To improve Australia’s education system, we need to move away from the idea that the basic features of education are fixed, writes Professor John Quay Have you heard of ‘Flat-Earth education’? It’s a phrase I am using as a provocation to highlight a problem – the...
Discipline does not have to be hardline to be effective, writes Mary Pearl. My husband is a primary school teacher who uses a piano accordion (“A creature lives and breathes in a big grey box, can you guess what it is?”) and three monkeys to capture...
Naomi Zouwer looks at how this can help them take risks, embrace failure and be comfortable with uncertainty As a visual artist and educator, I know how important it is to encourage your child to think and behave like an artist. But this is not necessarily...
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is more often diagnosed in children, writes Alison Poulton. That might make you wonder if people grow out of it as they reach adulthood. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that involves difficulties focusing attention (for study or work) and/or sitting still or...
Corey Bloomfield looks at how families can use the holidays to lay the groundwork for a more positive school year ahead. These long summer holidays may seem like an extra blessing to families dealing with a child who does not like school or refuses to go. But even...
Kate Highfield has some great tips for parents with children just about to start their schooling journey. Around Australia, about 320,000 children are starting school for the first time. As an early childhood researcher, former kindergarten teacher, and parent of a child beginning school this year,...
Researcher Marg Rogers, looks closer at the report and also at why educators are leaving in droves The Productivity Commission has just released a major report as part of its inquiry into early childhood education and care. The draft recommendation that all children under five should...
A parent has aired her concerns about a trailer seen recently by her children and what followed. In this month's Talking Point, the Children and Media organisation addressed a parent's distressing experience with TV content and the challenges parents face in monitoring what their children watch....
Sarah Blunden, suggests you relax – having different sleeping arrangements over the holidays probably won’t wreck your child’s sleep routine Sleep, along with diet and physical activity, is one of the three pillars of good health. Good sleep makes it easier to grow, learn, perform, be...
New research by Monash University delves into the challenges faced by Australian children with disabilities and their families in accessing safe and inclusive transport. The study, titled 'It shouldn't be this hard,' conducted by Monash University Emerging Technologies Research Lab and Mobility and Accessibility for...
