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Online resources providing parents with guidance tips A series of free resources providing parents with tips and ideas for supporting their child’s learning at home are now available online. The series provides guidance on what parents can do in early years, primary and secondary school.

New funding plans announced by PM The Turnbull Government has announced new needs-based school funding, and an increased investment as part of a new initiative. David Gonski will lead a new inquiry, joined by Dr Ken Boston, also a member of the original review.

Research reveals giving a Gonski doesn't help A new research report by Blaise Joseph for the CIS has labelled the Gonski funding as a myth. The report outlines where the funding model went wrong and suggests “Giving a Gonski” is not going to improve education for Australian students.

New Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden recipes and activities book The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (SAKGF) has launched its latest educational resource Step-by-Step Visual Cooking and Gardening: Accessible Recipes and Garden Activities.

Study: Maths leads to increased life satisfaction New research released by Westpac shows stronger maths skills could lead to a higher income and level overall life satisfaction. Westpac has partnered with digital maths platform, Mathspace, to provide free access for Australian students. 

Schools not dressing girls for success School uniform codes that force female students to wear dresses and skirts are discriminatory and are affecting girls’ health and wellbeing according to Girls’ Uniform Agenda, an organisation launched in March.

High test results in Asian schools, but at what cost The OECD recently published the findings of its first student well-being study. It shows that while East Asian countries are at the top of the league table of test scores they are at the bottom in student well-being.

Independent review of NT school funding model Ernst & Young will conduct an independent review of the Territory Government’s school funding model. The review is expected to be completed by August, and approved recommendations will be implemented for 2018 school budgets.

Applications for 2017 NSW Eco Schools Grants now open Educators and school communities in NSW are once again being encouraged to apply for an Eco Schools Grant to encourage their students to learn about the environment and develop an appreciation of it.

Girls start school with more advanced behavioural skills Research has found that girls more than boys are starting school with more of the behavioural skills that have been shown to predict academic success, including the ability to pay attention and to control their behaviour. 

Conference: 2017 Maintaining Parent Engagement Research report reveals the thoughts of families and schools about how parents facing social and financial struggles can support their children’s learning. The 2017 Parent Engagement Conference will be held in June.

Research: girls read while boys are encouraged in maths Girls from low and middle socio-economic backgrounds are better at reading than boys, while boys from high-socio-economic backgrounds are better at mathematics than girls, according to new research.