Researchers Susan M. Sawyer and Nandi Vijayakumar look at what brain science tells us. The age at which a child can be arrested, charged and jailed in Australia is back in the spotlight. Last year, the Northern Territory became the first jurisdiction to raise the age of...
Revolutionising the Future of Playground Design Playgrounds have always been more than just play areas—they’re crucial for fun, exploration, and building connections between children and nature. Today, they also serve as a much-needed break from screen time. But with climate change raising temperatures globally, it’s becoming...
Olympians captivate us with their incredible performances, but their success isn't just about physical prowess—it's also about mental strength. Recent Olympics have shown that mindset is key to thriving under pressure, and the good news for parents is that the same traits that help athletes succeed...
Karen Eriksen was not prepared for the train of events set in motion by her son’s school report. It was Year 2 school report time. Our son had never been an easy child, but we were relaxed. We’d had frequent positive updates from his teacher and...
Recently, writes Sally Larsen, Australia woke up to a barrage of reports about the latest NAPLAN results. Media coverage described an “epic fail”, “plummeting” performances and a “bleak picture”. Education experts spoke of “grim reading”, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the results “alarming”. But many of these...
Linda McIver comes to the conclusion that sometimes, near enough is good enough. This morning, I picked a fight with my six-year-old, Chloe. I didn’t set out to fight, of course, but she was really pushing my buttons. Her claim that she had finished her writing...
A new app is helping us find out, write Kate Anderson, Taleah Carson and Tasha Cole Australian children are among the healthiest in the world. However, First Nations children continue to be left behind. To break the cycle of disadvantage, we need to foster First Nations children’s well-being...
The federal government has only ‘noted’ a call to end special schools, reports Linda J. Graham. What does this mean for students with a disability? We have just received the long-awaited response from the Australian government to the disability royal commission’s final report. One of the most...
Recent debates suggest yes, but students and schools are much more complex, report Jane Louise Hunter and Don Carter. New South Wales has just announced a curriculum “shake-up” for primary schools to start in 2027. Along with new content about the human body, consent, and screen time,...
Nearly half of Australian young people are dissatisfied with the way their body looks, writes researcher Rachel Hogg Social media have only made body image issues worse for young people, leading them to compare themselves with others and strive for often unattainable – and unhealthy –...
