There has been a massive rise in the number of early round offers being made to students nationally, according to data compiled by the ABC.
In fact, the figures show some universities have more than doubled their number of early offers, with many delivered before final exams have even begun.
Take for example Western Sydney University (WSU), which has seen early offers rising from 7,000 in 2019 to 15,000 in 2020.
Western Sydney University.
Angelo Kourtis from WSU told the national broadcaster that the increase in early offers was an acknowledgement the ATAR could be a “blunt instrument” for measuring student ability.
“We recognise that students are more than just the ATAR,” he said. “We think it actually disadvantages many students, especially students from regions.”
Mr Kourtis said that internal analysis done by the university shows they are actually recruiting better students with these early offers as well.
There has been a rising number of students across Australia given early university entry offers.
“We found their performance is as good, and in some instances better, than students who were admitted solely on the basis of the year 12 result,” Mr Kourtis said.
Early admission selection criteria can include individual subject and exam marks, Year 11 results, or the portfolio work of creative arts students.
However, proponents also point out many early round offers were conditional, meaning students must still complete their final exams.
The President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, paid a visit to Shedia Home on Monday to witness the incredible work they do to support vulnerable people in the community.
Shedia Home was founded in 2019 by Greek Australian journalist and former The Greek Herald reporter, Chris Alefantis, as a way to energise, empower, train and create job opportunities for the poorest people in Greece.
Shedia is Greece’s only street magazine, which is sold by and in aid of homeless and jobless people.
Sakellaropoulou met with people from Shedia. Photo: shedia.streetpaper / Twitter.
During her visit to Shedia Home, Sakellaropoulou talked with five vendors of the street magazine from Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as Mr Alefantis and Eleni Gabriel, a worker in the Shedia Home kitchen.
The discussions were around homelessness and its challenges, as well as the additional obstacles posed by the current coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Alefantis also shared with the Greek President the extensive research that has been conducted on the social impact of Shedia, stressing how nine out of ten readers said the magazine changed their lives and made them more socially active.
Mr Alefantis took Sakellaropoulou on a tour of Shedia Home. Photo: shedia.streetpaper / Twitter.
“Essentially, we hope that ‘Shedia’ does not need to exist one day. That is, there should be no vulnerable social groups,” Mr Alefantis said.
For her part, Sakellaropoulou listened attentively and was visibly excited to hear the stories of how Shedia has supported people.
The President left with the promise of return, after receiving a small gift from the people of Shedia for her office.
Australian Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, met with Greek Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, at the Acropolis during her official visit to Greece on December 8.
During the meeting, the female ministers discussed potential cultural synergies between Greece and Australia.
The President of the Acropolis Monuments Conservation Committee, Professor Manolis Korres, also gave a small tour and shared his knowledge of the Acropolis with Minister Payne, the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary, Kathryn Campbell, and Australia’s Ambassador to Greece, Arthur Spyrou.
Minister Payne visited the Acropolis Museum and was offered a tour by the museum’s Director-General, Professor Nikolaos Stampolidis.
Afterwards, Minister Payne visited the Acropolis Museum and was offered a tour by the museum’s Director-General, pre-eminent archaeologist, Professor Nikolaos Stampolidis.
At the end of her trip, Minister Payne met with staff at Australia’s Embassy in Greece and officially inaugurated the building. Ms Campbell also presented awards to seven of the staff who have been serving for more than 20 years.
So moved when 🇦🇺 Foreign Minister @MarisePayne, our first FM to visit 🇬🇷 Greece in 10 years, met staff and officially opened the Embassy! Especially moved when @dfat Secretary Kathryn Campbell presented awards to 7 of our staff who have been serving 🇦🇺 for more than 20 years! pic.twitter.com/6ugnrTKFS9
This was the first official trip of an Australian Foreign Minister to Greece in 10 years and Minister Payne spent much of her time praising the connection between Greece and Australia.
The Foreign Minister also held a meeting with her Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, at the start of her trip where she highlighted the important role Greek Australians play in advancing bilateral relations between Greece and Australia.
The Board of Directors at St Basil’s Homes NSW/ACT have been re-elected at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 30, 2021.
The organisation’s members re-elected James Jordan as Chairman, Dr Theo Penklis, Greg Gav, Spiros Arvanitakis and Kos Dimitriou to the Board of Directors.
James Jordan (left) is the new Chairman of St Basil’s Homes NSW/ACT.
Maria Kokkinakos, who has served the organisation as Director since 2012, retired from her Board position at the AGM.
The new Board will be under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia and will be responsible for implementing the recently released St Basil’s “five-year strategic plan.”
According to a press release, this plan “involves ambitious plans to bring joy and quality care to more ageing Australians as well as to look to continuous improvements across all of its services.”
The Board will also be tasked with establishing the organisation’s vision, mission and values underpinned by the Aged Care Quality Standards.
“Our organisation will continue its mission to deliver quality services that support the individual needs of ageing Australians, including Greek Australians,” Chairman, James Jordan, said at the AGM.
Mr Jordan also thanked Ms Kokkinakis for her selfless dedication and contribution to enhancing the organisation through her expertise in the health sector.
St Basil’s Aged Care NSW/ACT is an activity of the Greek Archdiocese of Australia and cares for ageing Australians across Sydney and the ACT.
Greek Canadian, Constantine Passaris, has received the highest civilian honour from the Government of New Brunswick, Canada. He is the first Greek Canadian in the history of this honour to be named to the Order of New Brunswick.
Every year, ten individuals are inducted in the Order for their demonstrated excellence and achievement, and for having made outstanding contributions to the social, cultural, and economic well-being of New Brunswick and its residents.
Passaris is a Canadian citizen of Greek Kastellorizian descent who came to Canada as an international student and was subsequently appointed a Professor of Economics at the University of New Brunswick (Canada).
The citation read during the November 2021 investiture ceremony for the Order of New Brunswick mentioned that: “During his almost 50-year academic career, he has taught thousands of students and received the highest teaching award from the University of New Brunswick and was also selected twice by Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities as a popular professor.”
Congrats 🎉to Dept of Economics professor Dr. Constantine Passaris on being 🏆awarded the Order of New Brunswick. The award recognizes his visionary work as a champion and advocate for multiculturalism, immigration, inclusion and human rights. Read more 👉https://t.co/zuAFVPPkGYpic.twitter.com/2mqN2Tu5mr
“As a trusted economic advisor, his respected opinions became a backbone of the New Brunswick government’s economic development strategy under Premier Frank McKenna and laid the groundwork for the provincial immigration strategy,” the citation continued.
“Passaris has received numerous honours and awards, including the Government of Canada Citation for Citizenship Award, the national award from the Canadian Council for Multicultural and Intercultural Education, the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his exceptional contributions to New Brunswick and Canada.
“The New Brunswick Multicultural Council presented him its inaugural Legacy Award to recognise his visionary accomplishment in informing and guiding the provincial and national public policy process.
“Passaris is receiving the Order of New Brunswick for his visionary work as a fervent champion and strong advocate for multiculturalism, immigration, inclusion, and human rights.”
Constantine Passaris.
Passaris has maintained close ties with his homeland. He has advised several Greek governments and the Canadian Embassy in Greece.
In addition, he has chaired many external evaluation committees and external accreditation panels at the request the Greek Ministry of Education. In 2020, he was included in the inaugural edition of “Who’s Who in Greece” for his long and distinguished service to Greece.
The Professor of Economics is also one of only a handful of international recipients to receive the prestigious Greece-based Onassis Foundation Fellowship — twice. The recipients of this award are selected from an international competition from leading academics and scholars who have achieved an international reputation through their publications.
In addition, he has served for several years as a visiting professor at the International Writer’s Center in Rhodes, Greece. As a noted expert in many fields, Passaris has delivered keynote addresses and academic papers at international conferences organised by Greek universities and Greek government institutions and has authored numerous opinion and editorial articles for Greek newspapers and the electronic media.
A day after he was elected to the leadership of the Movement for Change (KINAL) coalition, Nikos Androulakis has pledged to “reconstruct the center left” in Greece.
Speaking at the offices of PASOK, Androulakis said that Greece “needs a strong voice of progress and pragmatism; a strong social democratic voice.”
“We have a lot of work to do, starting today,” the EU lawmaker said. “We must move to an era where citizens believe that parties can give solutions [to their problems].”
Androulakis defeated former prime minister George Papandreou in Sunday’s runoff vote, with partial vote showing Androulakis won 68.4% of the vote compared to 31.6% for Papandreou.
Leftist opposition leader, Alexis Tsipras, called Androulakis on Monday to congratulate him on his victory.
According to sources within SYRIZA, the ex-prime minister informed Androulakis of his plans to meet with mainstream party leaders to discuss the conservative government’s handling of the pandemic and the pressure on the national health system.
Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, also congratulated Androulakis on his win on Monday. Androulakis thanked Sakellaropoulou, adding that Greece can only benefit from a strong social democratic party.
Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, attended the Holy Synod on Monday, and met with Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens.
During the meeting, Mitsotakis stressed the need for public health measures to be adhered to at Orthodox Christmas services nationwide, and conveyed the importance of vaccination amidst a surge in COVID-19 cases in Greece.
Currently the faithful have to present a negative COVID-19 test before entering a church to attend services during the festive season.
The Synod also discussed more material questions, including the use of the Church’s estate to help those in need but to also facilitate the economic recovery of Greece.
The two men also discussed the modernisation of the legal framework regulating clerical staff. The Archbishop stressed that all new Church hirings are not permanent, apart from those regularly scheduled, and will not be a burden on the state budget.
At the start of the meeting, Mitsotakis was awarded the Holy Synod’s medal marking this year’s 200th anniversary of the start of the Greek Revolution.
Greek music and food was flowing freely at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Canberra on Sunday as hundreds of parishioners gathered to celebrate the church’s patron saint.
The day began with a Divine Liturgy presided over by parish priest, Father Petros Kipouros, before people moved outside to a marquee to enjoy a feast organised by the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra (GOCCC).
All photos copyright: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Available for purchase on the day was a plate filled to the brim with delicious fish, calamari, salad and chips, as well as a plate of fresh loukoumades.
One person who enjoyed the feast was Michael Daly, an Irishman who has immersed himself in Canberra’s Greek community after marrying his Greek wife.
“Occasions like this are fairly important because for those people who came out from Greece many years ago, it’s an opportunity for them to get together and socialise,” Mr Daly told The Greek Herald on the day.
The President of the GOCCC, John Loukadellis, couldn’t agree more. He, along with Father Petros, gave a small speech on the day thanking everyone for their attendance and providing an update on Greek school enrolments.
Mr Loukadellis also stressed how proud he is to see Greeks and non-Greeks coming together to celebrate the annual St Nicholas paniyiri.
“We’ve noticed that we don’t just serve the Greeks, we serve the broader Canberra community as well. People become aware of the paniyiri and every year, people come down and celebrate with us,” Mr Loukadellis told The Greek Herald.
“So it’s a very busy but a very fulfilling and unifying day for us as Canberra Greeks.”
* All photos copyright: The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
Hundreds turned up to St Spyridon Greek Orthodox Parish in Kingsford over the weekend to attend celebrations in honour of the patron saint’s feast day.
Celebrations began on Saturday night with a vespers service presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Sevasteia, and a number of other clergy from across Sydney.
The vespers service. Photos: St Spyridon Parish / Facebook.
This was followed by a celebratory dinner at the hall on parish grounds, during which the recipients of the ‘St Spyridon Scholarships’ and ‘Donations to Community Causes’ were announced.
the ‘Venedictos Livissianis Prize’ for the highest ATAR at the 2020 HSC exams went to Peter Ganis of St Spyridon College;
the ‘Harry Kapsalis Prize’ for the best result in Modern Greek at last year’s HSC exams went to Michael Dovellos of St Spyridon College; and
Paris Mousamas of St Spyridon College also gained a St Spyridon Scholarship for her excellent ATAR score.
Recipients of the St Spyridon Scholarships. Photos: St Spyridon Parish / Facebook.
The next day, a Divine Liturgy service was presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, along with His Grace Bishops Iakovos of Miletoupolis and Kyriakos of Sozopolis, among many others.
During the service, Archbishop Makarios ordained St Spyridon Parish’s new assistant priest, Dr Chris Baghos, to the Diaconate in the presence of his wife, Elleni Baghos, parents, siblings and relatives.
Photos: St Spyridon Parish / Facebook.
Parish priest, Father Steven Scoutas, was also conferred the title ‘Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne,’ which is the highest distinction a married priest can receive in the Orthodox Church.
In a small address, Father Scoutas dedicated the distinction to his late parents, Savvas and Maria, for nurturing him in the Orthodox faith and for teaching him obedience to the church.
Father Scoutas also thanked the St Spyridon parishioners for their love and collaboration over the many years of his service, and acknowledged the great support of his Presvitera Patricia and their children.
Father Steven Scoutas was conferred the title ‘Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne.’
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Makarios led the procession of St Spyridon’s icon around the church, followed by the clergy and parishioners.
Later, a Greek-style paniyiri was held on the shared grounds of the church and St Spyridon College. Everyone who attended was entertained by Iho Nyx band, whilst they enjoyed lunch and visited the various stalls set up on the grounds, including the Philoptochos Ladies’ Auxiliary annual Sweets Stall.
Students from St Spyridon College also sang a Christmas song in Greek, then started a Greek kalamatiano dance.
Photos: St Spyridon Parish / Facebook.
The joy on the children’s faces was so irresistible that everyone began to join in, including the Head of College, Amelia Katsogiannis, Junior School Principal, Aristea Synesios, other teachers, parents, grandparents and siblings.
“It was a very moving day and it was wonderful to see everyone together as it was an event celebrated by cross-generations of our Parish, from the young to the elderly,” Elia Economou, who is the President of the Parish Council, told The Greek Herald after the event.
“It was really good to have some personal interactions as well.”
The South Australian government has launched a $12.3 million program to capitalise on a growing momentum in the state’s population and economy by encouraging international expats to return home.
According to The Advertiser, one of these expats is 30-year-old investment manager, Jake Kantilaftas, and his internal auditor fiancee, Anneliese Pedler, 29.
For the past six years, Kantilaftas has lived all over the world – starting in San Francisco, before moving to New York, Sydney and then Melbourne. He said Adelaide’s job market has measurably improved.
People are being lured back to South Australia.
“Being in all those cities made me appreciate how great a city Adelaide is to live in. Although they’re wonderful cities, the amenity of living in Adelaide is still world class by comparison,” Kantilaftas told the newspaper.
After losing 6071 people from March 2017 to December 2017 quarter, South Australia has recorded a net gain of 963 people in the year to March quarter 2021, according to government figures.
Premier Steven Marshall said “people from throughout Australia are recognising that our state truly is the land of opportunity.”
