Paul Keating
on Suharto: More than any figure in the post-Second World War period, including any American president, Soeharto, by his judgment, goodwill and good sense, had the greatest positive impact on Australia's strategic environment and, hence, on its history.
The attacks on their President and PM
and the problems of Timor Leste: as in other conflict-ridden countries, it is extremely difficult to set up a security force that is trusted by all the people.
About
reported levels of happiness and unhappiness in Aboriginal communities.
There has been a fair bit of saying sorry over the last 16 years:
a round-up by State/Territory. Paul Keating's
December 1992 speech (1,855 words), Howard’s August 1999 speech of
deep and sincere regret (941 words). Kevin Rudd’s
sorry speech (3,878 words). Brendan Nelson’s
sorry speech. Which
apparently annoyed a few folk. Some
background.
Noel Pearson
puts sorry in context. Keith Windschuttle
gets all anal about evidence. Via
taavi.
In NSW, Community Services staff have detailed failures that have
left children with unsafe families.
History
has been declining as a subject studied in Oz schools.
How to survive bias in the classroom. About
the effects of (pdf) progressivist domination of curriculum: Donnelly argues that this model, and the concepts that informed it, has led to educational practices that have produced a decline in literacy, numeracy, and cultural literacy, and led to courses that produce an imperfect grasp of the fundamental knowledge required to perform best in the key disciplines of learning. It has also led to a proliferation of complex, non-competitive modes of assessment featuring euphemistic terminology that deny the motivated and talented students a sense of reward for their efforts, while also denying parents a clear understanding of their children’s circumstances. It is about control and preening (status), it’s not about outcomes.
The proportion of higher education students from low socio-economic background
remains at about 15%.
About the Coalition’s election expenditure laws
and who should report what.
Suggesting that Iraqi Kurdistan would be
a worthy recipient of increasing Oz aid.