The Victorian Certificate of Education - a gendered affair?

Drawing on data from the Victorian Certificate of Education (1994- 1999), this paper examines whether gender differences in Mathematics still exist. The discussion is developed in the context of ongoing debates about girls' and boys' comparative performance, and about modification in Year 11 and 12 curriculum and assessment. The paper identifies some of the subtle issues that lie behind the statistics, and school to work inequalities that continue to exist.

A data envelopment analysis of the efficiency of Victorian TAFE Institutes

In recent years the provision of vocational education and training has been recognised as having a vital role to play in improving Australia's economic performance and in alleviating the hardship of the long term unemployed. The importance of education and training gives rise to the issue of operating educational institutions with a high level of efficiency. In this article, Data Envelopment Analysis is used to derive estimates of the technical and scale efficiency of Victorian Technical and Further Education Institutes in 1995. The results reveal substantial dispersion in technical and scale efficiencies. Regression analysis is used to identify variables which are associated with technical inefficiency.

School innovation in science: transformative initiatives in Victorian secondary schools

The School Innovation in Science intiative is operating in more than 300 schools in Victoria. It has achieved considerable success in transforming science teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools. This paper describes the core elements of SIS, and provides an overview of the different types of initiatives pursued by secondary schools arising out of an action planning process. case studies of initiatives illustrate the richness and range of innovation in schools. It is argued that the SIS model provides the conditions for deep seated change and innovation in schools' science programs.

Incentive or deterrent: which encourages greater focus on health and safety in the Victorian construction industry?

The Australian Government commissioned a Royal Commission into the building industry in Australia that reported to Parliament in August 2002. Volume 6 of this report, released in February 2003, discussed certain aspects in occupational health and safety in Australia and leaned toward deterrents as a means of achieving reform. This research defines both incentives and deterrents used to increase awareness of, and improve safety on, building sites in Victoria, a state of Australia. A pilot survey questionnaire was developed following a literature review and industry employer representatives were invited to participate. Industry awareness of Government incentive programmes was found to be low, with less than a quarter stating they read Government strategies. One fund that provides actual research monies into health and safety was known to very few of the respondents. Of the employers surveyed, the majority agreed that financial fines do act as a valid deterrent. Increases in worker compensation premiums were seen as the greatest deterrent due to the effect on company overheads and thus competitive tendering bids. Deterrent programmes were more readily acknowledged by employers as they had an element of self promotion with employers attempting to avoid their application.

Elections and representations in local government: A Victorian case study

This article examines the application of different views of representation in the electoral systems at local government level: interest, corporate and mirror representation. The electoral framework underpins the process of representation, influencing both who are eligible to become voters and how their votes are collected and counted. The paper examines the  interrelationship between representation and the electoral framework in local government in Victoria. We use a historical analysis, and identify a long period of interest representation; a short, relatively recent period of corporate representation; and an attempt to introduce some elements of mirror representation. We conclude by arguing that local electoral reform needs to take into account the multiple meanings of representation.

Sport safety policies and practices in two rural Victorian communities

Australian football and netball are the predominant sports played in rural Victoria, Australia. This exploratory study is the first to report the sport safety policies and practices adopted by junior Australian football and netball clubs in small rural communities. Eleven informants from four clubs completed a semi-structured interview and survey. Whilst the clubs performed a range of injury prevention activiities, they did not have formal sports safety policies. Generally, netball informants reported fewer safety practices than football informants. Crucial factors influencing safety policies and practices were the reliance on volunteers and a lack of senior players. Barriers towards the adoption of safety policies and practices appeared to be related to rural population declines, a lack of qualified people and attitudes to injury in rural areas. Future research needs to identify how widespread this lack of sport safety policies and practices is across rural Australia and to identify strategies to overcome barriers to implementing them.

Achieving 'sustainability education' in primary schools as a result of the Victorian Science in Schools Research Project

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the experiences of primary schools involved in the Victorian Science in Schools Research Project which was concerned with improving science teaching and learning strategies but which also unexpectedly led to more environmental (sustainability) education occurring. The paper also suggests a curriculum strategy for achieving more widespread acceptance and implementation of 'sustainability education' through primary school science curricula.

Habitat use and distribution of the beautiful firetail (stagonopleura bella) in foothill forests of the Victorian highlands, Australia

The Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella) is an uncommon, granivorous finch from coastal south-eastern Australia, with a distribution extending from mid-coastal New South Wales to south-eastern South Australia, including Tasmania. This paper presents a quantitative assessment of habitat use by the Beautiful Firetail based on data collected from 30 paired riparian and non-riparian sites in the foothill forests of the Victorian Highlands, Australia. The Beautiful Firetail occurred in two of the three forest blocks surveyed and was found almost exclusively at riparian sites. The Beautiful Firetail was most likely to occur at riparian sites on the coastal fall of the ranges at sites with high sedge cover and low cover of shrubs and bare ground. The species occurred at low densities (0.10–0.19 individuals ha^–1) throughout the year. Records from the Atlas of Victorian Wildlife were used to describe the distribution of Beautiful Firetails in Victoria. Notable observations inland of the Great Dividing Range were recorded during the present study. Further study is required to understand the ecological requirements of the Beautiful Firetail throughout its range.

Population health and wellbeing: identifying priority areas for Victorian children

Background
Population health information, collected using soundly-designed methodologies, is essential to inform policy, research, and intervention programs. This study aimed to derive policy-oriented recommendations for the content of a health and wellbeing population survey of children 0–12 years living in Victoria, Australia.

Results
Qualitative interviews were conducted with 54 academic and policy stakeholders, selected to encompass a wide breadth of expertise in areas of public health and inter-sectoral organisations relevant to child health outcomes, including universities, government and non-government agencies across Victoria. These stakeholders were asked to provide advice on strategic priorities for child health information (data) using a structured interview technique. Their comments were summarised and the major themes were extracted. The priority areas of health and wellbeing recommended for regular collection include obesity and its determinants, pregnancy and breastfeeding, oral health, injury, social and emotional health and wellbeing, family environment, community, health service utilisation, illness, and socioeconomic position. Population policy questions for each area were identified.

Conclusion
In contrast to previous population survey programs nationally and internationally, this study sought to extract contemporary policy-oriented domains for inclusion in a strategic program of child health data collection, using a stakeholder consultation process to identify key domains and policy information needs. The outcomes are a rich and relevant set of recommendations which will now be taken forward into a regular statewide child health survey program.

Survey of canteens and food services in Victorian schools

Objective: To examine the characteristics of food services in Victorian government primary and secondary schools.

Design and methods: A cross-sectional postal survey of all high schools and a random sample of one quarter of primary school respondents in Victoria. A `School Food Services and Canteen' questionnaire was administered by mail to the principal of each school.

Subjects: Respondents included principals, canteen managers and home economics teachers from 150 primary and 208 secondary schools representing response rates of 48% and 67%, respectively.

Main outcome measures: Responses to closed questions about school canteen operating procedures, staff satisfaction, food policies and desired additional services.

Data analyses: Frequency and cross-tabulation analyses and associated χ²-tests.

Results: Most schools provided food services at lunchtime and morning recess but one-third provided food before school. Over 40% outsourced their food services, one-third utilised volunteer parents, few involved students in canteen operations. Half of the secondary schools had vending machines; one in five had three or more. Secondary school respondents were more dissatisfied with the nutritional quality of the food service, and expressed more interest in additional services than primary respondents. Schools with food policies wanted more service assistance and used volunteer parents, student and paid canteen managers more than schools without policies.

Conclusion: Most schools want to improve the nutritional quality of their food services, especially via school food policies. There is a major opportunity for professional organisations to advocate for the supply of healthier school foods.

Epiphytes on Nothofagus cunninghamii and Eucalyptus regnans in a Victorian cool temperate rainforest

This study investigated the epiphytic communities on Myrtle Beech Nothofagus cunninghamii (Hook.) Oerst. and Mountain Ash Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell. trees in a pocket of Cool Temperate Rainforest in the Yarra Ranges National Park, Victoria, Australia. Twenty species were identified growing on N. cunninghamii, with nine species found on E. regnans. The dominant epiphytes were the moss Dicranoloma menziesii on N. cunninghamii, and the liverwort Bazzania adnexa var. adnexa on E. regnans.

Portable sick leave in the Victorian building industry : managing cumulative employee benefits in the absence of employment security

The trend away from full-time permanent employment raises questions about the relevance of traditional approaches to managing and compensating employees. Employment in the Australian building industry is characterised by short-term, project-based employment. Employers and unions in the industry have adopted alternative compensation models to accommodate the short-term nature of employment, most notably through portable benefit schemes. In 1997, the Victorian building industry extended the range of portable benefits to include sick leave. Empirical evidence suggests a relationship between employee absence behaviour and accrual entitlement models. Research reported here supports this link, and suggests that both employers and employees can benefit from an alternative, portable, approach to accrued entitlements. Employers can benefit because employees may be less likely to take an instrumental approach to their entitlements. Employees benefit because they are able to accrue entitlements for the period they remain in the building industry, irrespective of the extent to which they change jobs.