Free 'rapid' HIV tests available soon

Could a cure for HIV be on the horizon? Picture: Thinkstock Source: Supplied

This file picture taken under a microscope shows the HIV 1 virus burgeoning on a lymphocyte. Photo: AFP/Institut Pasteur Source: AFP

A FREE rapid HIV test will be rolled out in key Queensland sexual health clinics from next month.

The $20 blood test will give people an answer to whether they are HIV positive in about 20 minutes compared to up to a week with laboratory testing.

Queensland's Ministerial Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS approved the introduction of the test.

Committee chairman Darren Russell said the rapid HIV test was as accurate as laboratory testing.

He said Queensland was the first state to make the rapid test widely available.

Dr Russell said it would be rolled out in sexual health clinics in Brisbane, Cairns, Gold Coast, Townsville and Nambour initially before expanding to general practices.

He said the committee hoped the introduction of rapid HIV testing would reduce the average time of diagnosis for HIV from more than four years after transmission.

"It's taking on average too long for people to be diagnosed after they're infected," he said.

"If people know they've got HIV they can take steps to prevent transmitting it."

Dr Russell said it was also important for people with HIV to start taking anti-retroviral drugs as soon as possible for the sake of their health.

"The newer treatments we have are very effective and have few side effects," he said.

Dr Russell said people in the UK were able to have rapid HIV tests sent to their homes but this had not been approved by Australia's medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

"We hope in the future, that will be possible here," he said. "It's all about getting experience in it for doctors and nurses and the gay community and others at risk to become comfortable with the whole idea of rapid testing."

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NAPLAN tests - some good news for parents

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QUEENSLAND students are expected to do better on NAPLAN tests this year following the rollout of the national curriculum.

It's just 2½ weeks until Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students sit the controversial literacy and numeracy tests.

About 236,500 Queensland students are expected to sit this year's exams, which will test reading, writing, spelling, punctuation and grammar and numeracy skills over three days from May 14 to May 16.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority Queensland board member Lesley Englert said average NAPLAN scores for Queensland students should rise given the introduction of the national curriculum, which was more demanding and consistent than the former state one.

TAKE THE SAMPLE TESTS

Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE) deputy director-general Lyn McKenzie has said teachers had reported students having higher levels of skill and knowledge when they started this year than previously in some subject areas as a result of the new curriculum.

Ms Englert said the Australian Curriculum was much more explicit and students should perform better overall in mean scores on NAPLAN as a result.

"Previously we had a curriculum that wasn't necessarily consistent across all year levels, across grades, across schools because there was too much optional focus on what the teacher wanted to teach," Ms Englert said.

"It is no longer up to the teachers what to teach, the teacher's job is now how to teach it better.

"It will definitely lift standards, comparatively it depends on how other states are doing too (on NAPLAN)."

DETE refused to answer questions about whether they expected the Australian Curriculum to impact on this year's NAPLAN results.

Instead, DETE assistant director-general Mark Campling said Queensland had shown one of the highest levels of significant improvements on the tests since 2008 and they expected this to continue.

Queensland Teachers' Union president Kevin Bates said "one would like to think that we have got a set of circumstances that will lead to better results" in Queensland.

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Trainee teachers face tough tests

Education Minister Peter Garrett Mr Garrett says the proposed changes are part of the government's commitment to "raising the quality of teaching at every stage of a teacher's career''. Picture: Kym Smith Source: NewsLocal

ASPIRING teachers would have to perform community work, pass stringent new NAPLAN-style exams - as well as emotional intelligence and aptitude testing - in order to graduate into the nation's classrooms, under a new Federal Government plan.

Labor ministers will today announce sweeping reform to the university admissions and graduation process aimed at improving teacher quality, as part of its National Plan for School Improvement.

From 2016, anyone wishing to enter a teaching degree would be asked to provide a written statement outlining their suitability for a place, as well as undergoing a series of interviews to test whether they have the resilience and emotional intelligence or EQ for the role.

They would also have to demonstrate suitable values and aptitude by providing a portfolio of activities such as coaching a sports team, volunteer work or community involvement.

In order to graduate as teachers they would need to perform in the top 30 per cent of the population in numeracy and literacy tests, which would be part of their course.

Teaching students who failed to meet the benchmark would be offered classes to meet the requirements.

Education Minister Peter Garrett and Tertiary Education Minister Chris Bowen will also announce changes to practicum placements, with a national approach replacing the state-by-state arrangements currently in place.

Qualified teachers who supervise prac placements will also have to meet new training and experience standards.

Mr Garrett said the proposed changes were part of the government's commitment to "raising the quality of teaching at every stage of a teacher's career''.

"Our plan will make sure that only those people who have high levels of literacy and numeracy, a dedication for teaching and a great classroom practice will graduate and enter our schools,'' he said.

"It will mean principals will have confidence in the abilities of their new staff, and parents can be confident that every teacher has gone through a rigorous selection and training process.''

Starting next year, there will also be a review of all teaching courses by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.

The Government said it was working with universities to ensure the changes were in place by 2016, although it expects some institutions will implement them earlier.

The changes follow increased debate about the impact of teacher quality on student outcomes. The NSW State Government last week set a minimum entry standard into teaching courses of at least 80 per cent in three subjects including English, and called for a numeracy and literacy benchmarks for graduate teachers.

A Productivity Commission report last year found Australian students have fallen behind other OECD countries  despite increased spending per student and falling class sizes  and said more effective teachers would help improve standards.

Professor Scott Prasser, executive director of the public policy institute at Australian Catholic University, said addressing both entry scores and course work was ``a step in the right direction.''

Mr Garrett said attracting the best candidates into teaching was essential to improve education standards.

"We already have thousands of great teachers in our schools. But we can always do more to make sure that everyone entering the profession has the skills, personal capacity, and the passion, to be the best teacher possible,'' Mr Garrett said.

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