Past Programs
Education - 2008
Innovation review
24/09/2008
Today on the program we follow up on some of the key recommendations of VenturousAustralia, Terry Cutler's new report on Australian innovation, research and development. It calls for a doubling of present funding for research including full government funding for university research and significant new tax concessions. Is this where we should be investing the winnings from the resources boom, and is it enough to turn Australia into the clever country?
Truancy and welfare
28/08/2008
Education Minister Julia Gillard says parents who don't send their children to school will have their welfare payments cut. Payments could be suspended for up to 13 weeks but would be re-paid in full once school attendances improved.
A system of welfare quarantining will be trialled in eight communities, mostly in the Northern Territory. The trial will be assessed in 2010 before a decision is made on its application nationally. So who would benefit from the scheme? The Minister says there could be up to 20,000 children of school age who do not regularly attend school. But is there a link between welfare and truancy? And how would the system be policed?
Religious beliefs and educational institutions
05/03/2008
Today we ask how much can secular institutions like universities and schools accommodate the needs of different religious groups. Should class times be modified to fit around religious obligations? And should there be exceptions to school dress codes for the same reason?
