Education
Schools dispute the results of one HSC subject twice as often as any other
Principals questioned about 200 HSC results over the past five years, but one subject was responsible for a fifth of the queries
- by Jordan Baker
Latest
Education
New education centre aims to end culture war over student testing
Student testing has become a battleground for culture wars, warns the head of a new think tank aimed at restoring confidence in assessment.
- by Jordan Baker
Education
Regional, rural schools seek funding sweetener
About 50 independent schools, including more than a dozen from Victoria, say the new needs-based school funding regime threatens the future of many regional and remote non-government schools.
- by Madeleine Heffernan
Opinion
Opinion
What can data tell us about single-sex education for girls?
Performance data may well show girls do better academically in single-sex school settings. What is harder to determine is why.
- by Peter Adams
Exclusive
Schools
Out-of-area enrolment crackdown leaves parents with tough decision
An out-of-area enrolment crackdown has left some parents unable to send their youngest child to the same public school as their siblings
- by Jordan Baker
Education
How patterns of study are shifting for HSC science students
Physics and chemistry enrolments have declined in the two years since new syllabuses were introduced, but teachers are not worried.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Schools
No uniforms, no homework: Sydney's 'non-school' for students falling through the cracks
Classes will emphasise experiential learning, so English could be inspired by Netflix and maths might involve examining the garden.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
HSC
Parents can return to school grounds for speech days, P&C meetings
When the HSC is over, parents and carers can begin returning to school grounds for presentation days, formals, graduation ceremonies and P&C meetings.
- by Jordan Baker
Schools
NSW town 'ambushed' by plan 'hatched in secret' to merge four schools
The government says it will develop "state-of-the-art" facilities on the new site, but teachers at all four schools vowed to reject the decision based on a lack of consultation.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Updated
HSC
Teen arrested over copycat email threat at north Sydney school
A single threat was received by North Sydney Boys on October 29, which was inconsistent with emails sent to about 30 schools.
- by Laura Chung
Gender equality
Women in uniform: Knox cadet unit to be led by a girl for the first time
Sixteen-year-old Emma Woodcock will be the first girl to lead the Knox Grammar cadet unit - the largest in Australia - in almost 100 years
- by Jordan Baker
Exclusive
Schools
Rise in self harm poisonings at schools a concern, experts say
For the first time, research has uncovered the extent of poisonings at schools in Australia.
- by Rachel Clun
Education
Men still promoted at a higher rate than women in NSW public schools
While men made up 17.3 per cent of the public primary school workforce in 2018, they received 22.9 per cent of the promotions, a study has found.
- by Jordan Baker
Exclusive
Education
Shore old boy campaigns to overturn school’s 'Gucci factor' and policies
The former president of the old boys union is calling for the school to reform its enrolment policies, high fees and capital expenditure to curb a sense of entitlement.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Exclusive
High school
Changes to selective school test to favour different kind of student
Thinking skills will be the focus of the new selective schools test, which experts say will tilt it in favour of critical and creative thinkers.
- by Jordan Baker
Dicey Topics
Tanya Plibersek on her election shame: 'Doing my job as well as I can is the only way to atone'
Labor’s shadow minister for education and training shares the personal cost of politics, why she is culturally Catholic and the devastation she felt after the 2019 federal election.
- by Benjamin Law
Education
NSW Education Standards Authority defends 'cruel' HSC maths exam
NESA chief executive officer Paul Martin said he understood families were upset, but that the exams were designed to be fair and challenging for students.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Crime
School email threats originated in eastern Europe: Premier
North Sydney Boys High School was evacuated on Thursday morning after a threat was received on the phone, which is being treated as a local copycat incident.
- by Mary Ward
Education
It's the hardest question in the HSC. Could you solve it?
This year's brain-teaser was an "integration" problem: the technique used to figure out the area or volume of unusual shapes or curves. Whether you could crack it determined 11 per cent of your total mark.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Education
HSC exam halls may not be evacuated under new protocols following email threats
Cybercrime Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Matt Craft said police would assess each email threat on a "case by case basis".
- by Laura Chung
HSC
'Everyone had missed out': Herald photographer's global award for class of 2020 portraits
Sydney Morning Herald photographer Louise Kennerley was inspired to do the photo essay by the experiences of her own daughter and other year 12 students when schools closed earlier this year.
- by Julie Power
Dan Tehan
Academic freedom definition would have protected sacked JCU professor
Peter Ridd, a critic of the consensus on climate change, wouldn't have been sacked with a proposed legal definition of academic freedom, Dan Tehan says.
- by Lisa Visentin
Crime
10 more NSW schools evacuated after email threats
Regional schools evacuated staff and students, including year 12 students sitting their biology exam, on Wednesday morning after the emails were received.
- by Mary Ward
High school
'We couldn't do our jobs without maths': why the subject is not just for engineers
Olympian Steven Solomon, fashion editor Kellie Hush and celebrity teacher Eddie Woo have joined forces to improve the state's dismal maths results.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
University Of Sydney
Call for University of Sydney to stop job losses amid unexpected revenue
The University of Sydney will earn almost as much in student revenue this year as it expected before the pandemic hit.
- by Jordan Baker
Updated
Crime
'This can't be real': HSC exams evacuated after 'threatening' emails received
Staff and students – including many sitting their HSC legal studies examination – were affected across more than 20 high schools on Tuesday.
- by Mary Ward and Natassia Chrysanthos
Opinion
Holidays
Let them eat three cakes in the time of plague
Racing the clock to unlock creativity before doubt wakes up.
Education
'One of the hardest exams I've come across': New maths common content splits HSC students
Monday's maths exams have been criticised by some students who did not feel prepared for the level of difficulty in new common questions. Test them here yourself.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Exclusive
Cost of living
Sydney childcare services among the most expensive in the nation
Childcare centres in inner suburbs of Sydney are the most expensive in the nation, analysis of fees data shows.
- by Katina Curtis
Education
'Difficult to know what to expect': Students put new HSC maths course to the test
Extension 2 students are waiting to see what twists are in store. Previous "impossibly hard" questions about circular geometry have been removed from the syllabus this year.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Gender
British students get mandatory lessons in LGBT sexuality
As One Nation MP Mark Latham pushes to remove any teaching about sexuality and gender identity from NSW schools, some school jurisdictions are instead formalising how and what is taught.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Gender
Latham's education bill stirs debate about transgender issues in schools
Opposition is mounting over Mark Latham's Parental Rights education bill.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
!["I personally really like my school’s attitude about [extension 2 maths] ," said HSC student Samuel Gresham. "It was very much – if you were interested in doing it, come and try. I would say, as a blanket rule, If you’re considering trying it out, there’s no harm. I think you’ll be very surprised with how you’ll find it."](http://web.archive.org./web/20201109040948im_/https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.11647792928125722%2C$multiply_0.6243%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/6784c27d1f1658d018557dcdb575944a911d7b34)
Exclusive
Education
'We've bottomed out': HSC maths enrolments flatline over the decade
Ninety-four per cent of students took a maths course in 2000. That portion of dropped to 78 per cent of students in 2005, 75 per cent in 2010 and is 76 per cent this year.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Opinion
Opinion
Cuts to humanities departments are cuts to our ability to reason
When you diminish humanities departments, you fracture and destabilise an apparatus that fosters and supports thinking – analytical, creative, imaginative, productive, progressive thinking.
- by Catherine Ford
Exclusive
Cost of living
The Melbourne suburbs paying the highest childcare fees
Some inner-suburban childcare centres are among the dearest in the country. Check how your suburb compares.
- by Katina Curtis
Teaching
'A major loss-maker': UTS shelves its primary teaching degree
The decision comes as a new federal university funding scheme, beginning next year, reduces fees for education degrees to address a looming teacher shortage.
- by Jordan Baker
Opinion
Stage shows
The devil's in the dictionary and other distractions
All the smartest dogs try to fail this test.
Opinion
ALP
Susan Ryan opened doors that will never close
What she fought against looks to younger generations like the stuff of dystopian fiction - but it was real and Labor's first woman in cabinet toppled it.
- by Anthony Albanese
Schools
Cranbrook student, 15, facing charges over alleged sexual assaults
The boy has been arrested over allegations of sexual assault against two teenage girls in Bondi.
- by Fergus Hunter
Education
'Lightning strikes twice': 'Remarkable' similarities of HSC and trial standard English exams
Dr Don Carter, a former NESA inspector, said some year 12s "may be happy with this stroke of good fortune" while others would be more resentful.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Opinion
Apple
Ribbing Adam over his contractual obligations
Prior to trunk calls at the tree of knowledge.
Education
First English exam passes the test: In a year of COVID-19, year 12 given no further curve-balls
Students were bracing for a challenge, after unexpected essay questions in last year's English exam threw year 12 off their game. But this year's exam has so far been warmly received.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
High school
In a year of enormous challenges, the HSC has become smaller
A recalibrated sense of perspective in a changed and challenged world may be the silver lining for the HSC class of 2020.
- by Kate Rayment
HSC
Crunch time is over: HSC exams begin after the 'most uncertain year'
After a year filled with more stress and uncertainty than most, experts are reminding year 12 students to look after their wellbeing and remain focused on the bigger picture.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Coronavirus pandemic
Thousands of university graduates to face worst job market in 30 years
Economists have warned those who do find jobs could endure years of lower wages.
- by Lisa Visentin and Jennifer Duke
Education
Exam halls cleaned, hand sanitiser at the ready as HSC week begins
All measures are in place to ensure the written exam period runs smoothly for the 76,000 students sitting tests from Tuesday, says NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Opinion
High school
In training for blowing the doors off
With an answer for the plastic wrap recycling dilemma.
Parenting
More parents taking time off work during their children's HSC exams
Like most parents this year, Steven Lee watched his son Marcus, 17, adjust to the disruptions of remote learning and a global pandemic.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos