The federal Coalition government is exerting a lot of pressure on states to make schools re-open. But it should only happen if schools are safe for teachers and students, argue Mary Merkenich, David Linden and Vivian Messimeris.
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Along with debating when schools should reopen, we need a society-wide discussion about what's necessary to tackle the existing, and deepening, inequalities in the education system and their impact on children, teachers and parents, argues Fred Fuentes.
The NSW Coaltion government has given James Packer's monster casino approval to take prime inner city space in Sydney, but children from an inner city public school are set to be kicked out for several years as the space is sold off to property developers.
In a move that will provide important savings for low-income families, the Venezuelan government unveiled a plan on August 15 to distribute 12 million new textbooks to primary school students around the country in the coming scholastic year.
Education minister Maryann Hanson said: “The objective of this program is to ensure that those with less economic resources can count on having textbooks in order to guarantee education as an inalienable human right.”
The new textbooks represent an investment of more than US$45 million.
Since 2004, a mass mobilisation of popular support for marriage equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people has gained momentum, and now a possible victory is in sight.
But sadly, marriage equality would not mean an end to homophobia or transphobia in Australia.
Lurking behind Australia’s marriage ban is an even more sinister injustice clothed in the language of religious tolerance.