Education
Opinion
A great leap forward for school children (as long as we don’t forget their teachers)
The overhaul of the NSW primary school syllabus should benefit 800,000 students, but we must teach their teachers how to implement it.
- by Jordana Hunter and Nick Parkinson
Latest
James Ruse principal leaves top-performing selective for rival all-girls school
The outgoing head of James Ruse Agricultural High Rachel Powell said she believes in parents having “school choice” between single-sex and co-ed options.
- by Lucy Carroll
‘Biggest change in decades’: New science, history syllabuses in NSW schools
A radical overhaul of the state’s school syllabuses marks a dramatic shift away from inquiry and student-led learning to a knowledge-rich curriculum.
- by Lucy Carroll
Scots College and the donation from alleged Chinese money launderer
Zhaohua Ma, allegedly part of a $10 billion money laundering syndicate smashed by the AFP last year, donated more than $100,000 to the Bellevue Hill school.
- by Kishor Napier-Raman and David Estcourt
Technology and designs on a fabulous future
Realising your calling early is a blessing but so can not getting the mark for the uni course you wanted – just ask celebrity chef Justine Schofield.
Dancer’s star turn in business studies
Tips and advice from a top-ranked student and HSC exam marker.
A Japanese odyssey for big dreaming Lilliana
Lilliana Davis’s passion for the Japanese culture gave her the drive to master the language and excel in the HSC.
Ballerina’s pointed pathway led to San Francisco
A typical day for Amelia Soh is ballet from 8.30am until 4.30pm. Then school begins usually via Zoom meetings from Sydney.
Can you answer these 50 HSC questions?
From physics to mathematics and business studies - take the 2024 HSC quiz.
The pre-teen whiz kids tackling the HSC
Jakob Lal, 11, could do algebra when he was four years old. Josefine Pisano and Charles Fawcett are equally gifted. They’re among the youngest candidates in the year 12 exams.
- by Megan Gorrey
Grace Losco, who gave the Business Studies graduate tips
‘‘You’ll never look back and think you put in too much work, or you studied too hard. The hard work, pays off."
Words of advice from Bump star Safia Arain
Keep studying smart, not hard and don't overload yourself.
2022 HSC student Lilliana Davis reflects on her year
"It's just a big achievement to even finish the HSC".
Justine Schofield sends best wishes to HSC students of 2024
The celebrity chef's advice: make time for yourself and eat well.
Harvey Abrahams on his award-winning short film and his HSC year
Harvey Abrahams says to make a habit out of doing some work every day.
Harrison Crisp on HSC disability provisions.
A spinal cord injury during high school permanently changed my life and the way I had to complete my HSC.
Not even floods could stop Mya’s calculated plan
Tips from a top student and a HSC marker on how to achieve your best mathematics mark.
The essentials for tackling the HSC
This guide offers valuable information, stories, tools and other resources designed to motivate and inspire this year’s HSC students.
Huge rewards for new-found love of literature
Jordan Ho came first in English Advanced last year: his top tips are to find your own voice and dream big just as Bump star Safia Arain did.
Creative spin: Drama kid’s film makes global mark
Harvey Abrahams major HSC work was a big hit while RecipeTin Eats mastermind Nagi Maehashi turned her passion into a global business.
Traffic light approach brings science success
This school dux used a clever, strategic approach to excel in her two science courses.
Kicking goals through preparation and practice
NRL star James Tedesco was on the PDHPE HSC honour roll 14 years ago. Here are his and another star performer’s tips for HSC success.
Victoria wants special treatment over foreign student caps
The state says it should be treated differently to NSW and others because of the damage done to its economy by the pandemic.
- by Angus Thompson
How a 17-year-old Eurovision star studies for her HSC
One day she followed a Greek music producer on Instagram. It didn’t take long before she was singing at Eurovision. Now she’s doing the HSC.
- by Christopher Harris
He’s captained Australia. But how did he perform in the HSC?
Sitting still for long periods of time didn’t come naturally to the rugby league star, but a few clever tactics helped him push through to the final whistle.
- by Christopher Harris
Newington College does not like being asked about corporate governance
The $40,000-a-year private school, facing an Old Boy revolt over a plan to admit girls, is very sensitive about how its school council is run.
- by Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
Opinion
How do children tell if online news is fake? Here’s a slip, slop, slap-up idea
Prevention is better than cure when it comes to saving our children from the impact of prolonged scrolling on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
- by Bryce Corbett
The Scots College ‘cut-price Hogwarts’ castle is still not open
After years of blown deadlines and millions in additional costs, Scots College still won’t tell us when it will open its new castle-shaped library.
- by Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
Exclusive
Chinese students outnumber others in asylum claims surge
Visas for Chinese students continue to be approved at much higher rates than other source countries. A former top immigration bureaucrat is urging the government to overhaul the system.
- by Angus Thompson
Exclusive
Elite unis lower ATARs in favour of special entry schemes
Universities are increasingly moving to US-style portfolio-based entry schemes, leading to fears they could undermine the HSC.
- by Daniella White
The best and worst areas in NSW for NAPLAN revealed
The breakdown of NAPLAN results by state electorate shows the worst-performing areas are about seven academic school years behind the top achieving parts of the state.
- by Christopher Harris
Local high schools should be supported as well as selective ones
While some parents will always want to send their children to an independent school the possibilities if all other students attended their local high school are amazing. The local school’s NAPLAN results would be better. All students would live locally, rather than having to travel to a school out of their area.
Opinion
Why selective schools are missing the mark
Despite a revamp, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are severely underrepresented in selective schools. There’s more to do.
- by Millie Muroi
Selective school students were asked if they were satisfied with life. Then they were scored
A major study of NSW students spanning more than a decade has measured life outcomes of children who attended a selective school.
- by Christopher Harris and Lucy Carroll
Exclusive
‘We run the school’: The man behind Sydney’s top-performing Reddam House
The for-profit private school is looking to the inner west, Sutherland Shire and lower northern beaches named as potential sites for expansion.
- by Lucy Carroll
Exclusive
‘A very curious deal’: The $340m uni campus with a $1.8b price tag
Property developer Lang Walker gave generously to Western Sydney University. His company stands to gain far more.
- by Patrick Begley
‘Full-scale offensive’: Sydney University restricts all student protests on campus
Students now need permission to use megaphones and must give three days’ notice for any protests on campus.
- by Daniella White and Lucy Carroll
Exclusive
Former Shore headmaster takes legal action against school
Tim Petterson left in July 2022 after a review of the school’s culture found new leadership was needed.
- by Lucy Carroll
Payman and Palestine challenge our democratic comfort zone
It’s time for Labor to not just allow a conscience vote to its members on issues regarding Gaza but for our society as a whole to acknowledge there is more than one worldview for our collective future. Surely we need this honest discussion more than ever?
$1.1 billion black hole: Unis brace for loss of tens of thousands of students
New economic modelling suggests universities are facing a funding shortfall of more than $1 billion under the federal government’s crackdown.
- by Daniella White
Exclusive
Top-band HSC, NAPLAN targets for schools have been scrapped. Now, principals will set new ones
Some principals say removing clear and ambitious targets based on NAPLAN results risks improvement measures becoming too ambiguous.
- by Lucy Carroll
Opinion
Transparency of university governance should be supported
There are genuine concerns that the ability of Australian universities to be at the forefront of social and scientific leadership is being compromised by several variables impacting the sector.
- by The Herald's View
The uni rich list: Vice chancellors on $1 million salaries revealed
Australia’s highest-paid vice chancellors are now earning six times their university’s senior professors as the union calls for an inquiry into wage theft.
- by Daniella White and Sherryn Groch
Unis blame government for student visa delays weeks before semester two
Several alarmed universities believe the visa delays are more evidence of the government suppressing foreign arrivals due to a political fight over migration.
- by Angus Thompson
Exclusive
The most popular Sydney selective schools revealed
The top school for students vying for entry into the selective system had almost double the number of first preferences than the best-performing HSC school.
- by Lucy Carroll
Cockroaches and balconies as bedrooms: How foreign student Valentina survived Sydney
A report has found significant problems with migration and education agents’ practices, which are often marred by high costs and incorrect advice.
- by Daniella White
‘Not who we are’: Newington headmaster attacks parents over co-ed campaign
The head of the all-boys school has accused a group of parents of pursuing a “campaign of targeted negativity” after the decision to become fully co-educational within the decade.
- by Lucy Carroll
Feeling overwhelmed by uni applications? Here’s what year 12 students need to know
Your key questions answered, from when to put in your course preferences to how to change them.
- by Josefine Ganko
Exclusive
Private school teachers push for pay rises above public sector colleagues
The Independent Education Union is calling for an increase to private school teacher salaries to “maintain the traditional premium” above public schools.
- by Lucy Carroll
Six months ago these HSC students picked their degrees. Did they make the right choice?
Passion or practicality? These students reflect on one of the biggest decisions in their young lives.
- by Daniella White