Cornel Ozies

Film maker Cornel Ozies has taken out an award for exceptional talent.

A recent graduate of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School’s (AFTRS) Diploma in Cinematography Award Course in Sydney, he also received the AV Myers Indigenous Award for exceptional talent.

Screen West [read this story]

You can read a shire notice here:

Photo: Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley

Kununurra kids aged six months and upwards are invited to swimming lessons this coming school term.

You can read a shire media release here:

SWEK SWIM SCHOOL TERM 1 2012

• SWEK will be running swim school in Term 1 2012.

• Compulsory assessments for students who did not participate in Term 4, 2011 will be held in the first week of school (Tuesday Jan 31 – Thursday Feb 2)

• Term Lessons will run from Tuesday Feb 7 – Thursday Mar 29

• In addition to classes for students aged 5+, infant classes will be available this term for students 6 months to 4 years however places are limited.

• Enrolment forms will be available at the Kununurra Leisure Centre from Friday 20 January. Please bring certificates and progress reports from Term 4 2011 to help with the enrolment process.

• We look forward to seeing you in Term 1 2012

A spokesperson said charter flights sometimes turn up at remote communities only to find the kid is not there, and are difficult to rearrange.

ABC [read this story]

The education department says Curriculum Council Certificates of Excellence are awarded to students who achieve 10 or more ‘A’ grades in their final two years of schooling.

Kimberley Echo [read this story]

They also send a disposable camera, so Balgo kids can send back pictures of themselves.

North Shore Times [read this story]

Mr Money, who is deputy principal at Derby District High School, spends every second Christmas at Perth’s popular holiday retreat.

The West Australian [read this story]

Ben Wyatt

Shadow education minister Ben Wyatt says remote teachers are worse off than other public servants.

He criticised the government for increasing public servants’ district allowance but not teachers’ locality allowance.

ABC [read this story]

You can read his statement here:

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Bad Santa Grylls leaves nothing for teachers in regions

The Barnett Government must increase the Locality Allowance for teachers as it has done for other regional public servants, Shadow Education Minister Ben Wyatt said today.

Mr Wyatt said Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls broke his election promise to provide free rent for teachers, police and nurses in regional areas then failed to include teachers in the increases to District Allowances, which were supposed to replace the broken promise.

“During the 2008 election campaign, Mr Grylls paraded around country WA and promised free rent to teachers, police and nurses in government housing,” Mr Wyatt said.

“Instead, he increased District Allowances to regional public servants, supposedly to stop them leaving regional areas or defecting to mining companies, but failed to show the same concern for teachers.”

Mr Wyatt said the Locality Allowance was paid to teachers to offset the cost of living in regional areas. Some country schools also attracted the Country Teaching Program Allowance due to difficulties in teaching at those schools and because the Education Department found them difficult to staff.

“The Country Teaching Program allowance is completely separate from the Locality Allowance,” Mr Wyatt said.

“The Locality Allowance for teachers in Karratha is $3,438 per year and the new District Allowance to public servants is $15,922 per year.

“That is hardly going attract teachers to the Pilbara.

“Mr Grylls and the Barnett Government betrayed teachers on the broken rent promise and they have rubbed salt into the wounds by excluding them from increases the District Allowance that were supposed to make up for the broken promise.

“In a couple of years when Brendon Grylls is lamenting the lack of teachers in country areas, he will have only himself to blame.”

Nine teenagers are currently enrolled in the program.

The West Australian [read this story]

UWA Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Bill Louden signing the agreement with Broome Shire President Graeme Campbell

Wendy Duncan MLC says Broome has signed a “regional cities” alliance with the University of Western Australia.

“Alliance cities will have access to undergraduates who will carry out research on issues in regional Western Australia which will be presented to both the State and Commonwealth governments”, Ms Duncan said.

You can read a media statement here:

REGIONAL CITIES SIGN UP TO ALLIANCE WITH UWA 9 DECEMBER 2011

An historic agreement between the Regional Cities Alliance and the University of Western Australia was signed yesterday, marking a collaboration which will see the needs of regionals cities better serviced.

The Hon Wendy Duncan MLC, who was present at the signing of the alliance at the University of Western Australia, said that the Regional Cities Alliance will see some exciting work done on the social, economic, infrastructure and employment needs of our regional cities as they prepare for the growth that is predicted for them in the near future.

The Regional Cities Alliance comprises of The City of Bunbury, City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, City of Albany, City of Greater Geraldton, Shire of Roebourne, Town of Port Hedland and the Shire of Broome.

“The aim of the Regional Cities Alliance is to develop evidenced base policy to enable efficient use of available funding sources, such as Royalties for Regions.”

“Alliance cities will have access to undergraduates who will carry out research on issues in regional Western Australia which will be presented to both the State and Commonwealth governments”, said Ms Duncan.

The University of Western Australia has committed to match the $1.5 million contributed by the alliance cities to undertake this innovative research alliance.

“I commend the foresight of the Alliance Cities along with the University of Western Australia in undertaking this collaboration that will see leading research assist our major regional centres and their communities in planning for the future, “said Ms Duncan.