Relaunch: IPA Schools Program

Dear Reader,

Class Action re-branded as IPA Schools Program

The IPA ‘Class Action’ program has been rebranded and relaunched as the ‘IPA Schools Program’.

The program title ‘Class Action’, although clever, was often confused with legal speak and not instantly recognised as relating to the education system and classrooms. The new name clarifies our target, and the new website has simplified access to our free curriculum materials.

Please visit the new website at: IPA Schools Program | Australian Children Deserve A Better Education

Try as they might, Australia Day Triumphs

I have written previously in this newsletter of the endless narrative promoting an ashamed ‘black armband’ view of our history. The preoccupation with recognising and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture requires students to observe thirteen different ‘name-days’, and several weeks dedicated to ATSIH&C issues. This is in addition to the ‘cross curriculum priority’ in the National Curriculum that mandates the embedding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture into every subject at every year level. This ‘dripping tap’ lasts all year, every year of a child’s schooling.

Unfortunately, January 26th does not fall inside the school year, so most students never celebrate Australia Day at school. It is therefore particularly pleasing to reflect on the recent polling conducted by the IPA that shows 69 per cent of Australians believe Australia Day should be celebrated on January 26th, with a whopping 10 percent increase, from 42 to 52 percent, among those aged 18-24 years.

This is great news – particularly the result among those only recently released from the clutches of the school system, who have rejected the never ending, pernicious, anti-Australian rhetoric of the National Curriculum.

Doing our bit at the grass roots

I am pleased to release our latest free teacher resource material ‘The Great Journey’.

‘The Great Journey’ is a detailed unit for years 4-6 that explores the background to and story of the First Fleet.

Students are introduced to the historical context of the early explorers, the industrialisation of Britain, the mapping of Australia, French-British rivalry, and the journey of the First Fleet. Our teacher resource includes all reference materials and sources, resources, worksheets (and answers), and templates – everything needed (including the National Curriculum markers to justify its use in the classroom). Activities include the examination of a wide range of primary and secondary resources including artworks, journals and ship manifests.

In addition to this curriculum material release:

As a creative first for the IPA, the IPA Schools Program has developed and manufactured a board game about the First Fleet. Thanks to the significant financial support of IPA donors, ‘First Fleet – Will You Survive?’ has now been delivered free-of-charge to every primary school in the country – and the feedback has been extremely positive.

‘First Fleet – Will You Survive?’ is a historically accurate board game where players assume the role of a REAL convict aboard the First Fleet. Players learn of the convicts’ personal stories, and experience some of the things that really occurred on the voyage. Players keep a tally of their mental and physical well-being as they undertake a journey that had extraordinary consequences for those who arrived in what we now know as Australia, and for the aborigines who were already here.

The game can be purchased by IPA Members from our dedicated website. Pre-orders can be placed by following the BUY button (the other option is for schools only), with delivery expected in May.

Click here: First Fleet – Will you survive the First Fleet?

The Trump effect

On the campaign trail, President Trump repeatedly said he would pull funding from schools that teach “critical race theory”. At his pre-inauguration rally, Trump again promised “to stop the destructive and divisive diversity, equity and inclusion mandates”, “restore patriotism to our schools”, and “get critical race theory and transgender insanity the hell out of our schools”.

Since his election, President Trump has apparently been preparing to gut the U.S. Education Department to the full extent of his power, directing his administration to slash spending while pressuring employees to quit. It is reported he has directed his education chief to start winding down the department and urge Congress – which approves most of its spending – to pass a measure abolishing it.

The IPA has long opposed the indoctrination within, and championed its removal from, the Australian National Curriculum. The IPA believes Australia should abandon the National Curriculum and abolish the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) – the $30 million per year bureaucracy which writes the National Curriculum.

With a federal election approaching, Mr Dutton has stated he will implememt a ‘back to basics’, ‘education not indoctrination’ policy. It’s a good start, but much more is required. Instilling a sense of pride in our nation, while acknowledging the imperfections of our past, is paramount to a successful, cohesive future for our nation.

1000 Books before school

Early literacy skills are essential building blocks for lifelong learning beyond primary and secondary school. 

As the new school year starts, those children entering prep should have already had 1000 books read to them. Research shows that the difference between children starting school who have been read to, and those who haven’t, is significant; there is an estimated deficit of exposure to language of about 1.4million words for children who have not been read to in the preschool years. Research using the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) found that children whose parents had read to them every day when they were 2–3 year olds, had higher Year 3 NAPLAN reading scores than those children whose parents had read to them less frequently.

Reading to preschool-aged children has been shown to develop early literacy by building vocabulary and language skills, intonation, even the reading cues and skills they will need to be successful readers when they start school and formal learning.

We do not co-parent with the government. Parents should not wait for school to ‘teach reading’. Reading daily to and with young children is simple and the rewards are priceless.

IPA Schools Program Out and About

• On radio 2GB with Bill Woods discussing private tutoring and the national standards. Listen here or by clicking below.

• And here on ABC Radio 774 with Rafael Epstein Weekly Wrap:

Quote of the month:

“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society”

Theodore Roosevelt

Thank you for your support.