My son goes to the gym a lot. How can I tell if this is healthy or a sign something is wrong?
Cottonbro Studio/ Pexels A teenage boy goes to the gym several times a week. He takes protein powder and watches what he eats carefully. He talks about being “ripped” or “jacked”. Is this a sign of a young person developing healthy, disciplined habits? Or has it turned into an unhealthy focus on his appearance? How […]
Our research found a new reason to keep teachers happy – it’s linked to how well students do
Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels The OECD reports schools worldwide are under growing strain from teacher shortages. “It is getting harder to recruit, retain and deploy qualified teachers where they are most needed,” it has found. Australia faces a similar picture. At least one third of Australian teachers say they intend to leave the profession before retirement. A […]
‘I’m harmed and I don’t think the person who did it knows’: we looked at different responses to uni sexual assault
Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images The Cornell 7 case has brought renewed scrutiny to how universities respond to sexual assault. In Australia, National survey results suggest about one in six students have experienced sexual harassment since starting university, while one in 20 have experienced sexual assault. But we know the overwhelming majority of students who experience sexual […]
The Coalition’s migration changes would slash international student enrolments
pexels muneeb babar Muneeb Babar/ Pexels On Tuesday, the Coalition announced three migration policy proposals that directly affect international education. Two of these overlap with recent federal government changes. These are restricting international students’ ability to bring their partners and children to Australia, and limiting onshore applications for student visas. The third is a more […]
New research looks at how screens are actually being used in Australian classrooms – the results may surprise you
Stem.T4L/ Unsplash There is a vigorous debate going on about screen use in Australian schools and how much and what kinds are good for learning. Education Minister Jason Clare has called for a “digital detox”, amid calls from some parents to see screens banned in primary years. New South Wales has announced screen time limits […]
What should parents consider when tracking their child’s location?
Ekaterina Demidova/Getty Images As children grow up and become more independent, parents and carers may start to worry about their safety while they’re out. Their child might start walking to school alone, playing with friends outside the house, or spending time in the neighbourhood without adult supervision. Parents might consider using location-tracking technology, such as […]
How do I know my child is ready to leave the house on their own?
South_agency/Getty Images By the time children are around 12 years old, many will begin to ask if they can go out to the local park, playground or shops to spend time with their friends without adult supervision. This may happen more often during the school holiday period. They might say: All of my friends are […]
Our research shows how AI is getting better at exams. Here’s how unis can respond
Jaykumar Bherwani/ Pexels When ChatGPT arrived at the end of 2022, universities scrambled to determine whether generative AI was good enough to pass assessments and make it easy for students to cheat. There were some big claims by AI companies at the time, including that tools showed “human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks”. […]
Year 12 students might feel anxious as exams approach. Here’s what can help
Javi Sanz/Getty Images Throughout October and November, Year 12 students across Australia will sit their final exams. If you’re one of these students, you might experience increased anxiety due to pressure to perform. You might even feel as though certain career pathways will be closed off if you don’t do well. But there are things […]
What role does high school play in mental health? Feeling connected to other students and staff is key
Abstract Aerial Art/Getty By the time an Australian student is 15, they will have already spent as many as 11,000 hours at school. Many formative social and emotional experiences occur at school. Because of this, there is increasing curiosity about what elements of this environment have the most impact on students’ mental health and wellbeing. […]