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...
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...
Many parents have concerns over the religious education their children are currently receiving in public schools, reports Dr Jennifer Bleazby Many government schools provide religious classes in the form of church-based “religious instruction”. These types of classes segregate students into faith-based groups in which they receive...
Jessica Holloway, Glenn C. Savage and Steven Lewis search for some answers. Australia’s education ministers have recently announced changes to NAPLAN that will start right away (2023). These include bringing the testing date forward and changing the way results are reported. According to the ministers: These new...
Researcher Rebecca English looks at why more and more parents are homeschooling and why governments need to be vigilant. Bullying can be a major factor in deciding to homeschool. An increasing number of Australian families are educating their children at home, either through homeschooling or distance education. My...
The My School website has just been updated, writes Stewart Riddle, so what does make a good school? Parents often worry about which school will be the best one for their children. Is the local public school the best option, or would another public, faith-based or...
Whether it’s a new teacher or class – parent and researcher Sarah Jefferson gives insights into what to do when your child is not loving it The first signs were the half-eaten lunches coming home from high school. This was in stark contrast to the primary...
The idea to open up grounds and facilities is not new, write Ange Fitzgerald and Thembi Mason There is a new push for private schools to open their grounds and facilities to the broader community. North Sydney mayor Zoe Baker, wants to ask top private schools...
