The recent parliamentary inquiry into the state of NSW's education system painted a grim picture and put forward over 60 recommendations – including making direct explicit instruction mandatory and using school inspectors to assess teachers in the classroom without prior notice. ...
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Education sector’s response to latest PISA results – podcast
This week was all about Australia’s underwhelming 2018 PISA results, so I thought it would be appropriate to produce a 'response from the sector', a quick rundown of what Australia’s education experts think about the results. Dr Steven Lewis, a ...
More »“The pen is mightier than the sword”: Podcast on the art of writing
Linguist, writing aficionado, consultant and founder of Lifelong Literacy, Lyn Stone explains – through her trademark eloquent language – just how difficult writing is, and the number of things teachers can do to improve their students’ writing, which has been ...
More »Vox pop: Should mobile phones be banned in the classroom?
Mobile phones: are they a tool for learning or a distraction that send teachers (and some students) crazy? Following Victoria's decision to ban mobiles during school hours in all state primary and secondary schools, and federal minster for education Dan ...
More »Vox pop: Should students participate in climate strikes on school days?
Education Review took to the streets of Sydney on the day of the Climate Strike 4 Action to ask people what they thought of students taking time off to attend the strike. Most of those interviewed supported striking during school hours. ...
More »Studying for success – Part 4: Preparing for high-stakes tests
With HSC exams quickly approaching, it's timely to refresh our knowledge of how to prepare for high-stakes tests – in many ways, they can set the foundation for the rest of our professional lives. In his final instalment of the ...
More »Expert calls for better literacy instruction for students and teachers
Qualified linguist Lyn Stone is an expert in what she does, but someday she hopes to be made "redundant". Until then, however, the founder of literacy consultancy group Lifelong Literacy believes there are far too many students and teachers in ...
More »‘I just laugh’: John Marsden’s response to pro-bullying accusations
John Marsden is best known for his top-selling Tomorrow When the War Began YA series, in which a group of young people find themselves suddenly in a war zone without the protections of the adults or institutions they've relied upon ...
More »This week’s hot topic: Mark Latham’s views on teacher pay and performance-based funding
Whether you agree with him or not, Mark Latham is always passionate about getting things done, and his latest agenda has been improving NSW's education system, particularly performance-based teacher pay and lifting student achievement across the board. Listen to a ...
More »Should teachers be paid according to performance? Vox pop
The debate over whether high-performing teachers should be paid more is an evergreen yet vexed issue. Indeed, politician Mark Latham recently floated the idea in NSW parliament. "Why aren't the best teachers, [who are] adding value in the classroom, given performance ...
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