Parents of kids in daycare are terrified following Melbourne abuse allegations. What can they do?
Parents have been left reeling by news a male Melbourne childcare worker has been charged with 70 counts related to the alleged sexual abuse of young children in his care. The charges include sexual penetration and producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service. The man has tested positive for a sexually transmitted […]
A new ‘prac payment’ has just kicked in. But it ignores many uni students
Fly View Productions/ Getting Images On Tuesday, some Australian university students got access to a new payment. The Commonwealth Prac Payment is available to eligible teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students. It will provide A$331.65 a week during compulsory professional placements, to help with living and study expenses. This could include travel, accommodation, uniforms […]
Mr Smith or Gary? Why some teachers ask students to call them by their first name
Johnny Greig/ Getty Images When you went to school, did you call your teacher Mrs, Ms or Mr, followed by their surname? Perhaps you even called them Sir or Miss. The tradition of addressing teachers in a formal manner goes back centuries. For many of us, calling a teacher by their first name would have […]
‘I’m not going to give up’: how to help more disadvantaged young people go to uni and TAFE
Oliver Rossi/ Getty Images On Wednesday, Education Minister Jason Clare hailed an increase in the numbers of Australians starting a university degree. In 2024, there was a 3.7% increase in Australian students starting a degree, compared to the year before. This follows Clare’s ambition to see more Australians with a tertiary qualification. The federal government […]
Global rankings fuel hype, but students have more to consider when choosing a uni
At this time of year, many year 12 students are seriously turning their minds to the future. Should they go to university next year? If so, which one? June is also the start of the global ranking season. Last week saw the release of the QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2026 world university rankings, amid reports of […]
‘It feels like I am being forced to harm a child’: research shows how teachers are suffering moral injury
SolStock/Getty Images Australia is in the grip of a teacher shortage. Teachers are burning out, warning the job is no longer sustainable and leaving the profession. We know this is due to excessive workloads, stress and abuse. But research suggests there is another element at play: some teachers are also experiencing moral injury. Moral injury […]
6 things Australia must do if it’s serious about tackling school bullying
courtneyk/ Getty Images Bullying is arguably one of the most serious issues facing Australia’s schools. About one in four students between Year 4 and Year 9 report being bullied regularly. This can have serious and lasting consequences. Research suggests students who are bullied are at an increased risk of mental health problems and self-harm. On […]
School playgrounds are one of the main locations for bullying. How can they be set up to stop it?
Dan Kenyon/ Getty Images Children spend thousands of hours in playgrounds at school. A lot of this time does not have the same levels of teacher preparation and supervision as classrooms do. Research shows school playgrounds are one of the main locations where bullying occurs. The federal government is doing a rapid review into what […]
There’s a new ban on vaping in childcare centres, but what else do we need to keep kids safe?
On Monday, the federal government announced new rules to boost safety in the early childhood sector. From September there will be mandatory reporting of any allegations or incidents of child physical or sexual abuse within 24 hours. Currently there is a seven-day window. On top of this, vapes will be banned from all early childhood […]
Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better?
Rawpixel/ Getty Images About one quarter of Australian school students are learning English as an additional language or dialect. This means their first language or dialect is something other than English and they need extra support to develop proficiency in what we call standard Australian English. This group of students includes immigrants and refugees from […]