School-leavers need better career education to make good choices

The latest report from Global Access Partners (GAP) says universities should be encouraged to offer credit to school-leavers who achieve high results in relevant senior secondary courses, as well as develop new courses for specialist career educators.

The challenge of the contemporary university

Professor James Arvanitakis argues that universities must consciously train graduates to be active, engaged, empowered and committed citizens, as well as pursuing traditional scholarship, if the world’s ‘wicked problems’ are to be addressed in time.

Education is more than a job ticket

Businesses want students who are ready to step from schools and universities into a job, but education must also create informed citizens and well-rounded individuals, just as it has in the past.

Interaction therapy can help disruptive kids in school

UNSW Sydney has partnered with a network of public primary schools and preschools in south-western Sydney to establish one of the world’s first school-based clinics to provide evidence-based early intervention to young children with severe disruptive behaviour.

Parents and teachers need to get along

School staff need to manage difficult parents and identify when more support is required, but with time all parents can make a positive contribution to the wider school community.

Aussie parents are under pressure to buy their kids academic advantage too

A number of rich and famous American parents, including actress Felicity Huffman, have been accused of buying, bribing or lying to get their children into prestigious colleges, but Australia is also rife with parents doing everything they can to further their childrens’ education.

Preschool can help nurture tomorrow’s female engineers

We all want to turn the “no-go zones” for girls into “go zones” in preschools and develop a pipeline of female engineers. But we need foundational research to find the best ways to do this.

Pitfalls in education policy

A succession of trendy education theories and unsolicited advice from the public and politicians have assailed the teaching profession in recent years, but the tried and true experience of teachers at the chalk face remains the greatest asset in our children’s education.

Why we should consider paying children to learn

Research shows small financial incentives for doing maths homework can increase maths achievement, but paying children to complete schoolwork raises some tricky ethical as well as practical questions.

Australia needs better maths education

Australia’s Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel, calls for teaching maths, in sequence, through a structured program, and at the level of a student’s real ability.

How can universities stop ‘contract cheating’?

If we view tertiary education as a commodity rather than an enlightening pursuit, practices such as essay buying will become more common. What can be done to stamp out plagiarism in our universities – or does nobody really care?

What does a great teacher look like?

Teachers with a strong belief in their own ability to ‘get the job done’ have the biggest impact on a student’s learning.