Media Award 2006
Dr Gordon Tait, Sydney’s Child
Mr Sean Mooney, Copeland Publishing, nominated Gordon for the PTC Media Award. Sean wrote the following to support his nomination of Gordon:
Dr Gordon Tait is Senior Lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology, School of Cultural and Language Studies.
In his article ‘Too Great Expectations’ Dr Tait argues that teachers are now expected to shoulder the burdens that others will not. He writes that teaching is a responsible job, and teachers have always been charged with the task of turning out the next generation of citizens – educated, healthy in mind and healthy in body. But he asks; “how far should this responsibility extend?
How much can we reasonably expect teachers to be responsible for?”
He investigates this issue and concludes that there is a strong argument to be made for our teachers needing greater support and commitment from the community in order to do their job well.
His article formed a central part of the August 2006 “Education” issue of the free parenting magazine, Sydney’s Child.