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Universities are not convinced there is a need for the code..

'Culture wars': Universities urged to protect against Chinese influence with free speech code

Human Rights Watch says Australian universities should reconsider a code to protect students and staff against China, despite a finding there was no free speech crisis.

  • by Fergus Hunter

Latest

The University of Wollongong will be home to the Ramsay Centre's Western civilisation course.
Federal

Union launches court action to stop Wollongong University's Ramsay degree

The union is seeking to overturn the vice-chancellor's decision to fast-tracked approval of the Western civilisation degree.

  • by Fergus Hunter
Students at St Margaret Mary's Catholic Primary School in Randwick are showing strong signs of academic improvement.
National

The NSW schools that outstripped the rest in NAPLAN

Sixty schools across NSW showed exceptional improvement in the most recent NAPLAN tests.

  • by Jordan Baker
A quarter of NSW children are starting school a year later than they are eligible, and the delay is helping them fare better in kindergarten than their younger peers. Photo: Jessica Hromas
National

'A gift of time': Children who start school later fare better, study finds

A quarter of NSW children are starting school a year later than they are eligible, and the delay is helping them fare better in kindergarten than their younger peers.

  • by Jordan Baker
Academic freedom must be defended at Australia's universities.
National

More must be done to protect academic freedoms under threat from China

Our research found that the Chinese state’s repressive apparatus follows students from China to Australia.

  • by Elaine Pearson
Catholic Schools NSW has called for "changes to the way NAPLAN results are published to prevent their misuse".
Opinion
National

This is why we need NAPLAN

In response to student results that should be better, both sides of politics must resist the easy option of simply stopping the measurement of results.

  • by Blaise Joseph
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Cheats could face two years in jail.
National

Uni cheats may face jail

Cheats who take exams or write essays on behalf of university students could be jailed for two years.

NSW Education Department Secretary Mark Scott
Opinion
National

'Skeptical, critical, wise': preparing students for the digital world

In this extract from his book, On Us, Mark Scott argues future generations will need to be wiser than we were about rapid technological change.

  • by Mark Scott
James Morrison said competition winners, Flynn and Naomi, are inspiring.
NSW

Nine-year-old beats year 12 students to win schools' jazz competition

Two young Sydney students will hear their melody premiered at the International Jazz Day opening ceremony in Melbourne.

  • by Laura Chung
Indigenous students are improving at a faster rate than the general population, but not fast enough to close the education gap before next century
National

Indigenous students improving, but not fast enough to close gap this century

NAPLAN data shows gains over 10 years, especially for indigenous, non-English speaking students

  • by Jordan Baker
Bluey's dad, Bandit, is a master of playtime in the hit animation series that teaches children and parents alike.
Opinion
National

Love letter to Bandit: How Bluey's brilliant dad upped my game at playtime

I suspect I'm not the only woman who swoons over Bandit, from wildly-popular kids' series Bluey about a family of Australian cattle dogs.

  • by Jordan Baker
Minister for Education Dan Tehan says the federal government is providing more than $300 billion to the country's schools
Federal

'No freedom of speech crisis': Universities welcome inquiry conclusion

The review concluded that the claims are not substantiated but recommended a national code to strengthen protections against any threats.

  • by Fergus Hunter
New Education Minister Sarah Mitchell with her daughters Matilda (1), and Annabelle (5)
National

'A big step up': the meteoric rise of NSW's new Education Minister

New Education Minister Sarah Mitchell has vowed to be a loud advocate for the state's schools.

  • by Jordan Baker
Oxford University's Oriel College with a statue of Cecil Rhodes
National

'Our best revenge': the Rhodes Scholars transforming a legacy

African scholars take their "best revenge" against Cecil Rhodes as the Rhodes Scholarships go global

  • by Jordan Baker
University of Queensland
National

University of Queensland staff worried about reputation, curriculum in Ramsay deal

University of Queensland staff are worried about the university's reputation if a deal with the Ramsay Centre goes ahead

  • by Jordan Baker
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National

Lessons the NSW curriculum can learn from Singapore and Finland

Schools across the world are finding ways to prepare their students for a future made uncertain by rapid change

  • by Pallavi Singhal
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Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were charged with paying bribes to get their daughters into elite colleges.
Opinion
National

Education isn't a meritocracy, it's a 'parentocracy'

In Australia, and elsewhere, the system doesn’t favour academic merit, but parental wealth and efforts.

  • by Kellie Bousfield
Denise Lofts lifted the engagement of her students at Ulladulla High
National

Australia's most inspiring teachers honoured for their work

Some of Australia's most inspirational teachers have been recognised for their efforts.

  • by Jordan Baker and Laura Chung
The education gap in NSW is widening.
Opinion
National

Some advice for NSW's new education minister on her first day

First on the new minister's agenda should be to create an echelon of expert teachers.

  • by Peter Goss
Reddam House school has dumped digital textbooks, deciding to use the hard-copy version instead
National

'Major distraction': school dumps iPads, returns to paper textbooks

Sydney eastern suburbs private school Reddam House has dumped digital textbooks and returned to the paper variety.

  • by Jordan Baker
Ecstasy use among students aged between 12 and 17 has increased from 2 per cent in 2011 to 5 per cent in 2017, according to a study of almost 20,000 high school students.
Exclusive
NSW

'We’re going to see young people die': Ecstasy use by school students doubles in three years

A survey of drug and alcohol consumption by high school students reveals an "alarming" increase in the consumption of ecstasy, warns a leading expert.

  • by Andrew Taylor
ANU Vice Chancellor Brian Schmidt at Boffins restaurant on the campus.
Exclusive
National

Lunch with ANU vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt

Nobel prizewinner, winemaker, vice-chancellor ... ANU's controversial Brian Schmidt on why he should have said no immediately to the Ramsay Centre's proposal.

  • by Jessica Irvine
UNSW wants to attract students from diverse backgrounds.
Exclusive
National

'Beyond the ATAR': uni to admit top 1000 kids from disadvantaged schools

UNSW to offer places to top students at the state's 350 most disadvantaged schools, regardless of their ATAR

  • by Jordan Baker
CBA Teaching Awards recipients Chantel Mirzai and Monica St Baker are honoured to be recognised for their hard work but say they have a strong team of staff behind them.
Exclusive
NSW

'We are always learning': top educators recognised in teaching awards

After months of secrecy, 12 educators can reveal they have received the prestigious Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards.

  • by Laura Chung
Students with high NAPLAN scores are more likely to show interest in science, law, engineering, architecture, social work and arts early on.
National

'Very suspicious': the schools cracking down on enrolment fraud

Parents are going to great lengths to get around enrolment rules at popular Sydney high schools

  • by Jordan Baker
Pens down: students sit the NAPLAN test.
National

Questions over NAPLAN conflict of interest raised by union

The Australian Education Union has raised concerns over a former senior official's new job at Pearson, the global education giant.

  • by Jordan Baker
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Private school principals oppose publishing NAPLAN results on My School.
National

Majority of private school heads oppose publishing NAPLAN

Poll shows principals are divided over the benefits of NAPLAN, but most say the results should be removed from the My School website.

  • by Jordan Baker
Teachers' pay has been linked to how well students perform.
National

Teachers' status and pay linked to students' achievement

There were clear connections between how teachers are regarded and how well countries score on an international test, according to new research.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
Siblings Nikita and Marcus believe self defense is a great anti-bullying tool.
NSW

'It's not about fighting': is martial arts an answer to bullying?

New research reveals how self-defence programs better equip students to deal with aggressive behaviour.

  • by Sarah Keoghan
Countries are mining their Pisa data to transform education
National

International education testing program set to change

Countries are mining their PISA data to transform their approach to education.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
Dr Julie Townsend, headmistress of St Catherine's School, Waverley.
National

'Profoundly dangerous': A generation at risk from 'concierge parents'

Schools are trying to stop so-called concierge parents rushing to rescue their children from minor failures and everyday disappointments

  • by Jordan Baker
Scarlet Gray has conceived a clever alert system for bike riders on roads.
National

Young science minds streak ahead with award wins

From a cyclists' alert to preserving specimens to water monitoring, these inventions are award winners.

  • by Fran Molloy
LEGO EV3 Wacky Races with year 5 students. Robotics has become fertile land on which to inspire and motivate students to be creative and persevere through problems.
National

Why every shoddy robot children create should be celebrated

Robotics students imagine, problem-solve, laugh and have 'aha' moments that are a joy to see.

  • by John Burfoot
Student Tahlia Heinrich (right) with teachers Shara Rose (centre) and head of the Hands on Learning program at Heywood Secondary College Elly Colley.
Exclusive
Federal

Cash push for acclaimed scheme that keeps at-risk students in school

Hands On Learning, a program to prevent students from dropping out, gains support from parents, but no money from the federal government.

  • by Tony Wright
A new demountable classroom with solar panels, insulation and air conditioning at St Christopher's Primary School, Holsworthy.
Opinion
NSW

Democracy and the classroom: parents pay for the aircon

Too many NSW children are educated in classrooms above 30C. The Coalition and Labor would both spend on airconditioning, but will it be well spent?

  • by Paul Cleary
Students milking cows at Hurlstone Agricultural High school
National

School's future uncertain as its becomes $200m development battleground

Plans to relocate Hurlstone Agricultural High and sell its farmland for development hang in the balance, with Labor saying it will scrap the $200 million plan and preserve the school

  • by Jordan Baker
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Kong Qingdong of Peking University traces his lineage to Confucius (statue above).
Exclusive
Federal

Foreign influence showdown as universities decline to register China-funded Confucius Institutes

None of the controversial education centres has signed up to the scheme, creating an early test for the government.

  • by Fergus Hunter
NAPLAN testing in its current form is on its way out.
Exclusive
National

'Not without a fight': The radical plan to overhaul NAPLAN

A Gonski proposal to overhaul NAPLAN and remove comparisons on My School has met resistance from parents, who wouldn't give up the data "without a fight"

  • by Jordan Baker
An academic who runs a fan blog dedicated to right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, who was banned from Australia following his comments on the New Zealand massacre, is on the Ramsay Centre speakers list.
National

'Everything Tarrant identifies...is true': Ramsay Centre under fire for speakers

The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation has come under fire over its 2019 lecture series speakers.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
Student Keaulana Sinclair-Smith with SMGS  
chief flying instructor Martin Hughes.
National

It's hands-on in the sky for students at Jindabyne

Here's where high school science, maths, engineering and geography reaches new heights.

  • by Mal Chenu
Waverley Depot
Exclusive
National

The bold plan to build a school on a $400-million bus depot

On behalf of a school lobby group, architects have come up with an idea to slice a bus depot site in half and convert the space into a high school.

  • by Jordan Baker
The banning of phones in class is not an admission of failure by schools.
National

We banned phones in the classroom and the benefits are obvious

Most students using their phones in class do so to listen to music, access social media or play games.

  • by Stephen Higgins
Pasi Sahlberg and his six-year-old son Otto are getting used to the Australian school system after moving from Finland
National

From play to pressure; a Finnish perspective on Australian schools

Education expert Pasi Sahlberg moved his son from Finland to Australia, and both are learning lessons about Australia's school system

  • by Jordan Baker
Peter Goss, school education program director, Grattan Institute.
Opinion
National

Five tips for choosing a school - and three things to avoid

Improvement, assessment and teaching style are some of the things to think about when choosing a school, write Julie Sonnemann and Peter Goss

  • by Julie Sonnemann and Peter Goss
Delphine Aggoune with her partner, Laurent Laberibe, and their children Maryline, Melody and Enzo.
National

'Massive implications': when working families fall off the Hinch Cliff

The early childhood industry fears children are missing out on vital early education because parents - even high earners - are baulking at the cost.

  • by Jordan Baker and Sarah Keoghan
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announces funding for the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS).
National

New boarding house for remote Indigenous girls to study in Melbourne

Year 7 students at the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School use classrooms inside Richmond Football Club's Punt Road facility to transition to high school.

  • by Paul Sakkal
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About 20,000 students skipped school on Friday to call for action on climate change at Sydney Town Hall.
National

'Don't want the earth to get hurt': 150,000 students strike

Harley Hickey travelled for 10 hours from Walgett to join an estimated 20,000 students who skipped school on Friday to gather at Sydney's Town Hall and call for political action on climate change, as similar strikes took place around Australia and the world.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
Student protesters gather in Sydney.
Updated
NSW

'Fantastic turnout': School climate strike draws big crowd in Sydney

A massive crowd of students gathered in the Sydney CBD to rally against climate change inaction, with protesters overflowing from Town Hall.

  • by Matt Bungard and Pallavi Singhal
Students across Australia walked out of school in November to protest inaction on climate change.
NSW

Parts of Sydney CBD closed to traffic as school students protest climate inaction

Traffic restrictions will be in place on Friday as thousands march through the Sydney CBD to protest climate change inaction.

  • by Ben Weir
Students Manit Anand, 14, Meg Raven, 15, and Danielle Villafana-Pore, 15, will strike on Friday for climate action.
National

'They're not doing their jobs properly': students to walk out of schools for climate strike

Thousands of students across the country will skip school on Friday to demand more action on climate change, despite warnings they face disciplinary measures.

  • by Pallavi Singhal