Unlocking the school gates

Some schools still discourage, limit or even refuse to accept children with special needs, despite a legal obligation to do so.

Will Australia support a shift to lifelong learning?

Dr Caitlin Ruddock reflects on the discussions at the recent GAP Summit on Lifelong Learning and the challenges Australian educationalists and policy makers face in closing our gaps in skills and knowledge.

Alternative ATAR

As students prepare for their end-of-year exams, new research is exploring an alternative to the ATAR that can recognise student achievement and inspire good learning in broader ways.

Teach kids to hike as well as basketball

Teaching children about the types of activities they’re more likely to do as they get older, as well as traditional school sports, could help Australians stay fitter in the future.

Gonski’s vision of ‘personalised learning’ will stifle creativity

Australia should promote a vision of personalised learning that nurtures a love and a passion for learning, not one that reduces it to a checklist.

Standing up to racism in schools

Students from African backgrounds face discrimination in the classroom, and their stories need to be heard to help tackle the problem.

Can eSports find a role in schools?

Given the massive youth appeal of eSports, schools and colleges are understandably beginning to explore possible connections between eSports and education.

Welcome to the GAP summit

Catherine Fritz-Kalish, the head of Global Access Partners, stressed the importance of education to her family, her institute and the nation in welcoming guests to GAP’s 10th Annual Economic Summit at NSW Parliament House in Sydney.

School-leavers need better career education to make good choices

The latest report from Global Access Partners (GAP) says universities should be encouraged to offer credit to school-leavers who achieve high results in relevant senior secondary courses, as well as develop new courses for specialist career educators.

The challenge of the contemporary university

Professor James Arvanitakis argues that universities must consciously train graduates to be active, engaged, empowered and committed citizens, as well as pursuing traditional scholarship, if the world’s ‘wicked problems’ are to be addressed in time.

Lifelong learning for Australia’s future

The upcoming GAP Annual Economic Summit will consider ways to prepare new generations of Australians for a future characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.

Australia should retain more international students

Australia’s university sector is one of the most attractive for international students. So why not try to keep them when they graduate rather than lose the talent we’ve helped train and educate?