Education – Views & Research

Analysis and Comment

Anzac Day, a celebration of the Anzac soldiers, pictured, has become a contentious issue in the “history wars”. Shutterstock

‘Identity politics’ have not taken over university history courses

Paul Sendziuk, University of Adelaide and Martin Crotty, The University of Queensland

The most popular history courses taught in Australian universities are still broad courses focused on significant historical events and periods, contrary to the recent IPA report.

Three strategies to help students navigate dodgy online content

Kim Wilson, Macquarie University and Garry Falloon, Macquarie University

A report has discovered that while students born after 1980 have good digital skills, they need to think more critically about what they read online.

Translation technology is useful, but should not replace learning languages

Michael Haugh, The University of Queensland

Does the upcoming launch of wireless headphones by Google that feature real-time language translation mean we don't need to study other languages anymore?

A matter of trust: the checks and balances schools must have to ensure fair funding for disability

Kate de Bruin, Monash University and Umesh Sharma, Monash University

Some of Victoria's wealthiest private schools have reported spikes in numbers of students with disability. We should only trust those numbers if they're moderated by qualified staff.

Five things senators (and everyone else) should know about changes to HELP debts

Mark Warburton, University of Melbourne

Senators should consider how repayment thresholds vary depending on family circumstances, the impacts on taxes and how long students will be saddled with debt.

Sleep and the restless preschooler: why policies need to change

Karen Thorpe, The University of Queensland; Sally Staton, The University of Queensland; Simon Smith, The University of Queensland, and Susan Irvine, Queensland University of Technology

Mandatory sleep times in early childhood settings do not work for children, educators or parents, and need to change.

Australia’s new national space agency will help students reach for the stars in STEM

Carol Oliver, UNSW

Space inspires, and the establishment of a Space Agency in Australia is well positioned to drive engagement in STEM.

Baby boomer women make up for lost study time and head back to university

Lesley Neale, Curtin University

Female baby boomers who missed out earlier in life are now jumping at the opportunity to further their education.

Exergames: good for play time, but should not replace physical education

Vaughan Cruickshank, University of Tasmania; Dean Cooley, Federation University Australia, and Scott Pedersen, University of Tasmania

Exergames should be used to replace sedentary video games, not traditional physical education.

NDIS failing to catch children with late-onset difficulties

Alison M Marchbank, Charles Darwin University

Parents need support from early childhood educators to build capacity to claim for NDIS services.

Excluding Indigenous youth from schools may severely increase their risk of incarceration

Grace O'Brien, University of Technology Sydney

Indigenous youth are over-representation in juvenile detention centres, and excluding them from education could make this worse.

Male teachers are an endangered species in Australia: new research

Kevin F. McGrath, Macquarie University and Penny Van Bergen, Macquarie University

Despite the need for both male and female teachers, male primary school teachers could be extinct by 2067.

Australians pay more for education than the OECD average – but is it worth it?

Megan O'Connell, Victoria University

Australia has the third most expensive education system in the OECD, but we might not be getting what we pay for.

Talking about suicide and self-harm in schools can save lives

Sarah Stanford, Macquarie University

Youth suicide has reached a ten year high, but suicide and self-harm are still taboo topics in schools.

For Australian students, academic potential still outweighs social circumstances

Brian Byrne, University of New England; Katrina Grasby, University of New England; Richard Olson, University of Colorado, and William Coventry, University of New England

In the US, differences in school results among poorer children depend more on environment than genes. In Australia, the story is different.

Early learning report card: Australia is improving rapidly, but there’s more work to do

Sarah Pilcher, Victoria University

Despite good progress in recent years, there is still more to do, including improving access to early childhood education for three-year-olds.

For long-term improvements, schools need to slow down

Jess Harris, University of Newcastle; Mel Ainscow, University of Manchester; Nerida Spina, Queensland University of Technology, and Suzanne Carrington, Queensland University of Technology

Pressure on schools to make rapid improvements discourages deeper thinking about long-term solutions. Education can learn a lot from "slow" movements.

We need a radical rethink of how to attract more teachers to rural schools

Philip Roberts, University of Canberra and Natalie Downes, University of Canberra

Staffing rural schools has been an issue in Australia for at least 113 years. We need a fresh approach to tackle this persistent problem.

Technology in the classroom can improve primary mathematics

Catherine Attard, Western Sydney University

Many parents are demanding less technology use in the classroom due to the amount of screen time children get at home. This story explores whether maths education and technology go hand in hand.

Universities must act now on sustainability goals

Tahl Kestin, Monash University; John Thwaites, Monash University; Katie Ross, University of Technology Sydney; Leanne Denby, Macquarie University, and Marjan van den Belt, Victoria University of Wellington

Universities can contribute to the goals through education, research, innovation and leadership, but they need to get started now.

More Analysis and Comment

Making progress on Indigenous education?

The Murri School is one of the few Indigenous owned and controlled schools in Australia. Screenshot from YouTube video.

Autonomy and strong female leadership key to success of Indigenous owned Murri School

Tess Ryan, University of Canberra

For the past 30 years, this Indigenous owned and controlled school has been quietly achieving results. Here's what the school board president says is behind their success.

Infographic: Are we making progress on Indigenous education?

Indigenous picture books offering windows into worlds

To lift literacy levels among Indigenous children, their parents’ literacy skills must be improved first

Is policy on Indigenous education deliberately being stalled?

We need to know the true cost of Indigenous boarding school scholarships on communities

History textbooks still imply that Australians are white

The government is making frantic efforts to seal a deal on its school plan before parliament adjourns for the winter break. Rob Blakers/AAP

Government reaches out to Catholics on Gonski 2.0

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

Simon Birmingham met Catholic education representatives on Monday night, receiving such a haranguing that at times it was difficult for him to get a word in.

Liberal backbenchers arc up on behalf of Catholic schools

Even for those who believe in ‘the full Gonski’, Labor’s $22 billion figure makes no sense

Changes to school funding – your questions answered

‘Giving a Gonski’ will be torrid test for the Greens

Education Minister Simon Birmingham wants to punish Australian Universities that don’t meet performance benchmarks. AAP Image/Sean Davey

Why Birmingham’s performance funding plan won’t improve Australian universities

Margaret Gardner, Monash University

One aspect of the federal budget that hasn’t attracted the attention it should is the government’s plan to introduce “performance” funding for universities. Performance funding isn’t new to Australia’s…

Higher education reform: small changes for now but big ones to come

‘Short-sighted’ budget means universities can’t deliver their full economic benefit

The strange accounting behind the proposed HECS changes

Explainer: how will the changes to HELP student loans affect you?

Young people’s negative attitudes towards maths are increasing. from www.shutterstock.com

What to say if your child asks, ‘what’s the point of maths?’

Kevin Larkin, Griffith University

The questions young people tend to ask about maths often relate to their personal experience of how they found maths in school.

Teaching maths – what does the evidence say actually works?

Maths anxiety is creating a shortage of young scientists … here’s a solution

Why is it so hard to recruit good maths and science teachers?

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Teenagers who bully also have a high risk of mental health issues. from www.shutterstock.com

Bullying

Teenagers who are both bully and victim are more likely to have suicidal thoughts

Anne Kavanagh, University of Melbourne; Naomi Priest, Australian National University, and Tania King, University of Melbourne

When it comes to bullying, there is a common misconception that children neatly fall into a category of bully, victim, or not involved. This is not the case.

Sometimes the most useful strategy is to avoid exposure in the first place. www.shutterstock.com

TV

Should parents expose children to news on terrorism?

Elizabeth Handsley, Flinders University

Footage of wars, bombings and shootings can traumatise children. Here's how parents can help them cope with distressing content.

In the 1960s and 70s selective schools were seen to be old fashioned and elitist. from www.shutterstock.com

School choice

Selective schools’ long and tangled history with race and class

Helen Proctor, University of Sydney and Arathi Sriprakash, University of Cambridge

Selective schools have never operated in isolation from broader historical forces — including Australia’s connected histories of racial exclusion and immigration.

Companies relaxing degree requirements raises new questions about the value of a university education. Shutterstock

Employability

Companies shed degree requirements to promote merit over qualifications

Joshua Krook, University of Adelaide

While more people than ever are graduating from universities, some companies are abandoning degree requirements altogether.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has proposed tougher language requirements for new citizenship applicants. Lukas Coch/AAP

Citizenship test

English language bar for citizenship likely to further disadvantage refugees

Sally Baker, University of Newcastle and Rachel Burke, University of Newcastle

Refugees are both more likely to apply for citizenship, and twice as likely as other migrant groups to have to retake the test.

Most schools will get a boost in funding, while universities will face cuts. Mick Tsikas/AAP

Budget round up

Federal Budget 2017: what’s changing in education?

Louise Watson, University of Canberra; Bruce Chapman, Australian National University; Gwilym Croucher, University of Melbourne, and Kira Clarke, University of Melbourne

Education experts discuss changes to schools and universities following the federal treasurer's budget speech.

Learning to read is not actually that easy. from shutterstock.com

Reading

Explainer: how the brain changes when we learn to read

Nicola Bell, The University of Queensland

We are not hard-wired to read. It has taken thousands of years of practice to forge connections in our brains to help us do this.

Women and early career academics are more likely to take up these teaching-only roles. from www.shutterstock.com

Uni careers

Teaching-only roles could mark the end of your academic career

Dawn Bennett, Curtin University; Lynne Roberts, Curtin University, and Subramaniam Ananthram, Curtin University

Teaching-only positions are perceived as second class, with few opportunities for research or career progression.

Research

How ethical is sexual assault research?

Bianca Fileborn, UNSW

A recent survey about sexual assault on university campuses was criticised as being unethical. So what is the right way to go about conducting such research?

And they call it puppy love. shutterstock

Reading

How animals can help autistic children

Jacqueline Boyd, Nottingham Trent University

Spending time with pets can lead to significantly improved social skills and motivation for learning.

Children are exposed to gender differences and expectations from the moment they are born. from www.shutterstock.com

Child development

Can a four-year-old be sexist?

Kimberley Norris, University of Tasmania

At the age of four, children have a basic understanding of gender differences and expectations. But it is unlikely they would knowingly be sexist.

School uniform

Why do schools want all students to look the same?

Amanda Mergler, Queensland University of Technology

By providing a blanket approach to uniform policies, schools risk repressing cultural identity and diversity.

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Analysis and Comment

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