Podcast of the Day- Teacher Quality

"It's a whiteboard jungle out there as educationalists and economists haggle over the surest way to get the best out of our kids. One proposal being considered is more money for teachers whose students get the best test results. The status quo is not an option, and teachers unions are in a difficult position." Listen to the podcast,here's the transcript.

Related;
Conference on ‘The Economics of Teacher Quality’
On merit

"Will merit pay for public school teachers lead to better academic performance by students? I don’t know. So far the results are inconclusive."

The Market for Teacher Quality

Alex Barthel: are tertiary students competent in English?
"Does recently published research by demographer Dr Bob Birrell, from Monash University's Centre for Population and Urban Research, tell the whole story? The research has found that one third of international students who received permanent residency here after graduating from an Australian university don't have enough skill in English to be awarded a place in an Australian university, let alone manage a professional job here."

Camden Schools Testing Controversy

The Least Bad is the Enemy of the Good - Thoughts on Education in Finland