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Minister reassures students they would not be expected to learn a semester’s work ‘in a couple of days’
By Felicity Caldwell
Education Minister Johh-Paul Langbroek accepted there was no way as a senior student that he would be expected to learn a semester’s worth of work in a couple of days.
“What we’ve done is tried to make sure that we identify which schools are affected … and then provide the reassurance that senior students will need,” he said.
Brisbane State High School in South Brisbane.Credit: Dan Peled
“I would not expect any student to do an exam after they’ve received lectures or information about something that they’ve had two days’ notice for.”
He said students’ previous assessment results would be scaled up to account for the bungle on the ancient history exam.
“I’m very unhappy … for the stress that it will have caused for everyone,” Langbroek said.
Curriculum board under fire over exam communication
By Felicity Caldwell
Queensland’s education minister John-Paul Langbroek has sheeted home blame for the ancient history exam debacle, in which students were taught the wrong topic, to the public authority in charge of testing.
Of the nine schools, Brisbane State High was the first to be identified as teaching two classes of Year 12 ancient history students the incorrect content.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek: “I would not expect any student to do an exam after they’ve received lectures or information about something that they’ve had two days’ notice for.”Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
This morning, Langbroek said an investigation would be carried out into how the bungle occurred, as well as the makeup of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) board, “which has already had some changes over the last six months and since we came to government over the last year”.
He said communication between the QCAA and schools had “obviously been not carried out appropriately”, noting “communication issues in the past, especially around the time of ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred”.
“I want to see all of their communications guidelines, including the schools’, and about processes in which they change the curriculum, the way that they communicate that to schools,” Langbroek said.
“I’ll be making sure that the make-up of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority is [appropriate] for the future.”
Minister reassures students they would not be expected to learn a semester’s work ‘in a couple of days’
By Felicity Caldwell
Education Minister Johh-Paul Langbroek accepted there was no way as a senior student that he would be expected to learn a semester’s worth of work in a couple of days.
“What we’ve done is tried to make sure that we identify which schools are affected … and then provide the reassurance that senior students will need,” he said.
Brisbane State High School in South Brisbane.Credit: Dan Peled
“I would not expect any student to do an exam after they’ve received lectures or information about something that they’ve had two days’ notice for.”
He said students’ previous assessment results would be scaled up to account for the bungle on the ancient history exam.
“I’m very unhappy … for the stress that it will have caused for everyone,” Langbroek said.
Nine schools were taught the wrong topic for their ancient history exams, Langbroek confirms
By Felicity Caldwell
About 140 students have been affected by the Year 12 ancient history exam wrong topic bungle, across nine schools.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek acknowledged the error, uncovered just days before the ancient history test on Wednesday afternoon, would be “extremely traumatic”.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
He said an investigation would be carried out, and the QCAA would be appropriately resourced to make sure the issue was not repeated.
The schools affected are Brisbane State High School, Flagstone State Community College, Meridan State College, Redcliffe State High School, Yeronga State High School, St Teresa’s Catholic College at Noosaville, West Moreton Anglican College, James Nash State High School and Kuranda District State College.
Langbroek said it had not happened in any other subject.
And the answer is …
In case you missed it earlier, here is today’s brainteaser:
I begin the earth and end the eclipse, I occur in seconds and minutes, but never in a hand. Although, I am in a lifetime. What am I?
And the answer is …
The letter E.
Watch live: Premier, Education Minister address exam bungle
Premier David Crisafulli, Minister for Education John-Paul Langbroek and Minister for Child Safety Amanda Camm are holding a press conference at Milton State School this morning.
Watch their press conference live below:
More power woes: Major fault damages northside electricity transformer
By Marissa Calligeros
Energex crews will have to go door-to-door to manually check more than 60 household switchboards after a major fault damaged an electricity transformer on Brisbane’s northside this morning.
“There’s been a major fault in Virginia that’s caused damage to a transformer and will require our crews to check more than 60 switchboards at customers’ properties in Meadfoot Street,” Energex said, via Facebook.
An electricity transformer in Virginia has been damaged.Credit: Glenn Hunt
“Customer service crews will be out this morning.
“If they find that there’s damage to your wiring, switchboards, or electrical fittings, you’ll need to engage a licenced electrical contractor to make it safe before we can reconnect your power.”
Three days without power: Energex crews going door-to-door in western suburbs
By Marissa Calligeros
More than 400 houses are still without power in Brisbane’s northern and western suburbs, three days after Sunday’s fierce storms brought down hundreds of powerlines.
“Our crews smashed through the work in western Brisbane last night to repair the high voltage network so that power is available for all customers where it is safe to connect them,” Energex said, via Facebook, this morning.
Fallen trees that brought down powerlines in Toowong on Sunday.Credit: Energex
“In some circumstances we need to physically check switchboards to confirm they are not damaged. There are still a number of properties without power this morning because crews were unable to carry out those checks.
“We know it’s been a long haul and, it’s been frustrating but if our crews are at your door, it’s because they want to check if they can get your power back on.
“We will have boots on the ground this morning who will be trying to check those properties again.”
Today’s cartoon
The new Australian dream.Credit: Simon Letch
Today, senior economic reporter Matt Wade explains why the politics of housing is so tricky.
“There’s a yawning gap between what voters and experts think should be done about the crisis,” he writes.
A survey of Australian voters asked respondents to rank eight major policies to address the housing crisis. The most popular policy was an increase to first home buyer grants (69 per cent support).
But that approach is loathed by economists.
Shark feeding frenzy filmed on the Gold Coast
By Dominique Tassell
Sharks have ventured close to the shore at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast, lured by a large group of fish.
Videos of the feeding frenzy posted online show the sharks thrashing in shallow water on Tuesday afternoon.
Snapper Rocks, a popular surf break and home to the World Surf League championship tour, sits between Rainbow Bay and Point Danger, close to the NSW and Queensland border.
While most people stayed out of the water as the sharks feasted on Tuesday evening, one person was seen braving the surf.
Skip the stroll: Longer, continuous walking better for your heart
By Marissa Calligeros
Longer periods of continuous walking are more beneficial to cardiovascular health than walking the same number of steps in shorter, more sporadic bouts, new research suggests.
An international study by the University of Sydney and the Universidad Europea in Spain, published in the Annals of International Medicine, analysed the impact of walking on the health of physically inactive people.
The study shows that even people who are very physically inactive can maximise their heart health benefit by tweaking their walking patterns to walk for longer at a time.Credit: Courtney Kruk
It found that among people who took fewer than 8000 steps per day, those who accumulate most of their steps across one or two walks lasting at least 10 to 15 minutes or longer have a lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular events (such as a heart attack or stroke) compared to those who take their steps in very short bouts of less than five minutes.
Co-lead author Dr Matthew Ahmadi said: “For the most inactive people, switching from brief walks here and there to longer continuous walks may come with some health benefits.
“There is a perception that health professionals have recommended walking 10,000 steps a day is the goal, but this isn’t necessary. Simply adding one or two longer walks per day, each lasting at least 10-15 minutes at a comfortable but steady pace, may have significant benefits – especially for people who don’t walk much.”
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
