Andrea Travers wonders if over-protecting our children is harmful. From advertising to the evening news, the message is ‘Be afraid’. We can never let up, never let go. Our children are always at risk in so many aspects of their lives, from educational underachievement to stranger...
School holidays are a much-awaited break from the routine of classes, homework, and schoolwork. It's a time for kids to relax, have fun and rejuvenate their minds and bodies. However, with the advent of technology and digital devices, children spend much time in front of screens...
My child is in a composite class this year. Is this a good thing? Katherine Bates looks at the pros and cons. The majority of classes in Australian primary schools are made up of children from the same grade. The philosophy behind this is students of...
Why is this a problem? Teresa Swist, Fiona Suwana, Kalervo Gulson and Terry Flew look at 10 questions parents should ask. A Sydney high school recently introduced fingerprint technology to "help narrow down" students who were vandalising school toilets. Under the plan, students needed to scan their...
Katharine Kemp reports, including data on sex, periods and pregnancy New research reveals serious privacy flaws in fertility apps used by Australian consumers – emphasising the need for urgent reform of the Privacy Act. Fertility apps provide a number of features. For instance, they may help users...
The vast majority of Australian children are up-to-date with their vaccines, write Holly Seale, Abela Mahimbo and Jane E Frawley. But vaccination rates have dipped slightly over the past few years. Fewer health checks, reduced access to routine health care during lockdowns, and fear of COVID...
John W. Luton delights in the rewards of encouraging children to write about their holidays and other special experiences. My wife, Cheryl, and I have always encouraged our children (and our students) to write about their holiday activities, as a means both of preserving memories and...
Gingerbread Easter Bunnies Ingredients 125g unsalted butter, softened ½ cup (90g) brown sugar ⅔ cup (230g) golden syrup 2½ cups (335g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ½ cup (80g) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted 2 teaspoons water Method preheat oven...
Personalised learning is billed as the ‘future’ of schooling, writes Maya Gunawardena: what is it, and could it work? It is not uncommon for kids to complain about school, but studies show significant numbers of Australian students are actually disengaged with their education. A 2017 Grattan Institute...
We need to ask students why, write researchers Nigel Howard and Andrew Bills. Today federal and state education ministers are meeting to talk about school attendance. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has repeatedly flagged this as a key concern. As he told Channel 7’s Sunrise last...
