1 in 3 uni students experience serious financial hardship. Could concession cards for all help?
GettyImages Carlos Barquero/Getty Images Last week, the peak body for Australian universities called on the federal government to introduce concession cards and further discounts to all domestic uni students. Universities Australia says the measures would ease cost-of-living pressures for students. Under the proposal, international uni students would also receive public transport concessions. It comes after […]
Too many students have ‘reading anxiety’. New research suggests it is triggered by problems in primary school
Kindel Media/ Pexels Western Australian author Hamish Kelly has struggled with reading for almost two decades. In his first of two books, he describes his experience of learning to read: The letters in words were confusing and words often looked the same […] Each year it got harder. Reading got harder and maths got twice […]
Australia’s reading and maths results are at an ‘all-time low’ – but there’s more to the story
SolStock/Getty Images Results from the latest international test of 15-year-olds have prompted another round of headlines suggesting there are serious problems with Australia’s academic results. Some outlets reported Australian reading and maths results in the PISA tests have taken a “plunge” and sunk to an “all-time low”. At the same time, headlines have lamented “Australia’s […]
Moving houses can be especially stressful for kids. Here’s how to support them during a relocation
zoranm/Getty Images As cost-of-living pressures increase and the rental crisis worsens, many families are moving houses more often. New research, published by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute last month, shows children growing up in rental properties move houses every 2.3 years on average. In Australia, more than 30% of households rent properties. Moving […]
AI is becoming more common in uni courses. What can students gain and what might they lose?
gorodenkoff/Getty Images Universities are increasingly introducing artificial intelligence (AI) teaching tools into classrooms. The latest case to make headlines is Macquarie University’s “Virtual Peer” – an AI-chatbot introduced in two psychology units. In the online delivery of these units, some material previously taught through Zoom tutorials is now delivered by the AI chatbot and other […]
New research shows students experience extreme anxiety when accused of academic misconduct. Unis can do more to help them
Dmitrii Marchenko/Getty Images Since the launch of generative artificial intelligence (AI), many university students have claimed their teachers have falsely accused them of using AI to cheat. While allegations of cheating and plagiarism should be taken seriously, sometimes such accusations have rested on unreliable AI-detection programs. Unis have always had processes in place to investigate […]
Telling a young child they are ‘smart’ seems like a good idea. New research shows how it could encourage them to cheat
Parents and teachers might think telling kids “they’re smart” is a helpful way to build self-confidence and support positive development. But according to new research, these kinds of statements might shape how kids approach academic tasks in ways we did not intend or expect. In some cases, it might even courage a child to cheat. […]
One quarter of Australian kids are ‘developmentally vulnerable’ when they start school. Quality childcare can catch them up
Ksenia Chernaya/ Pexels We know the first five years are a crucial time in a child’s life. Early experiences, such as family relationships or exposure to trauma, shape brain architecture, which lays the foundation for children’s learning, behaviour and health. Worryingly, a significant proportion of young Australians are not getting the positive early experiences they […]
Is Australia’s school system ‘anti-boy’?
JohnnyGreig/Getty Images Nationals leader Matt Canavan says boys are “sick and tired of the feminisation” of Australia’s curriculum. He argues consent and respectful relationships education promotes an “anti-boy ideology” that attracts male students to the manosphere. Canavan also suggests more male teachers will address this problem. Meanwhile, Canavan’s Liberal counterpart, Angus Taylor, has criticised teachers […]
How does subject scaling work for Year 12? And why is it unfair?
Monstera Production/Pexels Year 12 subject scaling is back in the news with reports Victorian students who scored a perfect Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 99.95 in 2025 all did the two hardest maths subjects, which scale up. These subject scaling calculations are regularly criticised and feel unfair to many students. So how does scaling […]