The new rules make it simpler for overseas higher education institutions to operate in Australia. Foreign universities expected to have bases in Australia are listed. Specifications of the new protocols are given.

This article reports that Australian universities experienced declines in numbers of applications from home and international students, as of January 2006. The declines are attributed to the 2004 decision to allow universities to increase Higher Education Contribution Scheme charges. The consequences of the application declines are discussed.

The article reports on the negative effect of the industrial laws on Australian university administrators according to academic legal experts. Andrew Stewart, professor of law at the Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, said that the legislation would complicate college administration. There are concerns on the capability of the government to change salary and conditions agreement universities negotiated with staff. Information on the contents of the warning paper is included.

Looks at Brunel University vice-chancellor Steven Schwartz's management style in England. Career highlights; His method of using public relations experts to manage his image; Changes he made at the university; Importance of research excellence to Schwartz; Conflict over the university's reduction of staff.

Reports that the Chinese government has appealed to Australia to help educate its citizens. Estimated number of Chinese students according to education minister Zhou Ji; Estimated number of Chinese students looking for education in English-speaking countries; Chinese government's move to establish world-class universities; Reputation of Australia as a leading source country for international student enrolments.

Focuses on Leigh city technology college, a school of the future in Dartford, Kent, England. Implementation of personalized learning in the school; Components of personalized learning; Benefits to students and teachers; Involvement in the community; Factors contributing to the success of the school.

Reports on the expectation of the Australian universities to face their first research quality assessment. Involvement of planning the research quality framework (RQF); Concern about the lack of clarity provided by the government about the purpose of the RQF; Importance of research quality and determine the allocation of research funding.

Reveals that visa-driven higher education policies may have distorting effects on the domestic market, according to Australian researcher Bob Kinnaird. Suppression of Kinnaird's recommended solution to curb immigration to improve employment prospects for local information technology graduates; Impact on the labor market of foreign students taking information technology courses in Australian universities.

Cautions the Australian government in using the tax system to collect deferred tuition fees for students, according to a research to be published in Australia. Findings that Australian graduates who repay their tuition fees via a tax surcharge are more likely to cheat the tax system than other citizens; Discovery of high levels of tax evasion among graduates who repay over time the debt they incur under the Higher Education Contribution Scheme.

Reports on the foreign employment of British scientists in Australian universities. Funding level of science studies in Australia according to Andrew Holmes, a fellow of the Royal Society; Teaching assignment of Martin Johnson, professor of reproductive science to Sydney University; Quality of scientific research in Australia according to Anton Middelberg, head of the chemical engineering department in Great Britain for Queensland University.

Reports that Australian academics are alarmed that a free-trade agreement signed with the U.S. could lead to American universities establishing operations in Australia and receiving the same benefits as local institutions. Details of the free-trade agreement; Violation of the agreement; Signatory to the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Reports on the opposition to the Australian government's proposed changes in higher education funding. Amount proposed by the government; Funding requirements of universities; Flexible working practice proposed by the government.

Focuses on the higher education reforms in Australia. Amount given by the government for higher education; Modification of plans for scholarships; Ability of universities to offer full-fee places to Australian students for up to half the enrollments in any undergraduate subject.

Focuses on the efforts of sociologist Vivien Johnson of the Macquarie University to identify and trail Australian aboriginal designs used for commercial profit. Concern of Johnson over the exploitation of the talents and heritage of indigenous people; Formation of a course designed to determine the extent of use of indigenous designs; Need for students to track the design's source and establish its link with the culture.

Reports that Melbourne University Private has received approval to operate for another five years, under strict conditions in Victoria. Creation of an expert panel to review the future of the university; Failure to meet the Australian protocols governing higher education institutions.

Reports on the negative effects of the plan of the government of Australia to increase the fees foreign students pay for their visas and their university courses which would be implemented on July 1, 2003. Percentage of the increase in the visa application fee; Extent of the increase of the registration fees; Effect of the plan on the Australian economy.

Focuses on the progress of indigenous peoples as victims of social injustice education in Australia. Improvement of university access for Australian Aborigines; Decrease of black student enrolment in 2000; Reduction of fund for indigenous program for education.

Reports that Australian vice-chancellors have dumped the government-owned telecommunications authority Telstra as the manager of the Australian Academic Research Network (AARNet). Selection of Telstra's private sector rival Optus; Dissatisfaction with Telstra's performance and pricing policies; Savings and other benefits that will result from the switch to Optus.

Highlights the appointment of Roderick West as chairman of an inquiry into the future of higher education in Australia. Career background; View on the distinction between education and training; Composition of the inquiry committee.

Examines the feasibility of a world superleague of academic institutions. Desirability of effectively restricting research to a handful of universities; Pressures of competing for international research money.

An abstract of the article "MOOCs Challenge Higher Education's Business Models," by Geoff Maslen is presented.

In this article the author focuses on the importance of installing distress buttons in classrooms in the wake of pupil attacks on teachers in Australia.

In this article, the author discusses the boycott of teachers for their national examinations in schools in Australia.

The article reports that the Melbourne, Victoria-based Anglican private school, Southwood Boys Grammar, has sued a parent for creating a web site that defames the institution.

In this article the author discusses the new uniform teaching guidelines that will be adopted in more than 10,000 schools in Australia which according to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will help re-establish the phonetics, grammar, and history in the classroom.

The author comments on the increase in the number of obese children in Australia and the subsequent rise in the number of teenagers suffering from type 2 diabetes. It is believed that the poor are more likely to be obese because of diet but parenting skills and parents' educational attainment can play a factor in terms of the amount of television watched or video games played.

The article discusses three teachers who died as a result of the Black Saturday brushfires that devastated parts of Victoria in Australia during February 2009. David and Carol Holcomb and Barry Johnston all died as a result of the fires and the lives and careers of each are briefly detailed. A local teachers' union has raised $100,000 to help teachers who have been effected by the natural disaster.

The article reports that higher education is the priority in the political agenda of Australia's Labor Party for the 2007 federal election. The Labor Party criticizes the government over its funding policies for universities. The Australian Vice-Chancellor's Committee has supported the claims of the Labor Party. The Labor Party has presented thier options to improve higher education which was published in a White Paper.

The article reports on the accusation against Australian professor Bob Birrell, of Monash University, of destroying the reputation of Australian universities by publishing a report on the low standards of English among foreign students. Birrell found that a greater percentage of foreign students failed to demonstrate adequate command of the language. A senior professor praised Birrell's report.

The article reports on the decision of universities in Australia to remove academics with poor research records and provide top professors from other intuitions with salaries of approximately Australian $250,000 per year. It mentions that the universities are preparing for the new research quality framework of the region which is an equivalent of the research assessment exercise in Great Britain.

The article reports on the increase in the number of Australians applying for university positions for 2007. The application of college teachers increased by 1.5 percent in 2007 compared with the same period in 2006. Changes in the labor market are attributed to higher tuition charges and inadequate financial support for students. There are 38 public universities in the country that have increased their fees under the Higher Education Contribution Scheme.

The article reports on the increase in demand for online courses at Open Universities Australia (OUA) in 2006. The OUA, the country's fastest growing online higher education service, started in 1991 as a television-based learning system. More than 100,000 students have taken one or more units over the past 15 years. The government's decision to give OUA students access to its loan scheme had boosted postgraduate numbers.

The article offers news briefs on higher education. There has been an uncertainty over the future of an online university that was established by the Universitas 21 international consortium following the sale of its U.S. partner Thomas Learning. The University of Sydney in New South Wales has secured a deal to host a U.S. studies center.

The article focuses on a framework evaluating research quality launched in Australia. The government anticipates that the framework will be the first in the measurement of research impact worldwide. The scheme will be used to allocate over A$600 million using a model that links previous performance of funding to researchers. Former Education Minister Brendan Nelson originally proposed a new basis for allocating research grants and appointed Gareth Roberts to head an expert advisory group.

The article reports on the criticism received by the Australian government for asserting that students are being encouraged to enter higher education. There is a shortage of skilled professionals in the country according to a data released in November 2006. Prime Minister John Howard recommends apprenticeship to young people rather than attending a university. The study rejects claims made by Howard that the government has increased the number of Australians attending colleges.

The article focuses on the reasons of Asian students for studying at British universities according to the survey "The Asian International Student, 2005-06," conducted by J. Walter Thompson. Majority of respondents have listed Great Britain as their first choice. Asian students studying in Great Britain and Australia were interviewed for the survey. A small percentage of students enrolled at Australian institutions had studied overseas before.

The article focuses on the winners of the business plan competition organised by the Melbourne University in Victoria. The winners include Campbell King and Valjean Boynton, students on the bachelor of business in entrepreneurship. It details the Kegs on Legs home-delivery beverage service established by the students.

The article reports on the opposition of the Group of Eight research-intensive universities to the attempts of devising a research quality framework that will allocate nearly Australian $600 million a year grants in Australia. The plans of the government for assessing research impact has also been criticized by the group which, according to chairwoman Glyn Davis, will produce a mass of paperwork.

The article reports on the threat of college closures posed by a decrease in the number of foreign postgraduate enrollments in Australian universities. The factors that cause the decrease in number include high unemployment in the information technology (IT) industry and firm visa restrictions. One institution that has shut its IT faculty is Bond University in Queensland.

This article reports on the protests by Australian academics and university librarians about the forced removal of books on terrorism from a restricted section of the Melbourne University library. The Council of Australian University Librarians warned that academic freedom and the capacity of Australia to respond to terrorism had been put at risk by the ban.

This article reports on the decision of scholar Riaz Hassan, a professor of sociology at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia to cancel plans to interview international terrorist leaders after he was intervened by the anti-terrorism laws of the country. Hassan has planned to approach several organizations, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Palestinian territories, Islamic Jihad in Egypt and Jemaah Islamiah in Indonesia. The total value of a grant awarded to Hassan for his research is disclosed.

The article reports on the acquisition of 50 percent of shares of IDP Education Australia by online employment and training firm Seek Limited. The merger is said to cause an increase in competition between Australian universities and those in the U.S. and Great Britain. Andrew Bassat, joint CEO of Seek, has commented on the partnership.

The article reports on the reorganization of the Australian Vice-chancellors' Committee (AVCC). The group will be reshaped into a new company with a new governing board and management structure. This plan stemmed from Group of Eight research-intensive universities who complained that their interests were not being represented adequately by the AVCC.

The article focuses on the decision of the University of Melbourne in Victoria to require undergraduates to complete a three-year qualification before undertaking postgraduate professional training or careers in research. The courses in architecture, nursing and law in Melbourne will be offered as graduate programmes. It details the advantages of the system adopted by the university. The University of Western Australia plans to adopt a similar system as Melbourne.

This article reports on the fees that students pay at Australian universities. The Labor Party wants to prevent students from being charged full tuition fees. Some of the fees amount to $100,000 Australian. Other programs can cost as much as $200,000 Australian, with loan opportunities capping out at half of that. The university fees may prove to be a crucial election issue.

This article talks about the poor test results in Australia. Students were unable to identify grammar constructs and spell words correctly. Australian schools have been blamed for the lack of effort to teach grammar as part of the curriculum, which has led to poor literacy rates. Overall, though, the tests reflected high scores in reading and writing.

The article reports on the difficulty of foreign students in Australia to understand Australian English. Foreign students who learn formal English were unaware that their understanding would be limited by local accents, fast speech and Australian colloquialisms according researchers Peter Kell and Gillian Vogl of the University of Wollongong in New South Wales. The researchers also mention that knowing what to speak about prevents foreign students from speaking and mixing with local students.

The article reports that Andrew Blair, president of the Australian Secondary Principals Association, has urged British teachers to go to Australia and help overcome a shortage of staff in state and private schools. Blair promised emigrating teachers that they could determine their own salary and conditions if they came to the country.