News Corp Australia has launched its second annual national education advocacy initiative with an expanded program. Over the next six weeks, News Corp Australia’s state-based mastheads will tackle critical issues facing the country’s education system, present solutions, and celebrate the hardworking educators making a difference in children’s lives.
Kicking off the campaign is Best In Class, a five-day editorial series exploring the challenges our classrooms face that contribute to poor student outcomes and offering solutions to support education. The series explores the behaviour crisis in modern classrooms, a new behaviour curriculum, teacher shortages and resignations, and the vaping problem.
Also released this week is Schools Hub, a data-rich interactive journalism tool featuring the NAPLAN performance of schools over the past five years to help parents compare and decide on the best schools for their children. An exclusive feature on Saturday, May 4, incorporates REA data to help readers discover the school catchments you should buy into for the best results.
On Sunday, May 5, Australia’s Best Teachers returns to celebrate the nation’s most inspiring and innovative educators. Students, parents and colleagues are encouraged to nominate their favourite educator to be profiled in state mastheads including The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier-Mail and The Advertiser.
This year news.com.au is also supporting the Best Teachers campaign, alongside other titles including rural and regional news leader The Weekly Times, parenting website Kidspot.com.au and student site Kids News.
Australia’s Best Teachers campaign will launch with heartfelt letters and videos from students and well-known Australians including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, multi-award winning actress Sarah Snook and Brisbane Lions AFL coach Chris Fagan thanking the teachers that impacted and shaped their lives.
Editor of the Saturday Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail in Queensland, Anna Caldwell, said education advocacy was part of News Corp Australia’s ongoing commitment to improving support for teachers and education outcomes for Australian families.
“Current teacher workforce challenges and the declining performance of students is a long-term issue that affects all Australians. We want to highlight these issues but importantly help find the solutions. We’re encouraging the education community to be part of this campaign and deliver action where it’s needed most”.
“After the success of our first advocacy campaign last year, we’re looking forward to hearing more stories about the life-changing difference inspiring teachers and principals make,” said national editor 360 Commercial Louise Roberts.
“We were delighted to make an impact with the Federal Government with Education Minister Jason Clare committing to a $10 million recruitment campaign #bethatteacher as a result of our push to elevate the status of and respect for teachers”.
“We’re grateful for the support of our Australia’s Best Teachers partners this year, including Officeworks, Teachers Mutual Bank and Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, to boost this important campaign”.
