From a philosophical and historical analysis of education in Australia since World War II and consideration of the research into school effectiveness and community expectations of education, a concept of "excellence" was derived: "Excellence in education" in its various institutionalised forms describes a state where there is a community perception that worthwhile goals have been formulated, attempts are made to achieve those goals using appropriately defined processes and that those goals are being achieved to the satisfaction of community members. It was also asserted that because of the diversity introduced into Australian society by sociocultural, economic and political developments since World War II, "excellence in education" may take many forms. This demands diversity in schooling so that these different forms of excellence may be achieved. This "excellence" was seen to be a relative concept rather than an absolute one. Information was collected from six primary schools from both the government and non-govenunent sectors of the ACT, using swey instruments, interviews and document analysis. This information related to the perceptions of the family, staff and student sectors of these schools about the importance and achievement of various factors in the areas of goals and philosophy, curriculum, teaching and learning practices, general organisation and school atmosphere. The study found that, while these schools, all being concerned with the education of primary school children in the same local and national context, exhibited certain common elements, they also demonstrated a variety of other features in a variety of combinations, giving each school a distinctive profile. Moreover, these school communities each judged their particular school being "Excellent" and "meeting expectations", and yet were accepting of some discrepancy between what they considered ideal and what was actually achieved. Thus it was shown that excellence in education is a relative concept in the ACT, if not in contemporary Australian society as a whole.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of describing the secondary school principalship as perceived by selected principals and teachers in Bangkok, Thailand. The purposes of this study are (1) to collect selected demographic data about the secondary school principals and teachers in government and private schools, and (2) to measure and determine the relative effectiveness of principals of government and private secondary schools in Bangkok, Thailand, as perceived by secondary school principals and teachers. The conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) principals in government and private secondary schools appear equivalent in professional preparation as measured by highest degree held, (2) principals in government and private secondary schools earn equivalent salaries, (3) teachers in private secondary schools have less professional preparation than teachers in government secondary schools, (4) teachers in government schools are better paid than teachers in private schools, (5) principals in both government and private secondary schools perceived their effectiveness as higher than did the teachers in those schools.

Non-government schools in Queensland must be accredited by the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board established by the Queensland Government under the Education(Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001 in order to operate the school.In 2005, there were 457 non-government schools registered in Queensland with the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board (Non-State Schools Accreditation Board 2005). The enrolment of 207,859 students constituted approximately 30 per cent of student enrolments in the State. Government funding to non-government schools is substantial (general recurrent funding of $303 million was provided by the Queensland government in 2002) (Non-State Schools Accreditation Board 2005).The accreditation criteria set out in the Act are: the school’s administration and governance arrangements; the school’s financial viability; the school’s educational program and student welfare processes; the school’s resources; and the school’s improvement processes. The Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Regulation 2001 provides further details on the requirements of the accreditation for all criteria, except for governance and administration criterion. This is the major gap addressed by this research.The methodology for doing so was:• a theoretical framework for effective corporate governance developed from the relevant literature• case studies of six non-government schools with a range of ownership/governance models to identify their current governance policies and practices and to compare them with the theoretical framework to assess their effectiveness• a suite of policies and procedures based on the theoretical framework and “standout” practice from the six case study schools that would provide an effective corporate governance practice for non-government schools.The potential clients of this research are:• The Office of Non-State Education• Independent Schools Queensland (“ISQ”)• Auspicing denomination or other ownership group of schools, their governing bodies and the auditors of non-government schools; including, but not only, the case study schools• Newly accredited schools wishing to start well. Of particular interest to the researcher is Warwick Christian College Limited, a newly accredited school of which the researcher is a Board member. The Board of the school has agreed to embark on a policy development process which is consistent with the findings of this research.A suite of recommended policies and procedures that non-government schools could adopt in order to comply with the administration and governance criteria of the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001 was developed from the theoretical framework and the “standout” practices, policies and procedures from the case study schools.

Christian Parent Controlled (CPC) Schools, which commenced in the 1960s, are a relatively small, but growing component of the non-government schooling sector in Australia. In 2001, they enrolled over 22 000 students in 85 schools. Very little research has been conducted on the values and practices of CPC schools and while these schools frequently assert that they promote explicitly Christian values, their foundational values have not previously been identified or recorded. This research identifies the key foundational values which are characteristic of these schools and examines the extent to which these values continue to influence the prevailing practices of these schools. Consideration is given to the implications of the relationship between foundational values and prevailing practices for the identity, development and leadership of CPC schools in Australia. The ability of these schools to articulate their foundational values and consider their prevailing practices in the light of these values should enhance their ability to understand their heritage, assess their current situation and plan their future. The research found that in general, prevailing practices in these schools give faithful expression to the foundational values; however, the research also identified a number of areas where CPC schools struggle to engage consistently with these values. As a result of this study, recommendations are proposed to assist national and school-based leadership in their strategic planning for the maintenance of these values and the future of these schools.

The case studies carried out in four non-government primary schools in the ACT aimed to look at the way teachers were using computers in classrooms in order to shed light on the factors which may determine how teachers chose to use computers to enhance learning. The case study method allowed the researcher to use triangulation to provide in-depth information about the processes involved in the delivery of a lesson using a computer. The findings were positive in that more than half of the teachers were found to be using computers at a high level of adoption, predominantly running simulation programs. In most schools, this was in spite of either hardware or software constraints, inadequate professional development opportunities or administrative obstacles. Whether the teachers taught in a laboratory or had one computer in the classroom did not seem to retard their enthusiasm for finding the best strategies to effectively integrate computer use. Cooperative learning strategies had been adopted by most of the teachers so their transition to computer use was made easier since their students had already been 'routinised'.The data also pointed to formal Computer Education as a possible determinant of a high level computer user. However, research on a wider scale would be needed to validate the result. Differences in the way classes were managed in a onecomputer classroom and a laboratory were evident. Teachers spent most time with those students working away from the computer in the one-computer classroom and most time with those working at the computer in the laboratory setting. Methods of evaluation were shown to be necessarily different depending on whether work was carried out in a laboratory or a one-computer classroom. Finally, the study pointed to the need for non-government schools and system managers to begin long-term planning for hardware and software purchase and resource management in order to provide teachers with the tools needed to integrate computer use effectively. Such planning would need to include provision for professional development.

The purpose of the study was to develop a greater understanding of the experiences of school life for students who consistently found learning difficult, their perceptions of the difficulties they faced with their learning and how this had influenced their lives, socially and academically. It was hoped that their perspectives would highlight those structures and strategies that were of the most value in supporting them, as well as those that had a negative impact on their achievement and adjustment. Eight people with learning difficulties each participated in a series of three individual, in-depth interviews about their experiences of school. The participants, five male and three female, ranged in age from ten to twenty five years. Four were primary school students, in Years Four, Five and Six. Two students were in Year Nine at high school, while a further two participants had completed their schooling. One was currently unemployed, while the other had completed a university degree and had been teaching for three years. Participants were chosen from randomly selected government schools in the ACT, nominated by the school as fitting the selection criteria. Learning difficulties were defined in tenns of their meeting criteria that were indicative of teacher and parent concern for academic underachievement over a period of at least two years. The selection process was also guided by criteria to locate key informants, i.e. individuals who may have been able to highlight specific issues related to the relationships between learning difficulties and socioeconomic status, social competence and employment opportunities. Interviews with each participant .took place over three separate sessions of approximately fifty minutes' duration. Data was analysed using Hycner's guidelines for phenoinenological analysis. Interviews were transcribed and coded, with an independent researcher validating identified themes. An agreement rate of 88% was achieved. Interviews were then summarised and returned to the participants to confirm whether the interpretation of their perspectives was accurate. Themes that were common across the interviews were discussed in relation to current research. The results of this research study confirmed the central role played by quality teachers and best teaching practices in being able to enhance learning and to meet the needs of individual students. These factors were an integral part of engaging students in the learning process and promoting successful learning experiences. The study also emphasised the importance of parents, particularly mothers, in the adjustment of the participants to the everyday demands, academic and social, of school life. The necessity of establishing and sustaining effective early intervention programs was also highlighted, as was the value of listening to the voices of individuals with learning difficulties when making decisions on their behalf.

This study attempted to investigate the self-esteem of high school teachers in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Its purpose was to measure the self-esteem of high school teachers in the ACT, identify perceptions of life-stage factors that might contribute to teachers' self-esteem and to identify teachers' perceptions of job-related factors that contribute to their self-esteem. The sample consisted of 219 teachers (94 male, 124 female, one of unidentified sex) in 12 of the 17 high schools in the ACT. A questionnaire based on that used by Swafford Jolley (1985) was used. It consisted of 4 parts - Part 1 demographic data, Part 2a Barksdale Self-Esteem Index No. 69, Part 2b Life-stage Characteristics, Part 3 Job-related characteristics, Part 4 - three related questions for open responses. Data were analysed using the SPSSX data recording and analysis system (Norusis 1983). Means and differences between means were computed to establish discrepancies. Pearson product moment correlations were employed. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to isolate the best predictors of self-esteem from among the 34 work-related factors. A rank discrepancy index of affect on self-esteem was also computed. Findings show that eighty per cent of the teachers may be hindered by low self-esteem. There is no difference between male and female average age (39) nor between the male and female average self-esteem index (62.2). Younger teachers were found to be just as likely to have low self-esteem as older teachers. The factors which most affect teacher self-esteem and which are closest to the ideal were found to be feelings of competency as a teacher, pride in one's work, establishment of specific personal goals and the opportunity to determine one's own teaching methods. The factors with the greatest discrepancies were found to be the opportunity to advance professionally, positive representation by the media and prestige of the teaching profession. It was concluded that in no one area are the self-esteem needs of high school teachers in the Australian Capital Territory being adequately met. Responsibility lies with the individuals themselves and with the ACT Schools Authority to work out joint ways of enhancing teacher self-esteem and development. It is argued that this cannot be left to chance by the organisation but must be planned for as a matter of urgency. Recognition of the individual is seen as the key in any such planning but organisational objectives also need to be considered.

The study investigates the nature and extent of provision of English as a Second Language (ESL) programs and services for students of non-English speaking background (NESB) in government school systems in the six Australian states and two territories and the interrelationship of state/territorial education authority provision and levels of commonwealth funding. The study further examines perceptions of state/territorial service providers of where the onus of responsibility for ESL provision lies. The study is limited to examination of ESL provision at the school level in government education systems only and does not address services for adult NESB learners or provision in the non-government sector. The study is set in the context of the impact of commonwealth immigration policies on the nature of Australia's multicultural society and on the evolution of provision of appropriate programs and services for NESB students in Australian government schools. The major findings to emerge from this study which bear on the issues identified in the literature and which are of significance for the future of ESL service delivery are: · the existence of overall commonality of definition of NESB students and identification of such students for ESL programs on the basis of need, but a degree of variation in procedures used by state and territorial systems which falls short of standard practice and renders comparative measurement of perceived shortfalls in provision difficult; · variation in definition of intensive programs which renders comparison of provision difficult; · strong commonality in overall provision of both programs and services across all schooling sectors, with limited local variation in service delivery; an increasing commitment in all systems to the mainstreaming of ESL provision through language across the curriculum programs aimed at complementing specialist ESL provision by enabling mainstream teachers to accept responsibility for the language needs of NESB learners; · variation in degrees of dependence on commonwealth funding for provision of programs and services ranging from almost total dependence on commonwealth funding in two systems to significant local education authority provision in four systems; · commonality of opinion among local service providers of the commonwealth's responsibility for some degree of funding of ESL provision, but variations in perceptions of the extent of the commonwealth's responsibility in this area; · commonality of experience of initial identification of need at the local level, but dependence on commonwealth intervention to approach adequate provision to meet identified need; · a degree of tension between on the one hand, recognition of individual differences among systems and the concomitant need, or desire, for state/territorial autonomy in service delivery; and on the other hand, recognition of commonality of purpose and provision and the concomitant need for some standardisation of practice in the interests of efficiency and accountability of service delivery. The study concludes with an examination of the implications of these findings for policy for future ESL service delivery.

The study described in this report attempted to investigate the area of classroom discipline in the primary school. In particular the objectives were to ascertain the factors which influences teachers' knowledge of discipline procedures and the factors which influence teachers' implementation of discipline procedures. The study first examined discipline policies and practices in Australian schools generally and in Australian Capital Territory government schools in particular. A review of the literature indicated that the area of discipline in the classroom is one which seems to be increasingly important in the range of presage variables under investigation by researchers. Information was obtained from sixty completed questionnaires from primary teachers in eight primary schools. Respondents indicated that they taught over the full range of primary school years/grades. Results suggested that senior management in the schools appeared to have a relatively unimportant role in influencing classroom teachers' discipline programmes. The results indicated that the in-school influences which were perceived as the most influential on both teachers' knowledge of discipline procedures and on teachers' current discipline procedures were a) those connected with pupils and b) factors about the personal preference of teachers. The out-of-school influences which were perceived as the most influential on both teachers' knowledge of discipline and on teachers' current discipline procedures were a) those connected with professional development and b) factors about the intuitions and reactions of teachers. Results in general suggested that some primary teachers may be depending or) outdated information regarding school and classroom discipline programmes. These findings could have important ramifications for teacher training agencies regarding the allocation of resources to the area of school discipline programmes.

The Report of the Field Study is a descriptive record of:- (i) the development of the A.C.T. Schools Authority according to a particular philosophy and operational structure of devolution of responsibility to schools and community participation in decision making at school and system level. (ii) the impact which changes in government policy in the areas of (a) growth of the Australian Public Service and Canberra (b) funding of the A.C.T. government schools have on the A.C.T. Schools Authority operations. (iii) the mechanism by which policy is being developed for the maintenance of small high schools as individual organizations in a situation of contracting enrolments. The functions of the A.C.T. Schools Authority are, amongst others, to establish and conduct,pre schools, primary schools, high schools and secondary colleges. In 1980 there were 165 schools and of these only three were outside the city of Canberra. During the 1960's Canberra underwent extensive expansion of the city boundaries because of rapid increases in population as a result of government policy in establishing the city as the seat of government. Government departments were moved from rented premises in other cities to new purpose built buildings in Canberra. Economic conditions and government funding supported all aspects of the expansion as it continued into the '70's. The government school building programme was one of many which had to be integrated into the city growth plan. In 1960 there were three secondary schools, in 1970 there were nine and in 1980 there were twenty three. This Field Study is concerned with the A.C.T. Schools Authority's approach to its responsibilities under the following changed circumstances. 1. Change in growth rate of Canberra. From 1976, as a result of a change in government policy and in different economic conditions and policies there was a dramatic and unpredicted decrease in the rate of population increase. Movement of government departments to Canberra was severely curtailed and the service industries and building industries consequently also dramatically reduced their expansion. By 1978 there was evidence of a severe contraction in these industries and the growth of Canberra in the 60's to mid 70's had changed to a no-growth and then a decline. 2. Schools with small enrolments. Added to the nil or very slow population increase in some suburbs is the decline in the number of school age children in the inner suburbs of the city resulting in schools accommodating down to half of their previous numbers of students and the completion of school buildings in the as yet underpopulated outer suburbs. This latter situation developed because the lead time required for the planning and building of new schools is such that irreversible decisions had been made in the context of the population growth period and the resulting building programme was overtaken by the unexpected policy reversal causing a no growth situation to develop. The empty school buildings provoked the sparsely populated new communities to press for their opening and so provide what were seen to be essential community facilities. 3. Strict controls on costs. Allied to its policy restricting the growth rate of Canberra the government introduced strict controls on the cost of government education services in the A.C.T. The real difficulty was in the nature of the controls. Per-pupil costs were not to rise in real terms after 1976/77. With "fixed" costs such as cleaning, heating, maintenance, lighting and janitor rising or at least remaining constant whilst school enrolments decline, there was little hope of meeting the government directive. The Authority therefore considered the possibilities of deferring the opening of new schools and phasing out some inner Canberra schools as the only means of carrying out its responsibility. The proposal evoked strong community reaction. It was claimed that such an edict from the central authority was in contravention of the philosophical and legal foundations of the A.C.T. system. School Boards and communities were the places where decisions could be made that would enable their schools to remain as functioning entities, providing their students with creative educational programmes and still adapt to the economic constraints of the total system. Faced with this resounding community disapproval the Schools Authority established a Working Party on llth June 1979 "To consider the problems of declining and shifting school populations and its effect on the A.C.T. school system. In particular it will examine educational, financial and staffing problems associated with conducting small secondary schools and report to the Authority no later than June 1980". The Working Party then mounted a programme of enquiry throughout the A.C.T. Teachers, parents, students, School Boards, P & C committees and public meetings were asked to submit proposals, express opinions and respond to models. The resulting report Declining and Shifting Enrolments in A.C.T. Secondary schools was presented and public response invited. Once again the philosophy of the A.C.T. government school system was being put into practice. The study also investigates some of the issues in respect of the individual small school facing declining enrolments and consequently reductions in staffing and financial resources. Some conclusions are posed for the individual school, the A.C.T. Schools Authority and the various government instrumentalities which service and to some extent control, the A.C.T. government school system.