‘I had a recurring dream I was shot in the head’ said one male principle. Lucas Walsh,  Christine Grice,  Jane Wilkinson and Tim Delany report on the current position in Australian schools. Principals’ jobs have always been stressful, involving a constant juggle to meet the needs...

With the wealthiest kids most likely to be medicated, report Brenton Prosser and Yogi Vidyattama The number of young people in Australia prescribed medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased more that tenfold in 20 years, our new research shows, while it is no longer most...

Chelsea Mobbs reports that physio at 3 months old – or even earlier – can really help babies with cerebral palsy Physiotherapy isn’t just for adults recovering from injuries. Physiotherapists can help babies and children, too – including babies with, or at high risk of, cerebral...

Is it only just an increase in sick days? How can Australia fix this? ask researchers Jordana Hunter, Amy Haywood and Molly Chapman On a typical school day in Australia last year, about 11% of students were absent. In 2014, the figure was 7%. Two in...

More than 20 sunscreens were pulled from the shelves in 2025 after testing showed they were below their advertised SPF rating – so where does this leave us for summer 2026? Asks Sophie Paquet-Fifield In Australia, we are exposed to some of the harshest and most...

If you’re anything like me, parenting (and pregnancy) has a habit of sending you down some very specific Google rabbit holes, writes Susie Williams From sleep and behaviour to screens and pregnancy worries, parents’ search histories offer a revealing snapshot of what’s really weighing on families...

If your child falls apart the moment they get home from school, you’re not imagining it — and you’re definitely not alone. Afternoon meltdowns, bedtime blow-ups and tears over seemingly small things are incredibly common in young children, especially during the early primary years. What looks like...

Australia is battling its biggest rise in whooping cough cases in 35 years. So why the surge? Asks Archana Koirala During 2024 and 2025 Australia recorded 82,513 whooping cough cases – the highest number since monitoring began in 1991. Also known as pertussis or the “100-day cough”,...