Articles

New $10.5m science program to give 5000 NSW students hands-on biotech lab experience Over the next three years, an expected 5000 NSW students and 60 teachers in NSW are expected to engage in a $10.5m program through a partnership between The Amgen Foundation and The University of Sydney. The three-week in-class initiative provides intensive PD for teachers

Boring playgrounds discourage outdoor active play Australian students who could improve their health by playing outside at school are avoiding using school playgrounds because they’re bored. Southern Cross University physical education and health expert Dr Brendon Hyndman says children and teenagers are staying away

$16.25m will replace asbestos-ridden building at 10 VIC schools Asbestos ridden buildings at 10 schools will be demolished and replaced with state-of-the-art modular classrooms costing $16.25 million in the VIC government's $155m School Asbestos Removal Program. The current phase includes the demolition and replacement of buildings at 30 schools. 

Computer failure Australian schools have seen a huge push in recent decades to bring more computing and IT use into classrooms. Has it produced positive results? The evidence suggests that far from improving student outcomes, our focus on IT has been detrimental. This article discusses the consequences of IT on student performance, cognition and beyond the classroom. It also examines the impact IT has

Submissions open for review to achieve educational excellence in Australian schools Submissions for the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools chaired by Mr David Gonski will close on Friday 13 Oct. The report and recommendations on on how school funding should be used to improve school performance and student outcomes will be submitted by March 2018.

Kids Alive - Do the Five water safety app launched Do The Five has launched a free app to help keep children water safe. The app is a free download in the Apple and Google Play stores and is aimed at parents and young children. It includes music, cartoons, eBooks with a focus on home, pool, beach and farm water safety.

Early Learning Achievement Report: Australia can do better Independent education policy think tank, Mitchell Institute at Victoria University, has commented that a new report by Early Learning Everyone Benefits shows that early childhood education in Australia can, and must, improve.The report finds Australia has made good progress in recent years

iNewsletter moves the school newsletter on parents' mobiles Naavi, developer of iNewsletter has urged schools to "get with the times" as research reveals that more than 60% of parents read their schools' newsletter on a mobile device. But most schools are still sending out their weekly bulletin as a PDF, which is cumbersome to access on a mobile phone.

TEMAG Report Card shows strong progress in ITE reforms Education leaders met on 14 Sept to discuss their continued commitment to strengthening initial teacher education, which will lead to higher quality, classroom-ready graduates. Coinciding with the event was the release of the TEMAG Report Card.  

Ashley Stewart is 2017 AMSI Choose Maths top award winner 2017 AMSI Choose Maths top award winner, Ashley Stewart, believes her Year 8 Living for Learning class is proof hands-on learning works best for indigenous students. Among recent achievements, the girls successfully constructed and tested a hand cranked phone charger.

Draft national guideline to improve diagnostic practices for Australians on the autism spectrum released Australia’s first draft national guideline for autism diagnosis have been released for consultation. The draft guideline aims to create greater consistency in diagnostic practices across the country to ensure autistic individuals and their families can be assured of quality and knowledgeable advice.

Girls sweep eight medals including gold at the Int'l Physics Olympiad YiJie Neo, a Year 12 student from John Monash Science School in Melbourne, has won a gold medal in the International Earth Science Olympiad in France, bringing the Australian team medal haul to 17 at the UNESCO-sanctioned 2017 International Science Olympiads.