Keeping schoolchildren safe from COVID

Physical distancing and use of outdoor spaces for school activities top the list of recommendations to keep children safe from COVID-19.

Early childhood educators v box-ticking regulations

More than two-thirds of Australian early childhood educators report working many extra hours to satisfy regulatory requirements in a new survey of workers in the sector.

Australia falls behind in language education

Only 8% of Australian students are learning two or more foreign languages, compared to 50% of students across other OECD countries.

Arvanitakis and Winchester on education: Reflecting on graduate attributes

There are five attributes which need to be embraced by students and understood by employers which meet the tertiary sector’s twin objectives of economic progress and citizenship.

Universities may regret their spate of ‘city deals’

A capital funding squeeze led universities to seek new ways of developing their campuses. It now appears city CBDs and developers might do better out of those deals than universities.

1 in 10 uni students cheats their way to a degree

Australia prides itself on the quality of its tertiary education, but 1 in 10 university students submit assignments written by someone else – and most of them are getting away with it.

Building stronger connections between schools and communities

While all schools are part of their local community, some are developing partnerships and sharing spaces to become hubs for school-community connections, a trend exemplified by Melbourne’s Doveton College.

Arvanitakis on Education: Covid, technology and the importance of face-to-face teaching

Many students have been forced to study online during the COVID crisis, but the social interaction of face-to-face group teaching will never be replaced by solitary distance learning.

Early childhood education benefits aboriginal kids

A culturally adapted early childhood program for Aboriginal children has shown promising impacts on their language, development and communication skills, according to a new study.

Giving students time for recovery and learning

In the wake of the COVID lockdowns, our focus shouldn’t be to rapidly return schools to the old ‘normal’, but to provide students with adequate time and support to enjoy learning and retain knowledge and skills.

Leading schools in lockdown

The scope and impact of the disruption and uncertainty caused by COVID-19 have been unprecedented in the history of schooling.

Biting our tongue

Australian universities profit from large numbers of Chinese students, but this should not inhibit the discussion of sensitive political topics, such as Taiwan and Hong Kong.