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Parents say their children have tutors to fill gaps, not to charge ahead
"The tutoring market offers parents many options. Services range fromhelp with homework, to test and examination coaching, and instruction in the reading and writing content of the Australian Curriculum: English."
How to have your voice heard on mental health
"When it comes to mental health in Victoria, what’s the biggest problem you want to raise? And how would you solve it? No one expects you to fix everything, but maybe you’ve experienced a type of support that worked well, or heard a good idea that should be tried?"
Too young for Facebook, old enough for prison?
"Children can’t sign up to Facebook until age 13 but in Australia they can be prosecuted for a criminal offence at age ten, and that needs to change."
Here’s what teachers look for when kids start school
"Many parents believe teaching their child to read is the best way to get them ready to start school, but teachers often disagree. Teachers generally consider it more important for children to know how to regulate their emotions, be confident in their abilities and be curious learners."
Early days, but we’ve found a way to lift the IQ and resilience of Australia’s most vulnerable children
"What happens in our first three years profoundly influences the rest of our lives. Changing the Life Trajectory of Australia’s most Vulnerable Children report"
Improving educational connection for young people in custody
New report Improving Education Connections for Young People in Custody shows over half have mental health issues, 30% self-harm & 11% have a disability. Report demonstrates importance of education in preventing recidivism.
We’re entering the fourth industrial revolution, which isn’t a bad thing. But it does mean we need to take action. from shutterstock.com
Jobs are changing, and fast. Here’s what the VET sector (and employers) need to do to keep up
"The VET sector can play a complementary and reinforcing role. Besides catering for current students and apprentices, VET providers need to work with industry to build systems to facilitate continual learning"
Bedtimes for students at Warialda Public School have become a star-studded event.
Live streaming bedtime stories changing routines
Nearly 30% of kids experience sibling bullying – as either bully or victim
"Australia has invested an extraordinary amount of time and effort into putting in place bullying prevention programs – especially across schools. But what happens when your bully is your own flesh and blood, and lives with you, so you have no escape?"
More students are going to university than before, but those at risk of dropping out need more help
Enrolments to Australian public universities boomed during the last decade. This was due to a government policy known as “demand driven funding”, which between 2012 and 2017 allowed universities to enrol unlimited numbers of domestic bachelor-degree students.
3 out of 4 kids with mental health disorders aren’t accessing care
Three-quarters of Australian children with mental health disorders aren’t getting professional help, according to our new research. Girls, younger children and families from non-English-speaking backgrounds are the least likely to access mental health services.
What’s the point of education? It’s no longer just about getting a job
This essay is part of a series of articles on the future of education.
Entrepreneurs push for schools to provide better job-skills preparation
Investors are calling on educators to include entrepreneurial skills in all schooling to prepare children for the future 'gig-based' economy.
Deadly Science founder
Corey Tutt
26yo Kamilaroi man Corey, is proof that not all STEM pathways are the same. He is an animal scientist & founder of Deadly Science who gets STEM books to remote schools
Most people think chess improves learning
We conducted two studies (still unpublished) that found educators and parents believe chess has many educational benefits. But children in our study who played chess did not show significant improvements in standardised test scores compared to children who didn’t play.
Freedom of speech: a history from the forbidden fruit to Facebook
This essay is part of a series of articles on The Future of Education.
People from different political camps agonise about the fate of free speech. Those on the right point to humanities departments, arguing an artificial, unrepresentative conformism presides there. Those on the left have long pointed to economics and business departments, levelling similar accusations.
Banning mobile phones in schools: beneficial or risky? Here’s what the evidence says
Wether to allow student use of mobile phones in school is certinaly a hot topic in education. The Victorian announcement follows a French govermenet ban on mobiles in schools in 2018. Debates on the isue are also taking place in Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Group punishment doesn’t fix behaviour - it just makes kids hate school
"As well as the idea of punishment modifying behaviour for individuals, collective punishment may be seen to be even more effective due to peer pressure. Collective punishments take some of the heavy lifting from the teacher and place it on the peers to impose social sanctions.
No one likes the kid who takes away their lunchtime."
"While we might see initial compliance from collective punishment, there are two main reasons why this strategy should be dropped. First, it’s morally questionable and second, it’s unlikely to produce more positive behaviour in the long run."
'Yet to be proven or disproven': Jury still out on innovative school design
There has been a huge shift in recent years towards dynamic spaces in schools - not just open areas, but malleable ones, enabling for collaboration between teachers
Women in STEM ambassador Lisa Harvey-Smith urges our young women into the field with her inspiring new project
Astrophysicist and Women in STEM ambassador Lisa Harvey-Smith has announced her brand new project which will nurture and encourage young Australians into the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, her first children’s book titled Under the Stars: Astrophysics for Bedtime out October 1st.
Positive psychology in schools is exploring how best to apply the science of wellbeing in key learning environments - helping students develop skills for life
“If during the school years, we can motivate young people to learn and try out wellbeing skills and enable them to literally see the physiological and emotional benefits, then they are more likely to be sold on the importance of wellbeing,” she says.
Helping impatient students stay in school
Patience can have a significant impact on a child’s educational outcomes, and understanding why can help inform good policy for Australia’s school system
Government-funded students and courses 2018 - NCVER Statisitcal Report
This recently published report by NCVER provides a summary of data relating to students, programs, subjects and training providers in Australia’s government-funded vocational education and training (VET) system.