I think we are at a point where we need to look at what really does constitute international best practice in learning outcomes and try to be proactive in shaping discussion around what works and what doesn't. Ian would know from Jensen's report and from studies of Finland that teachers there have a much reduced teaching load compared to Australian teachers and this gives them time to be truly collaborative: observing each other's lessons, engaged in lesson preparation teams, doing classroom research that it peer-reviewed and published.

The AEU is not a blocker, but has a legitimate role to play in defending public education, including teachers wages and conditions. It could offer all political parties an educational compact that commits them and the pollies to work together on agreed international best practice. The AEU should be initiating and championing demands that focus on learning.

Can I add that Jensen promotes trade-offs between class size and teacher prep time, but I think that as far as Shanghai goes, classes were traditionally even bigger than the 40 he refers to, so it's not as if they have raised class sizes in order to provide all the non-contact time for Shanghai teachers. If anything, they've probably reduced classes to 40 as well as providing the time. He is also wrong in saying that cultural factors are unimportant.

There's not a lot around on Shanghai schools in English, but if you've got time to read this, it's worth putting alongside Jensen's Shanghai stuff:
http://www.acel.org.au/conf07/papers/Xiaofeng%20Zhang%20paper.doc

Some of it sounds a bit boy scoutish - particularly the enthusiasm for competing to win appraisal awards - very Chinese. And the moral stuff is not so much whether to hold hands in public as how to cultivate ethics and virtuous behaviour - again, despite Jensen, a very East Asian cultural difference.

However, the standouts in this and Jensen are the opportunities for really collaborative practices that could not be accommodated within our school timetable structures. That's where I see educators taking back the agenda in a significant way.

Thank you for your thoughtful comments Mike. I believe that the AEU has to be one of the key players and I feel under its present leadership it is playing a very positive role. It is important that everybody negotiates in good faith.

I believe that now is the time to move on from what is successful in other countries to look at what has worked well here.