A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Nigel Howard, Flinders University and Andrew Bills, Flinders University 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 week: We’ve seen attendance at schools drop over the last ten years [...]
Herb Marsh, Australian Catholic University and Johnmarshall Reeve, Australian Catholic University Your child comes home from school and tells you three classmates are teasing her constantly. One even put chewed gum in her hair as she was listening to the teacher. The other two smiled, laughed and whooped. Hearing this, you understand your child [...]
Christian Tietz, UNSW Sydney and Demet Dincer, UNSW Sydney It’s the end of a long day and you’re finally home, ready to unwind and recharge for the next day. You head to your bedroom, hoping to find solace and relaxation in your personal refuge. But it’s not just a place for sleeping anymore, as our [...]
Benjamin Zunica, University of Sydney and Bronwyn Reid O'Connor, University of Sydney From March 15, more than one million young Australians will sit the NAPLAN numeracy test. For most students, this will just be a routine part of the school day (albeit less fun than running around at recess or lunch). But for others, [...]
Sarah Jefferson, Edith Cowan University The first signs were the half-eaten lunches coming home from high school. This was in stark contrast to the primary school years, where the box looked as if a demolition team had run through it with only a few crumbs left. The problem was finally disclosed over a quiet [...]
Christine Grové, Monash University and Alexandra Marinucci, Monash University School attendance levels in Australia are a massive issue according to Education Minister Jason Clare. As he told reporters last week, he hopes to talk to state colleagues about the issue at a meeting later this month. There’s evidence that school attendance rates have been [...]
Ioana Ramia, UNSW Sydney and Zid Niel Mancenido, Harvard University There are many ways to teach school students. But research shows only some will significantly improve learning. While most teachers want to use evidence-based practices, they face many challenges that can limit their ability to use them in their classrooms. These include time pressures, [...]
Tim Pitman, Curtin University and Madeleine Ferrari, Australian Catholic University Over this week and next, year 12 students around Australia will receive their exam results. This is a time of great expectations and intense pressure for many young people. For some, their individual subject marks and university admission rank (ATAR) will be a cause for [...]
Amanda Niland, University of Sydney and Marianne Fenech, University of Sydney The decision about whether to send a child to school “early” or “hold them back” can be a tortuous one for families who have a child born in the first half of the year. So a recent New South Wales proposal that all children [...]
Maya Gunawardena, University of Canberra 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 report found as many as 40% are unproductive in a given year because they are disengaged. This is a huge concern. [...]
