Our Present Education: The State of Education in Modern Australia
Our Great Tradition: The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of Classical Education
So You Want to Start a School in Australia: Ideas and Best Practices for Academic Entrepreneurs
So You Want to Be a Classical Teacher: The Joys, Travails, and Training for Classical Teachers
The Classical Treasure Chest: A Bibliography for the Classical Mind
Dear Friends,
Summer is dawning on the Australian school year. And as with all great dawns, morning brings a new day, new considerations, early respite in the quiet of the new sun. For educators, summer is a time to look back and look forward. It is a time of reflection and planning. When handled rightly, educational leaders can find in summer break a nice balance between the contemplative life (reading, studying, conversing, and thinking upon the health of the school or institution this past school year) and the active life (rebuilding infrastructure, writing best practice documents for teacher training, and moving ahead with projects for a healthy launch to the upcoming new school year.)
Episode Description
Take a virtual journey down under to learn more about what is happening with classical Christian education in Australia. Dr. Patrick Egan talks with Kon Bouzikos, president of Australian Classical Education Society. Gain insights into the seven schools spread across Australia and the efforts that go into keeping the movement well coordinated and resourced.
Links from this episode:
The Educational Renaissance Podcast is a production of Educational Renaissance where we promote a rebirth of ancient wisdom for the modern era. We seek to inspire educators by fusing the best of modern research with the insights of the great philosophers of education. Join us in the great conversation and share with a friend or colleague to keep the renaissance spreading.
Dr. Patrick Egan's new book, published by Educational Renaissance, entitled Training the Prophetic Voice. is available now through Amazon.
Conor Ross
If the discourse within Australian education is to be believed, our classrooms have never been more inclusive, collaborative, interactive, empowering, and fun. At the same time Australian primary and secondary students have never been as disruptive, aggressive, disengaged, and miserable. In classroom behaviour Australian students ranked 33rd out of the 37 OECD nations, leading to calls for classroom behaviour to be explicitly taught as an academic subject alongside English, Math, and Science. Several longitudinal studies have also reported an increase in anti-social behaviour and violence committed by students against fellow students and staff. The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) comparing similar first-world nations has also shown that Australian students experience the second highest level of bullying, only ranking behind Latvia. Predictably this rise in misbehaviour has coincided with the increasing instability of student mental health and school refusal. Students are not the only ones dealing with violence, false rumours, and emotional abuse as this rampant misbehaviour has had a withering effect on the teaching profession. Over 70% of current Australian teachers are considering leaving the profession, 35% of new teachers leave within 5 years, and the fast-tracking of ill-prepared university students into classrooms is set to worsen this. Greater salaries may make a small difference to this shortage but consistently the calls from teachers have been for change to the culture. However, more than just a culture change, what is truly needed is a change to the entire philosophy of modern schools.
Cheree Harvey
“When I began teaching my children, I realized that even though the world said I was educated, I found out I was only schooled.” Leigh Bortins of Classical Conversations fame cuts to the heart of the matter in her book The Core, published in 2010. I am reading this fascinating book for the third time in as many years, as I practice what I preach - spending time thinking deeply with fellow parents about the reasons why and also how I teach my children in the classical, Christian tradition. Is it really the best way? How do I make sure I don’t leave gaps in their education? How will I find a like-minded community? What does it mean to be truly human – a test score or a soul? Slowly, reading one chapter a month has definitely allowed for the truths to be contemplated in a more meaningful, deeper way.
Conor Ross
Old Lady Manning had a dog, so simple and small
that would sit and pant outside with the family all.
The Manning family hobby was wholesome and sweet,
It was to wait for a full moon and hold a porch meet
And talk with delight of this or of that,
to smoke a pipe or count passing bats.
They would play crackajack and stretchy nose
and games plenty else that nobody knows.
Difff interviews ACES President Kon Bouzikos (Educating Humans Podcast)
In this bonus episode, Difff interviews Kon Bouzikos, the President of The Australian Classical Education Society. Kon speaks about his passion for Classical Education, and the mission of the ACES.
St John's College Information Evening
The Ramsay Centre is hosting an evening to find out more about St John’s with Associate Professor Andrew Poe. He will deliver a lecture on “Thinking and Unthinking Political Necessity: A Democratic Reading of Book 2 of Plato’s Republic" and share his experience of the Great Books education he received at St John’s College. The talk will be followed by light refreshments and conversation.
ABC Radio National 'Big Ideas': We need wisdom for good education and learning
Dr Paul Morrissey discussed why the utilitarian approach in the Australian education system was not enough - a lecture given at our April 'Classical Renewal' conference.
