Corporatisation of public schools – Part 2

We looked earlier at the partnership between Aberfoyle Park high School and Raytheon Australia that involves the company providing the school with around $450,000 over three years.

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom has condemned the partnership, but the school says the partnership will help prepare students for careers in engineering and science.

The principal of Aberfoyle Park High School, Alan Phelps joined Peter in the studio to put forward his side of the debate.

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Commerating indigenous Australian servicemen this Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day, the day in 1918 when the first World War ended and is also a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war. 

What we don’t often hear about is the role of indigenous Australians in conflicts and yesterday the Daw Park Foundation held a breakfast to focus on the part Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia’s military history. 

Peter Bucksin is the Dean and Head-of-School at the David Unaipon College at the University of South Australia and he spoke with Peter Godfrey on the line this morning.

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Riverland icon runs out of juice

After decades of delivering Australians the iconic Berri Fruit Juice the factory where the drinks began will close mid next year.

National Foods, the company who owns Berri Ltd made the announcement late yesterday to close the juice plant in June next year, shedding the final 64 jobs.

Mayor of the Berri-Barmera Council spoke with Peter Godfrey this morning to give an insight into what the loss will mean for the region.

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Corporatisation of public schools – Part 1

There’s no doubting that public schools need all the funding they can get to ensure they can provide the best possible education environment, but if the finding comes from a corporation would you be concerned?

Aberfoyle Park High School has partnered with Raytheon Australia – a defence electronics and systems company. The company is providing the school with $450,000 over three years for computers and mentoring teachers

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom has condemned this partnership in a letter to Education Minister, Jane Lomax-Smith.

Ruth Russel from the League spoke to Peter Godfrey this morning.

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Cash for credits

Even before Australia’s own Emissions Trading Scheme has passed through parliament international carbon trading is become a lucrative industry. 

And while Kevin Rudd prepares to set of for Copenhagen to lobby for full recognition of the United Nations Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation – or REDD – Scheme, an Adelaide-based company has been embroiled in a $100 million carbon trading scandal in Papua New Guinea. 

Joining Peter on the program this morning is Virginia Young, National Strategic Campaign Co-ordinator for the Wilderness Society, to explain a bit about the issues involved in carbon finance.

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Future of community services sector at threat in SA

The Australian Services Union will be h0lding a public meeting in Hindmarsh Square this evening to discuss a number of concerns including that over half of the workers in the sector are not committed to working in the community services area in five years time.

This means there are some major workforce issues that must be addressed urgently, and ASU Branch Secretary, Katrine Hildyard told Peter what these problems are…

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For more information, head to http://www.asu-sant.asn.au/

The fall of the wall – 20 years on

Twenty years ago today, the Berlin Wall came down, in an event that helped prompt an end to the Cold War, the beginning to the end of communism, and opened up the physical and ideological border, otherwise known as the ‘Iron Curtain’ between East and West Germany.

For more than a quarter of a century, the 100 mile long barrier, armed with barb wire and soldiers with machine guns blocked people from getting in or out, and 136 people lost their lives trying to cross it.

Now almost fifty years since it was erected, world leaders from then and now, along with an estimated 100,000 people are expected to attend celebrations to mark the anniversary of its demise, in what’s being dubbed the ‘Festival of Freedom’.

Head of German Studies at the University of Adelaide, Judith Wilson told Peter this event was significant for more than just Germany…

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Teachers push on for pay rise

Over the last 669 days, South Australia has witnessed various protests from its Education Union.

From strikes to marches, to loud gatherings outside the parliament, to sending an apple a day to Parliamentarians, the union has left no stone unturned in their pursuit to get their 21 per-cent pay hike for teachers.

But the Government hasn’t budged beyond their offer to up the pay by 14.21 per-cent.

Apparently this longest industrial dispute will now get resolved by the Industrial Relation Commission’s decision.

Peter asked the Education Union SA President, Correna Haythorpe, how much longer it will be until that decision is made…

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Immunisation spending increases… except in SA

A report released by the Australian Institute of health and welfare last Friday, recorded a $444 million dollar increase on public health spending in Australia last year.

This jump was largely attributed to the various national immunisation programs in place in particular the cervical cancer vaccination.

Yet the report also found that despite this overall increase in immunisation spending nationally, South Australia has the lowest spend per person on organised immunisation programs.

To find out more about these latest statistics Peter spoke with Dr Andrew Lavender of the Australian Medical Association…

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Port Lincoln Primary wins Flame Award for SA

Music makes the world go round…and to keep it turning we need to inspire our kids to a love of music. The fourth annual Flame Awards have just been announced, these awards are for schools who use singing to inspire there students. The South Australian winner was Port Lincoln Primary School.

To discuss this victory Peter was joined by Anne Huerpuaf from Port Lincoln Primary School…

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