We hear about their extreme highs and lows, but we don’t often hear the everyday thoughts of migrant and refugee young people in Australia. Not every one is a Duckie Thot or the victim of an unprovoked attack. There are Muhammads, ...
More »‘Downward spiral’ in STEM can be stopped: ACER
STEM has been an educational buzzword for so long, some have begun to question its validity. Nonetheless, the STEM crisis persists. Last week, an Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) report, Challenges in STEM Learning in Australian Schools, posed three possible solutions ...
More »National mindfulness curriculum launches, to some scepticism
Mindfulness – the process of bringing one's attention to the present moment, non-judgmentally – seems firmly entrenched in Western culture and institutions. So, it's no surprise that many schools across Australia have used it as a tool to ease student stress. ...
More »Why IT security is critical to school environments
Schools around Australia face security challenges on different fronts and many schools may not be completely aware of the threats they face. Not only do schools provide network and internet access for children, staff, and guests, but they also collect ...
More »Mental health in schools: the new #MeToo?
"Like #MeToo, we need a hashtag," Lynne Symons declared. The former principal of the largest school in South Australia – now an educational leadership consultant – was referring to the need for greater awareness of the mental health crisis among Australian principals, ...
More »Futurist predicts kids’ destinies
Phil Ruthven AM is no ordinary futurist. As the founder of global economic and social market research firm IBISWorld and the newly-formed Ruthven Institute, he has nearly fifty years of experience, as well as access to volumes of big data, to ...
More »The multiplication of online-educated teachers
John* couldn't imagine doing his Master of Education online. Not only has he made new friends at the University of Sydney, he has built relationships with his lecturers. This will come in handy when it comes time for practical placements, ...
More »Youth unemployment can’t be fixed with NAPLAN: Mitchell Institute
A senate inquiry has heard that Gonski funding aside, schools aren't doing enough to prepare students for life. Victoria University's Mitchell Institute Director Megan O'Connell told the inquiry on the future of work that an intense focus on grades has led ...
More »How two different NAPLAN approaches affected students
Would it matter whether your school intensely coached students for NAPLAN, as opposed to taking a 'business as usual' approach? Researchers from Flinders University analysed these two 'NAPLAN cultures'. Indeed, they found 'stark' differences between them. Perhaps unsurprisingly, dissatisfaction and fear ...
More »Schools and unis becoming more lethal: report
Learning isn't typically associated with danger, but that connection is increasingly palpable. Over the last five years, there have been over 12,700 attacks harming more than 21,000 students and educators. These statistics, courtesy of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from ...
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