Student makes history, heads to coding Olympics

Henrietta Cook, Education Editor   "That stereotype of men with nerdy glasses in a dark room is starting to go."

Latest education news

Is standardised testing putting too much pressure on kids?

Kelsey Munro 9:07 PM   "School is not for everyone," well-meaning people kept telling Lucy Clark, as her daughter struggled in high school.

$24 million funding for 'extremist cult' schools

Bruce D Hales, the Sydney-based leader of the Exclusive Brethren, pictured with his wife, Jennifer.

Eryk Bagshaw 3:05 PM   "Sharp questions need to be answered" about funding of schools that preach "utter hatred" of the outside world, says Labor.

'This is an awesome possibility': School community targets Wentworth Park

Janine Barrett with her son Fred outside Ultimo Public School.

Eryk Bagshaw, Jacob Saulwick   The Ultimo school community - including the Barrett family - says the government has been given "an awesome possibility".

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Student numbers plummet by 80,000 in NSW VET sector

Enrolments at TAFE Sydney Institute are in chaos.

Eryk Bagshaw and Kelsey Munro   Report finds negative perceptions of scandal-plagued sector affects enrolments as thousands of students choose to go to university instead.

The loophole that could let paedophiles teach in NSW

In the space of a decade Australia gained an extra 127 private schools, some very small, and all entitled to ...

Kelsey Munro   An unvetted teacher used another's identification to gain employment in a NSW public school. He taught for two days before he was busted.

Exclusive Brethren MET school gets record funding

Bruce D Hales, the Sydney-based leader of the Exclusive Brethren, pictured with his wife, Jennifer.

Eryk Bagshaw   A private school run by an "extremist cult" receives more in government funding per student than up to a third of the state's public schools.

SCA: Sixty students to take on Sydney Uni

Sydney College of the Arts students during a protest at the University of Sydney over their plans to dismantle the ...

Eryk Bagshaw   Visual arts students are claiming "deceptive conduct" as a merger looms.

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Dodgy educational salesmen exploit 'grey area'

Hari Krishna (Krishna) Peddasetty Reddy, a vocational education salesman, is allegedly trying to reboot the industry

Michael Bachelard   Year after the watchdog stepped in, vocational education scheme rorters have learned some new tricks, allegedly falsifying English language tests and skirting bans on free laptops.

NSW government prison teachers plan 'an abdication of hope'

Hard lesson: Prisoner advocate Brett Collins is concerned by teacher cuts.

Kelsey Munro   There's not much to do in jail, says former prisoner Ken Casey. 

Bullying in Australian schools is falling, but remains 'unacceptably high'

A study by University of South Australia academics has found that 20 per cent of school-aged children regularly ...

Henrietta Cook, Eryk Bagshaw   Bullying in Australian schools remains “unacceptably high,” a new report has found.

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Four things teachers really want

Teachers tell Fairfax Media what would help them feel empowered

Swetha Das   Much is said about education funding during election campaigns

'No friend of the arts': University of Sydney slammed by associate professor for closing art school

Merilyn Fairskye is a former SCA lecturer and dean who has attacked the decision to close the campus and merge the art ...

Andrew Taylor   Sydney University is no friend of the arts and set up its art school for failure as anger rages about the merger of its art school with the University of NSW.

National Art School, UNSW merger 'on the cards'

Michael Snelling, director of the National Art School, concedes a merger with the University of NSW is possible.

Andrew Taylor   Sydney may be left with just one tertiary art school, with the head of the National Art School conceding the institution may be forced into a merger with the University of NSW.

'Deliberately sneaky': schools cost blowout slammed

NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli has blasted the Prime Minister's plan for state funded public education.

James Robertson   It was meant to streamline the education department's administration software but the Learning Management and Business Reform project has been dogged by technical faults and delays for years.  

'It was a bit of a shock': Cost of putting a child through uni

Louisa Wilson

Inga Ting   Louisa Wilson's parents are up for five figures - and that's without paying her HECS.

Is a NSW preschooler worth less than a Victorian child?

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Kelsey Munro   Is a NSW child worth less? – asks the campaign run by the community childcare peak body.

Foley's plan to build even more schools

Opposition Leader Luke Foley says the state government has broken 'a clear commitment'.

Kelsey Munro   The opposition leader saw a perfect spot for a new school in his electorate. But the land was quickly put out of reach.

How the parties can deliver economic growth

A survey of economists has found the majority believe education spending will produce a bigger economic growth dividend ...

Jessica Irvine   Labor wants to throw money at education while the Coalition wants to cut corporate tax. Which one will deliver bigger economic growth in the long run?

Could you beat the Class of '67?

Cumberland prefects of 1967. David Cook (Far left, second row) Malcolm McDivitt (Centre, bottom row).

Eryk Bagshaw   The very first students to sit the HSC had no calculators. Can you answer the questions they faced?

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Make maths and science compulsory: PM

Students need to do the 2 unit maths course at least to cope with university STEM courses

Eryk Bagshaw   Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called for maths and science to be made compulsory for all students finishing high school to arrest a steep decline in Australia's standards across both subject areas.

The hardest schools to get into in Sydney

Published minimum entry scores show how well students need to perform on the selective schools test to gain entry.

Catherine Armitage   Two out of three students who competed for a Year 7 place at a selective high school this year missed out, Department of Education figures suggest.

'It's not just a free-for-all playtime'

"They're definitely learning, it's not just a free-for-all playtime": Emilie Capes, with husband, Jeremy, and their ...

Kelsey Munro   For Randwick mum Emilie Capes, sending her two- and three-year-old to preschool is a crucial investment.

Textiles and Design

A 'Pachajar doorstop' by Lucy Powell of St Patrick's College.

Jackie Breden   By now you should be working steadily on your Major Textiles.

TAFE: enrolment system dumped

TAFE enrolments have been in chaos during roll out of the LMBR system.

Eryk Bagshaw   The NSW government had dumped part of a $531 million enrolment system from the state's TAFE network after years of chaos and budget blowouts.

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'Billions of tax dollars being squandered'

Taxpayers spent $10,500 per graduate in TAFE courses in 2014.

Kelsey Munro   Private vocational courses cost taxpayers seven times as much as TAFE, new analysis finds.

Teacher withdrew $1.9 million in cash, court told

Amarjit Singh outside the NSW Law Courts in Sydney.

Eryk Bagshaw   Teacher was a relative of the college's owner and told the court she could not remember where the money came from.

'A casualised, unstable world of work'

About 19 per cent of HELP loans are now "doubtful".

Kelsey Munro   Young people have it a lot tougher than their parents' generation, new study shows.

HSC Geography

Students should investigate the workings of the natural world and how humans interact with it.

Helen Rhodes   Geography is an investigation of the varied character of the earth and its people.

Take the quiz: HSC Economics

superannuation

How will you fare with a sampling of Economics questions?

Take the quiz: HSC Maths

generic thumbnail, education, school, secondary, high school, students

How will you fare with a sampling of General Mathematics questions?

Latest education news

Unis pull the trigger on political correctness

Dr Lauren Rosewarne and other academics are using 'trigger warnings' in class.

Timna Jacks   University students are being warned when classes contains graphic or sensitive content, including sexual abuse, rape and transgenderism, to protect their mental health.

Private schools locked in facilities arms race

The new Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science at Scotch College.

Henrietta Cook and Timna Jacks   Private schools are outspending Victorian public schools by four to one.

Students taken to hospital after taking drugs

Two school students were taken to hospital.

Henrietta Cook and Nathanael Cooper   Two students have been taken to hospital after they overdosed on drugs at a school camp

Religious groups rise up in state school classrooms

Religious groups are running anti-bulling, anxiety and self-esteem programs in Victorian state schools.

Henrietta Cook   Religious groups are running anti-bullying, girls empowerment and mentoring programs in Victorian state schools, as cash-strapped principals outsource extra-curricular activities.

School choice is clogging our roads

Professor John Hattie is regarded as one of the world's leading researchers on education.

Henrietta Cook   Almost 60 per cent of Melbourne students are bypassing their local school, according to world renowned academic John Hattie.

St Catherine's deputy principal sues

The deputy principal of St Catherine's is suing her school for violating workplace laws. Picture Michael Clayton-Jones.

Henrietta Cook, Nick Toscano   Students were stranded by a cyclone, hospitalised with gastro and caught an aggressive strain of conjunctivitis during a school camp.

Schools battling to balance books

Almost one in four Victorian state schools are in deficit.

Henrietta Cook   Victorian principals are struggling to make ends meet, with almost one in four state schools in deficit.

Journalism academic suspended

Deakin University associate professor Martin Hirst

Henrietta Cook   He tweeted that Sky News viewers were "masturbating chimps" and asked a commerce student whether he was happy to fail. Now he wants his job back.

Roz Ward get her job back

Safe School co-founder Roz Ward has been reinstated at La Trobe University.

Henrietta Cook   La Trobe University has withdrawn all allegations of misconduct against controversial academic Roz Ward and reinstated the Safe Schools founder.

The school the kids designed

Golden Square Primary students learn among the tree tops with principal Barry Goode.

Henrietta Cook   They had grand visions of water fountains that spluttered cola and slides that carried students from the second floor to the playground.

Opposition vows to dump Safe Schools program

The state opposition will axe the Safe Schools program if it wins the next election.

Josh Gordon, Henrietta Cook   Victoria's controversial Safe Schools program will be axed if the Coalition wins the 2018 state election.

Suspension of Safe Schools co-founder condemned

Safe Schools founder Roz Ward

Henrietta Cook and Timna Jacks   Lawyers say La Trobe University may have broken the law by suspending Roz Ward.

The formula for the perfect principal

Mill Park Secondary College principal Trish Horner with  year 8 student Keaton.

Henrietta Cook and Craig Butt   but it's so complex principals, and many parents, can't understand it

Five hacks to fix Victoria's schools

The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria has written to parents, urging them not to vote for the Greens in the ...

Henrietta Cook   Victoria might be called "The Education State", but its schools are far from perfect. Here are five ways to help fix it.

Uni suspends Safe Schools' Roz Ward

Safe Schools founder Roz Ward

Henrietta Cook   La Trobe Uni suspends the co-founder of Safe Schools Coalition after she said the Australian flag was racist in a Facebook post.

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Calls for better sex ed for international students due to spate of abortions

Nair*, president of  president of the Monash University International Student Service, is calling for better sex ed for ...

Timna Jacks, Henrietta Cook   Poor sex education and unwanted sex has led to a spate of abortions among international students, according to insurers and health experts.

Parents enter alliance with private school

Ripponlea Primary School students enjoy a 30 per cent discount at Shelford Girls Grammar.

Timna Jacks   There's a little-known trick to scoring a sizeable discount at one elite private school in the south-east.

Single-sex schools in transition as transgender students gain acceptance

"I felt so much more comfortable": Jeremy Beach became the only boy in his Catholic girls' school.

Henrietta Cook   The peak body for girls schools, the Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia, is urging its members to support transgender students.

VCE text test sparks censorship concerns

The SMH, Spectrum. Christos Tsiolkas author.Pic Simon Schluter 4 October 2013.

Timna Jacks   VCE texts could soon have to meet a new test to ensure they don't offend different cultures in a move that has triggered concerns of "censorship".

Melbourne school talks to astronaut in space

Essex Heights Primary School student Jake Sharrock, 10, asks a question of astronaut Jeff Williams on the International ...

John Elder   "My name is Jake. What different jobs do you do on the space station. Over?"  Long-distance education can be a revelation when a primary school can talk to someone in outer space.

Convicted cocaine trafficker allowed to teach 

Kim Salter has won the right to teach after being convicted of cocaine trafficking and sentenced to nine years in a ...

Henrietta Cook   A woman convicted of trafficking cocaine and sentenced to nine years in a Spanish jail has been given the green light to teach in Victorian schools.

Opinion, Analysis

'White flight' parents are missing the big picture

It isn't racism – middle-class families are deserting schools based on class prejudice.

Middle-class life: when expectations are both high and narrow

Last week, The Age Education pages focused on the tragedy of parents hostile to education. But in middle-class families, the either/or choice of doctor or lawyer can be similarly soul-destroying.

The returns from better education are hard to beat

Don't look now, but this election is being fought on actual policy grounds.

'I make no apology for the success of my school'

The principal of Melbourne Girl's College tackles accusations of elitism and the notion of middle-class "white flight" from more disadvantaged schools

Learning true value of teachers

Good teaching and well-resourced education underpin the fabric of our society, writes Michael Short.

Australia's cultural heritage: parents who despise education

For every tiger mother pushing for high achievement, Australia has a pool of families that are anti-education and they condemn their children to a life of struggle.

Why parents must unplug their kids to improve their literacy

When teenagers switch on their phones and ipods, reading goes out the window and the evidence of this is in declining NAPLAN results between years 5 and 9.

A tale of two brains is more fiction than fact

Myths about left brain and right brain functioning stereotype children's capabilities and limit what parents and teachers expect of them.

No more classes, no more books ... and no permanent teachers either

Modern tertiary education has become a detached affair with online classes and e-books and that's just for the students. For teachers, the experience is mostly a casualised, isolated affair.

Turnbull's bias revealed in school funding plan

The government proposes turning its back on the schools where most Australian children get their education.

The school reform options we should be debating

Schools funding from 2018 onwards has been kicked down the road until early next year – after the election. Voters deserve to know what the Turnbull government is planning.

New curriculum is almost impossible to assess

Changes to the curriculum mean new challenges such as how success can be measured in ethics, social competence and creative thinking.

Cost shifting by Victorian government has short changed schools

Successive state governments have used increased federal government education spending as a way of reducing their own contribution.

New report: early development delays go on to mar educational achievement

Children who enter their first year of school behind in any of the five key areas of development are, without intervention, likely to remain behind throughout their education.

Culture shock awaits disadvantaged students who make it to uni

Enrolling at university is a huge achievement for disadvantaged students but once on campus they discover cultural and financial barriers remain.

University born of a dream of opportunity for all

Footscray Tech was begun in 1916 by a former Antarctic explorer with a dream of creating opportunities for young men from the western suburbs.Today that school is Victoria University.

What if passion is the highest qualification you need?

Worry less about ATAR and choosing the perfect course - the future demands flexibility and adaptability so passion will be the quality to carry young people further.

A 30-year teacher looks back with gratitude

The average tenure of a teacher today is three years; a three-decade veteran reflects on what he loved about the profession, what inspired him and why it is time to go.

Schools crisis comes with massive waste of tax dollars

Fishermans Bend provides a stark lesson in how not to plan a new community.

The private school myth that doesn't add up

Our grossly inequitable education system is propped up by a lie that even kids would find hard to swallow.

VET sector: a get-rich scheme for shonks and shysters

Competition policy is all very well, but beware the pitfalls of privatisation that led to the great unwinding of vocational education.