The government has blocked funding to 13 research projects for security reasons. What happens now?
Late last week, the Australian Research Council quietly made an announcement that sent shockwaves through the academic community. The federal education minister, Jason Clare, blocked research funding to 13 projects “for reasons relevant to the security, defence or international relations of Australia”. This is more than double the number that have been vetoed on security […]
Getting the kids out the door for school drives me bananas. How can we make mornings calmer?
10’000 Hours/Getty Images Getting the kids out the door for school can feel like herding cats in the rain. Just when one child is ready, another can’t find a shoe, someone remembers homework, and someone else starts crying because they want more breakfast. The more you rush, the more it unravels – leaving you totally […]
So your Year 12 student hasn’t decided what’s next. Here’s what to say – and what not to – about career planning
Westend61/ Getty Images For Year 12 students, final exams are getting closer and applications for university and other courses are opening. So naturally, conversations at home and with wider family and friends are turning to what’s going to happen next year. Some young people will not have an answer yet when asked, “what are you […]
The government wants to save $463m by tightening disability support to school students. What’s going on?
Alistair Berg/Getty Images The federal government has announced a new “safeguard” around how funding is spent to support school students with disabilities. The budget papers say there is an issue with “inaccurate claiming” by schools and new controls are needed to prevent “fraud and non-compliance”. This is more than a technical measure. It is about […]
NZ’s costly fees-free scheme did little to widen access to tertiary education – new study
Getty Images The government’s decision to scrap the one-year fees-free tertiary scheme in this month’s Budget will be contentious. Some will see it as a sensible saving, others as another blow to students facing high living costs. But the bigger question is not whether the scheme should survive. It’s why making a year of tertiary […]
Help! I’m almost finished school but don’t know what I want to do next
Rachel Claire/ Pexels As Year 12 students pass the halfway point of their final year, the question of “what next?” can start to loom large. Some students have a clear plan: a course they want to get into, a trade they want to start, or a gap year they are saving for. But many find […]
Governments keep trying to make childcare safer. Could a new ‘national commission’ make a difference?
Maskot/ Getty Images Governments have spent about a year announcing new policies to make early education safer for Australian children. In the wake of reports of shocking abuse and neglect in daycare centres, there have been moves to improve training and screening of educators, as well as more centre inspections. All of these measures have […]
Hackers just stole data from 9,000 schools and unis around the world. How can we protect student privacy?
This week, US-based education technology provider Instructure announced a significant cybersecurity incident affecting its Canvas system. This is used by schools and universities around the world, including in Australia. Cyber crime group ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility. On Thursday, the group claimed it had breached Instructure in another attack. Almost 9,000 educational institutions, involving 275 million […]
Choosing a high school can seem enormous. How do you know if one is right for your child?
Andresr/Getty Images Across Australia, Year 6 families are doing the rounds of high school open nights, information evenings and tours. Perhaps in your area, you don’t get a choice of schools. Maybe you and your child have already made up your mind about next year. Or maybe the decision is more difficult. Your child may […]
‘What do you want to be?’ The spark that helps Indigenous people go to uni
Sol Stock/ Getty Images Across Australia, universities and governments say increasing the numbers of Indigenous graduates is one of the main priorities in tertiary education. First Nations people are still considerably underrepresented in our universities. They make up 1.9% of domestic higher education students, compared with 3.3% of the total Australian population. While there are […]