The Coalition has announced an even more radical plan to cut international students than Labor. Here’s how it would work
Last year, the Coalition made the surprise decision to oppose Labor’s plans for new international student caps. On Sunday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton proposed an even more radical policy of his own to limit the number of international students in Australia. He announced a combination of tighter enrolment limits, increased visa application fees and changes […]
The UK wants to screen Netflix’s Adolescence in schools. Should you watch it with your child?
UK Prime Minster Keir Starmer met with Adolescence writer Jack Thorne to discuss adolescent safety at Downing Street on Monday. Jack Taylor/ GettyImages Netflix’s Adolescence has ignited global debate. The series traces the disturbing journey of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, whose exposure to misogynistic online communities may have contributed to him to killing a female classmate. […]
‘How was school today?’ How to help kids open up and say more than ‘fine’
One of the first things parents want to ask their children after school is “how was your day?” We simply want to know how they are going and what happened at school. But these conversations can feel like pulling teeth. Often you may only get a “good” or “fine” (if you’re lucky). Why are children […]
Who decides what Australian students are taught in schools?
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has begun his election campaign with fresh criticism of schools. The Coalition has previously raised concerns the national curriculum is “unwieldy” and “infused with ideology”. On Monday night, Dutton suggested states needed new funding conditions to make sure schools were teaching appropriate content. He told Sky News federal money should be […]
School phone ban one year on: our student survey reveals mixed feelings about its success
DavideAngelini/Shutterstock One year after the government banned cellphones from schools to help students focus and reduce distractions in class, we’re beginning to see how it has been implemented and how successful it’s been. As part of that process, our new research asked young people about the ban. Unsurprisingly, they had a lot to say. Schools […]
‘It is a seriously difficult role and only getting harder’: school principals speak about stress, violence and abuse in their jobs
Isuzek/Getty Images School principals around Australia are responsible for about 4.5 million staff and students in almost 10,000 schools. Not only do they oversee students’ progress, but they are also responsible for the performance of staff and the wellbeing of everyone at their school. Their jobs are huge. As we have previously tracked in our […]
How can I tell if my child is too sick to go to school?
Chay_Tay/Shutterstock As a GP and mum to two boys I have many experiences of trying to navigate the school morning when my boys aren’t feeling well. It always seems to happen on the busiest days. None of us want to send our child to school when they are not well – I hate the thought […]
National standards by stealth? Why the government’s latest plan for schools might fail the history test
smolaw/Shutterstock The New Zealand government’s plan to purchase a standardised tool to assess reading, writing and mathematics for school children between Year 3 and 10 has caught parents, schools and education groups by surprise. The tool would essentially be a return to a form of national standards, a policy introduced in 2008 under John Key’s […]
4 key changes you may have missed in the new school funding agreement
Queensland and the federal government have reached an agreement on school funding. This means all Australian states and territories are now signed up to new arrangements, which officially began at the start of 2025. The agreement follows more than a year of negotiations between the federal and state governments. The agreements mean government schools will […]
How can you tell if your child’s daycare is good quality?
PhotoMavenStock/Shutterstock This week, we heard claims of shocking abuse and neglect in Australian childcare centres on ABC’s Four Corners program. While 91% of services met or exceeded the national standards as of February 2025, there have also been reports of centres operating with unqualified staff, abusive practices and nutritionally substandard food. How can you tell […]