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Schools are often more ethnically divided than the neighbourhoods that surround them

'A stark contrast': the ethnic divides across Sydney's schools

Schools are not reflecting the city's diversity and are often more ethnically segregated than the suburbs that surround them, a leading researcher says.

  • by Jordan Baker and Natassia Chrysanthos

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Nicole Wade, principal at Camberfield Public School.
Indigenous

At school, Nicole's classmates didn't talk to her, now she's an inspiring principal

Her grandmother used to race bare-foot against Olympian Shirley Strickland east of the wheat belt in Western Australia.

  • by Helen Pitt
Around 40 per cent of IB students will be impacted by changes to the way their scores are converted into ATARs
National

The ATAR changes set to make university entry fairer

An overhaul of the way IB scores are converted into ATARs will impact the results of about 40 per cent of students

  • by Henrietta Cook
Education Minister Dan Tehan has directed his department to work on toughening standards around international education.
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Education

Government looks at tougher English standards for overseas students

Education Minister Dan Tehan has raised concerns about the English language skills and mental health of international students.

  • by Fergus Hunter
Some students doing NAPLAN tests on MacBook Pro devices had access to spell check and other tools.
Naplan

'Significant advantage': some students had spellcheck during NAPLAN

Some students doing NAPLAN tests on MacBook Pro devices had access to spell check and auto-complete functions, including during the writing test, potentially giving them a significant advantage.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
An artist's impression of the proposed $29 million library makeover.
Education

Great Scots: $29 million school library could disrupt harbour views

Divisive plans to build a school library resembling a Scottish castle at a Sydney private college have raised concerns the building will block harbour views.

  • by Megan Gorrey
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Children at Blyth Street Early learning Centre have set up their own council and are learning about democracy
National

The childcare centre where kids make the decisions

A Melbourne childcare centre has embarked on an experiment to teach children about democracy and decision-making.

  • by Henrietta Cook
Paul Ramsay died in 2014, leaving a fortune of more than $3.5 billion.
Ramsay Centre

Ramsay foundation and centre move to split amid escalating dissent

The Ramsay Foundation and Ramsay Centre are in talks to split amid disagreement over how to spend the late billionaire's fortune.

  • by Jordan Baker
NAPLAN testing online has not been a success this year.
Naplan

'Principal feels gutted: students unable to complete NAPLAN resits

Students have been left in distress again after suffering more technical glitches during NAPLAN resits on Tuesday.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
The University of New England in Armidale.
Education

'Just lock your door when you're asleep': Female uni students pressured to perform sexual acts

Female university students were "slapped on the ass by everybody" as they ran past a group of men before entering a party as part of college hazing at the University of New England.

  • by Nick Bonyhady
About 9700 students across NSW  will be re-sitting NAPLAN tests on Tuesday.
Naplan

'Disruptive': nearly 10,000 NSW students get ready to resit NAPLAN online

About 9700 students across 400 NSW schools will be among the 30,000 Australian students resitting NAPLAN tests on Tuesday.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons found there was insufficient evidence to support allegations of bullying.
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NSW

Surgeons' college clears doctor of bullying after complaints 'onslaught'

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons found bullying allegations against James Lee could not be substantiated by the evidence.

  • by Harriet Alexander
Ingrid Laguna is an English language teacher in Melbourne and a children's author
Immigration

'Catch me': The power of student voices

When my students shared the story of how and why they came to Australia, they seemed to be re-tracing parts of themselves.

  • by Ingrid Laguna
Libby Lyons when teaching at St Clare's Primary School in Thomastown.
University

'You are responsible for their lives': lessons from my time as a chalkie

Libby Lyons, Steve Bracks and Mark Scott share their ABCs of teaching.

  • by Madeleine Heffernan
Wayne Lobo will be able to reapply for his teacher's registration in December.
High school

Good attitudes to homework, teachers, attendance key to finishing year 12

Researchers have drilled down into how much impact things like good relationships with teachers and a positive attitude to homework have on a students' likelihood of finishing year 12.

  • by Jordan Baker
Bondi Beach Public has been waiting nine months for an investigation into its principal to finish
Schools

Bondi school remains in limbo as investigation rolls into ninth month

"It's not good for the person, and it's not good for the school": Bondi Beach Public still in limbo awaiting a decision.

  • by Jordan Baker
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Students can use a new website to learn about responsible online behaviour
Schools

New website to teach students how to be digital citizens

A new website aims to show students, parents and teachers the skills required for the modern 'digital citizen'

  • by Jordan Baker
A Year 1 teacher at Beauty Point Public School (pictured) is accused of mistreating students.
Exclusive
Child abuse

Beauty Point teacher investigated for alleged mistreatment of year 1 class

A teacher at Beauty Point Public School is accused of pushing her students, pulling chairs out from beneath them and tapping them on the head to gain their attention.

  • by Sally Rawsthorne
Some students are being approached by EPAC without their parents' knowledge.
Exclusive
Schools

'Judge and jury': The secretive unit forcing schoolkids to dob on teachers

The interrogation methods of a secretive investigations unit within the NSW Department of Education are being questioned.

  • by Jordan Baker and Sally Rawsthorne
Universities are trialling new technology, including facial recognition software, to crack down on cheating.
National

Facial recognition technology to crack down on exam cheating

It sounds like the stuff of a science fiction movie. Universities are turning to new technology, including facial recognition software, to crack down on cheating students.

  • by Henrietta Cook
Maths teacher Eddie Woo.
Opinion
High school

'Key to human flourishing': how mathematics is shaping our future

Society urgently needs to shift its view of mathematics. It’s time for everyone to regard numeracy with the same kind of importance as literacy.

  • by Eddie Woo
A couple match on Toffee, a new dating app.
Private schools

Dating app for private school graduates comes to Sydney

But Toffee users will miss the chance to date the next Scott Morrison, Naomi Watts or Scott Farquhar.

  • by Nick Bonyhady
Cuts to TAFE have been blamed for fewer students choosing to study vocational certificates in the year after graduating school
Vocational training

Sharp fall in graduates studying or training in year after school

Better job prospects and cuts to TAFE are behind the sharp reduction in year 12 graduates studying or training in the year after school.

  • by Jordan Baker
Victoria will become the last Australian state to sign up to the federal government's Gonski 2.0 school funding deal
National

Victoria set to reluctantly sign 'not very fair' Gonski 2.0 deal

Facing intense pressure to provide funding certainty to Victorian schools, Premier Daniel Andrews says he’s been left with no choice but to ink an agreement with the Commonwealth.

  • by Henrietta Cook and Michael Fowler
It's time to lift the bonnet on Australia's schools, the Productivity Commission says.
Naplan

'NAPLAN really is a dud': thousands of students to resit botched tests

About 400 schools in NSW will be running NAPLAN re-sits next Tuesday in what has been slammed as an "unnecessary disruption" for students, after technical glitches plagued the first round of testing.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
University of Queensland was among the universities included in the investigation.
Ramsay Centre

'Not a good look': Western civilisation course hits another roadblock

Queensland academics have rejected a proposed western civilisation curriculum for a second time as the clock ticks towards the course's start date early next year

  • by Jordan Baker
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NSW's State Librarian John Vallance gets smooched by an alpaca before a million children listened -at the same time - to Matt Cosgrove's Alpacas with Maracas.
National

Amorous alpacas meet chief book stacker for nationwide storytime

State Librarian John Vallance goes to great lengths to get children across Australia to read.

  • by Julie Power
A parent's access to education in their home country has an effect on their child's performance in tests, study finds.
Schools

The inherited education struggle that's affecting more boys than girls

Migrant parents' experience of their access to high school has an inter-generational effect on their children's performance in tests, study finds

  • by Jordan Baker
'The number of variables is now just ridiculous...it's just completely polluted,' head of the NSW Secondary Principals' Council Chris Presland said.
Naplan

Principals say NAPLAN results 'completely polluted' by re-testing

Only those students who experienced glitches in the online NAPLAN test on Tuesday will be given the option to re-sit a new exam next week.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
Victoria is the only state that has not signed up to the federal government's long-term school funding deal.
National

Only five weeks for Victoria to sign a new school funding deal before money runs out

Pressure is mounting on the Andrews government to sign up to a new school funding deal, with federal funds set to dry up next month.

  • by Henrietta Cook
The competition offers the chance to visit the Herald or Age newsrooms.
Education

Students challenged to create their own newspapers

Students with an itch to try their hand at journalism are being given the chance to create a sample school newspaper that could bring them to the newsroom.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
"The department is inscrutably putting photos of kids onto public social media pages and public school websites," Wollongong mother Carmel said.
Exclusive
Schools

Consent to social media or sit out: NSW public schools' ultimatum to students over big events

Students in NSW schools are being told they can't participate in major school events without giving permission for their name and photo to appear on social media channels.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
We are no longer rewarded based on what we know, but how we use our knowledge.
National

Why PISA is testing students' social and emotional skills

Tomorrow’s schools will need to help students think for themselves, be empathetic and work with others.

  • by Andreas Schleicher
Students at Wheelers Hill Primary School whose teacher Tim Lee has made up a currency to use in class.
National

Dollars and sense: making money management child's play

This generation will need superior money skills to pay the bills.

  • by Madeleine Heffernan
Tait Williams and his mum Lauren:  “They are teaching faulty strategies,” she says
National

'It was damaging': the campaign to rid schools of Reading Recovery

Lauren knew something was wrong when her son started school. But a popular program for struggling students failed to help.

  • by Henrietta Cook
The disconnection message that flashed up on students' screens while they were sitting NAPLAN on Tuesday.
Naplan

'A farce': Thousands of students to re-sit NAPLAN after technical glitches

Students who faced technical glitches in their NAPLAN tests will be allowed to re-sit them later this month

  • by Jordan Baker
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The Gonski reforms recommended governments reduce excessive payments to schools that didn't need them.
School funding

Seven years after Gonski, why is school funding still inequitable?

Australia united behind the principle of needs-based funding for school students, but a huge failure lies in the inability to implement it.

  • by Jordan Baker
The petition has gained a lot of support following the incident at the school.
Updated
National

Fight investigation closes, high school assistant principal to stay on

A petition was launched in support of the school’s assistant principal, who was stood down for allegedly assaulting a student.

  • by Emma Young
'I'm pulling her out of the tests, she's at home today and she's not doing the test tomorrow,' a Sydney mother said in response to ongoing technical issues with NAPLAN online.
Naplan

'I'm pulling her out': parents ditch NAPLAN as glitches continue

A Sydney mother has pulled her daughter out of NAPLAN exams after technical glitches disrupted students' exams, prompting education authorities across the country to hold meetings to fix the problems.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
If it is true that this is the best country in the world then one might expect that the nation's children enjoyed access to a very good education.
Editorial
School funding

School funding key to education our children deserve

If it is true that this is the best country in the world then one might expect that the nation's children enjoyed access to a very good education.

Bill Shorten and Scott Morrison face off at the last leaders' debate.
Letters
Australia votes

Voters face a stark choice in election of opposites

As Ross Gittins opines, this election presents a choice of individual gain or collective good.

Public schools - and particularly disadvantaged pubic schools - have been left behind by government funding.
Private schools

Lopsided funding gives more to private schools that need it least

The problem isn't that private schools are over-funded but that public schools are funded well below their targets, writes a Grattan Institute director.

  • by Peter Goss
The latest NAPLAN results show showed more than 92 per cent of students are meeting national minimum standards.
Naplan

NAPLAN is the educational equivalent of weighing the baby

NAPLAN can help teachers assess whether literacy and numeracy teaching practices are actually working.

  • by Belinda Robinson
The NSW government’s decision to review the state’s curriculum for the first time since 1989 is important.
School funding

'No logic': calls for a review of state-federal school funding split

There are calls to re-think governments' shares of school funding amid revelations funding boosts to private schools still outstrip increases to public schools.

  • by Jordan Baker
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Naplan

Kids in tears as schools go back to pen and paper after NAPLAN online fail

The authority responsible for the tests is investigating "connectivity issues" and has told schools they can revert to pen and paper if needed.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
The number of schools and preschools using the Montessori method has been growing, including Canberra's first Montessori early childhood service which opened in 2017.
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Schools

Montessori warns of dire finances and debts, replaces leadership

The country's largest Montessori organisation, which oversees a curriculum for dozens of schools, has sought protection for its board.

  • by Kylar Loussikian
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Christian leaders have written to Bill Shorten and Scott Morrison to demand they protect religious beliefs in light of the recent Israel Folau controversy.
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Religious freedom

Christian schools urge parents to vote for religious freedom on Saturday

Christian schools have entered the political debate over religious freedom.

  • by Anna Patty
Funding increases to private schools have outstripped those to public schools despite the Gonski reforms
School funding

Private school funding growth outstrips public schools' despite Gonski

Public school funding grew by just $155 a student over a decade, while private school students received 10 times as much, a Grattan Institute analysis has found.

  • by Jordan Baker
'Regular tests just end up in your report but mum said she cares about NAPLAN,' said Saniya Misbah, 10.
Naplan

NAPLAN kicks off with some white screens but 'smooth' first day

Students across Australia are sitting the NAPLAN tests over the next 10 days, with about 50 per cent sitting the tests online and the rest using pen and paper.

  • by Pallavi Singhal
Michael Siddle, the chairman of Ramsay Health Care, is a key beneficiary of Paul Ramsay's will.
Ramsay Health Care

Ramsay Centre's home secured in $9m deal led by key Paul Ramsay allies

The deal was secured not long after the centre signed a five-year lease on its Macquarie Street headquarters.

  • by Michael Evans