Judicial Engagement in the High Court of Australia

High Court of Australia — Public lecture
Canberra

20 June 2012 — 6pm

Professor Cheryl Saunders AO
Associate Dean (Melbourne Law Masters), Laureate Professor, Melbourne Law School
Further details
Register your interest in attending

Commonwealth Bank Foundation professional development grants

The Commonwealth Bank Foundation will award free registration to two teachers to attend the BEA Conference – Informed & prepared for 21st century learning to be held in Sydney on 4 and 5 October 2012. BEA will contribute up to $350 towards the airfare from your nearest capital city.
>> Further details

In-country Study Program for Business Educators

Riding the Iron Rooster of Economic Reform

1 July – 12 July 2012

Developed specifically for business educators, this program enables participants to experience firsthand the economic powerhouse that is modern China. Travelling from Guangzhou, Chinaʼs economic trading window from the Ming to the Qing Dynasty, to Shenzhen, Deng Xiaopingʼs first Special Economic Zone, then on to Shanghai and Beijing, participants will gain insight into the historical and socio-political forces behind Chinaʼs modernisation through visits to key sites, interactions with locals and briefings from experts.

This program will support educators to consider Asia and Australiaʼs Engagement with Asiaʼ cross curriculum priority of the Australian Curriculum. The organising ideas of the priority will be explored throughout the program:

Asia and its diversity
Achievement and contributions of the peoples of Asia
Australia – Asia engagement.

Further details

AEF Study Tours Registration Form
Registrations close Friday 11 May 2012

Victorian teachers application for a $1500 subsidy
Applications for a subsidy close 30 April 2012

ASX Schools Sharemarket Game 2012

Registrations are open from 9 to 29 February 2012. Game play starts on 1 March and finishes on 9 May. Entry is free and open to all secondary schools in Australia. The Game provides an interactive learning experience to teach financial literacy skills. With a hypothetical $50,000 to invest over 10 weeks, students create their own virtual share portfolio, place orders online and compete against other students for a total prize pool of over $25,000.

Reflecting real market conditions, the Game encourages students to:
•    develop their knowledge of the sharemarket
•    learn how to research companies
•    discover the importance of wise investment decisions
•    learn how to work in a team

The Game can be part of a school subject or offered to students as an extra-curricular activity. Teacher resources are available, including detailed lesson plans with teacher notes, assignment ideas, worksheets, tutorials, videos and posters. To find out more and register, visit www.asx.com.au/schoolinfo.

National Consumer and Financial Literacy Framework

The 'National Consumer and Financial Literacy Framework' has been approved by AEEYSOC. This document is a revised version of the National Consumer and Financial Literacy Framework (the Framework) originally developed in 2005. It articulates a rationale for consumer and financial education in Australian schools; describes essential consumer and financial capabilities that will support lifelong learning; and provides guidance on how consumer and financial education may be structured to support a progression of learning from Foundation–Year 10. Companion resources to this Framework, being developed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), provide further guidance about integrating consumer and financial education into specific learning areas of the Australian Curriculum. These companion resources are available at: www.teaching.financialliteracy.gov.au.

ACARA presentation at BEA Council meeting

Australian Curriculum ACARA is presently preparing the Advice Paper for Business and Economics. It is expected there will be broader consultation regarding this paper later in term 2. BEA is continuing to monitor these develops and will keep members informed.

Outstanding Economics and Business Educator awarded NSW Premier's Teacher Scholarship

Liz Criddle, Director of Economics and Business Educators NSW has been awarded the 2011 NSW Premier's First State Super Financial Literacy Teacher Scholarship. First State Super have funded this excellent opportunity for Liz, who teaches at Wenona School, Sydney, to undertake research overseas to investigate successful and engaging pedagogies for the teaching and learning of financial literacy. Liz and other scholarship recipients were recognised at a reception hosted by the Hon Barry O'Farrell, Premier of NSW, held on Saturday 20 August at Government House, Sydney. EBE NSW and Business Educators Australia look forward to providing opportunities through various professional development activities for Liz to share her research findings with colleagues during 2012.

Arab Gateways

Arab Gateways: A resource for Australian students and teachers explores some of the history, geography, economics and culture of the Arab region. It promotes understanding of the cultures, values, beliefs and diversity of peoples of the Arab region.

About the project

Arab Gateways has been developed by Education Services Australia with a grant from the Council for Australian-Arab Relations (CAAR), which is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The resource aims to enable teachers to promote between the peoples of Australia and the Arab world mutual interests and a greater understanding and acceptance of each other's cultures, values, beliefs and diversity.

The Arab Gateways website provides an online version of the printed resource book with accompanying DVD ROM sent to all secondary schools in Australia.

New websites launched

The MoneySmart website aimed at helping all Australians by offering free, independent guidance so people can make the best choices for their money has been launched by ASIC.The website covers the basics such as budgeting, saving, credit cards and loans, and more complicated issues such as optimal superannuation contributions, margin loans, reverse mortgages and income tax. It has many new calculators and tools, including four calculators that you can use on mobile phones.

The launch of MoneySmart is part of a broad strategy to improve the financial literacy of all Australians and includes:

the National Financial Literacy Strategy (ASIC Report 229); and
its accompanying research report Financial literacy and behavioural change (ASIC Report 230).

You can read the strategy and research report at financialliteracy.gov.au.

A revamped website for educators at teaching.financialliteracy.gov.au explains how financial literacy fits into the school curriculum, and has resources that teachers can use. This site will be progressively upgraded during 2011.

The importance of economic literacy

With a sound knowledge of economic concepts [students] can better understand and evaluate the nature and impact of policies at all levels of government. [They] can explain the multiplier effect of increased government spending, and how it raises Australia's level of income, output and employment.

Economics students know

that the national debt does not necessarily impose a burden on future generations of Australians
that an economy is not run like a household … the reasoning at the time of the Great Depression
about the role of the Reserve Bank in determining monetary policy, the concept of overnight cash rates and the policy implications of rising interest rates
how banks can actually create credit and money through their lending policies.