tag:theconversation.com,2011:/nz/topics/schools-275/articlesSchools – The Conversation2024-03-21T19:08:11Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256712024-03-21T19:08:11Z2024-03-21T19:08:11Z‘I have been ground down’: about 50% of Australian principals and other school leaders are thinking of quitting<p>Australia’s school principals have collective responsibility for nearly 3 million students and staff. But who takes responsibility for them? </p>
<p>Since 2011, we have been <a href="https://healthandwellbeing.org/pages/principal-reports">surveying</a> Australian school leaders – principals and other leadership staff such as deputy principals and heads of junior or senior schools – about what is happening in their jobs. </p>
<p>Every year we have surveyed between 2,300 and 2,500 participants and it is now the longest running survey of its type in the world.</p>
<p>Previous surveys have <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-principals-are-reaching-crisis-point-pushed-to-the-edge-by-mounting-workloads-teacher-shortages-and-abuse-201777">shown</a> school principals face unsustainably high workloads, high levels of stress and unacceptable rates of violence and abuse from parents and students. </p>
<p>Our 2023 survey unfortunately finds the work levels, stress and abuse continue. But on top of this, school leaders are experiencing significant levels of mental illness and around half are considering leaving the profession. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/school-principals-are-reaching-crisis-point-pushed-to-the-edge-by-mounting-workloads-teacher-shortages-and-abuse-201777">School principals are reaching crisis point, pushed to the edge by mounting workloads, teacher shortages and abuse</a>
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<h2>Too much work and stress</h2>
<p>In the 2023 survey we looked at responses by career stages to get better insights into Australia’s principals. </p>
<p>School leaders vary widely in leadership experience, ranging from early career (up to five years) to more than 20 years in the job. However, across all levels of experience, there are similar levels of high workload (an average of 56 hours per week). </p>
<p>No matter what stage of their career, all told us how the the sheer quantity of work and a lack of time to focus on teaching and learning were the top two sources of stress.</p>
<p>Other top concerns were the mental health of students and of staff.</p>
<h2>Record levels of violence</h2>
<p>Disturbingly, principals also reported the highest levels of violence, bullying and threats of violence since the survey began in 2011:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>53.9% reported experiencing threats of violence, up from 44.8% in 2022. When asked “from whom”, 65.6% of respondents said parents and 79.7% said students</p></li>
<li><p>48.2% reported experiencing violence, up from 44% in 2022. When asked “from whom”, 19.7% said parents and 96.3% said students</p></li>
<li><p>53.7% reported being subjected to gossip and slander. When asked “from whom”, 65.1% said parents and 18.2% said students. </p></li>
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<p>As one school leader told us: </p>
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<p>Whilst I am more than aware that you can’t please all of the people, all of the time, I have been ground down by the almost constant negativity, nastiness and violence within our community. </p>
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<h2>Levels of mental illness are high</h2>
<p>We also examined the rates of mental illness among school leaders. </p>
<p>Almost 19% of those surveyed reported moderate-to-severe levels of anxiety. About 18% said they had moderate-to-severe depression. Early-career school leaders were most likely to report higher levels of anxiety and depression. </p>
<p>As one respondent told us: </p>
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<p>I did not work in Term 2 as I reached burn out.</p>
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<h2>Many are thinking about quitting</h2>
<p>Unsurprisingly, given the workload, abuse and mental health issues, the survey found significant numbers of school leaders are rethinking their career options. </p>
<p>More than half (56%) of school leaders surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that “I often seriously consider leaving my current job”. Those with six to ten years of experience were most likely to say they were thinking about quitting. </p>
<p>As one survey respondent with a decade of experience as a principal noted:</p>
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<p>I don’t feel ready for retirement but can no longer sustain my work as a principal.</p>
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<p>Another respondent told us: </p>
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<p>Most nights when I am awake I will count how much longer I have to work before I retire or think about what else I could do instead of this job. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">'They phone you up during lunch and yell at you' – why teachers say dealing with parents is the worst part of their job</a>
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<h2>There is some good news</h2>
<p>We also looked at principals’ resilience, or their ability to bounce back from adverse experiences. Despite all these challenges, principals recorded a moderate increase in their resilience scores. On a 1–5 scale, the average score was over 3.82.</p>
<p>There has been an increase every year since we started tracking resilience in 2017, when the average was 3.58. This is testimony to principals’ dedication to their jobs and passion for education. </p>
<p>As one principal said: </p>
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<p>Being a principal is a tough, lonely job with not much appreciation but I continue to do it because the students need us and I love to see the kids challenged, engaged, cared for and learning […] hopefully to set them up for a great life.</p>
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<p>However, we found those with lower resilience scores were more likely to say they intended to quit. This further highlights the importance of supporting school leaders’ health and wellbeing.</p>
<p>We also found principals’ job satisfaction levels were stable, having declined last year for the first time since the survey commenced. From a high of 74.84 in 2020, it had dropped to 70.01 by 2022. It is encouraging to note it has risen slightly to 70.23 for 2023. </p>
<h2>What needs to happen now</h2>
<p>The challenge from this year’s report is stark and immediate: an exodus is potentially on the horizon.</p>
<p>Federal and state governments are certainly <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/national-teacher-workforce-action-plan">aware of teacher shortages</a> and keep announcing measures to try and address them, such as <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/extra-admin-support-for-schools-to-reduce-teacher-workload#:%7E:text=School%20Admin%20and%20Support%20Staff,alleviate%20workload%20in%20participating%20schools.">more administrative support</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/minns-government-finds-1-4b-in-savings-for-teacher-pay-rises-20230914-p5e4q6.html">pay increases</a>. </p>
<p>But greater urgency is needed in current policy responses. </p>
<p>We cannot assume resilience levels will continue to hold up. The signs are unambiguous. If these school leaders really do quit, they will take years of experience with them and cripple the ability of Australian schools to realise their aspirations.</p>
<p>This includes major <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/review-inform-better-and-fairer-education-system/resources/expert-panels-repor">national education policies</a> – such as the upcoming <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-national-school-reform-agreement-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-school-funding-202847">National School Reform Agreement</a> – aimed at boosting academic outcomes and student wellbeing. </p>
<p>This is why we need the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/education-ministers-meeting">next education ministers meeting</a> to respond to our report. All federal and state education ministers are expected to meet around April and must make support for principals’ wellbeing and safety a top priority. </p>
<p>As our survey shows, the patience of Australian school leaders is running out.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225671/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Herb Marsh has received and receives funding from the Australian Research Council, non-profit Australian school principal peak bodies, Catholic Schools NSW and Australian state and territory governments.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Theresa Dicke has received and receives funding from the Australian Research Council, non-profit Australian school principal peak bodies, Catholic Schools NSW and Australian state and territory governments.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Kidson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A major survey of Australian school principals finds they are copping abuse from parents and students on top of huge workloads. Many experienced leaders say they might leave the profession.Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic UniversityHerb Marsh, Distinguished Professor of educational psychology, Australian Catholic UniversityTheresa Dicke, Associate Professor, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257372024-03-21T18:01:47Z2024-03-21T18:01:47ZSchool’s out: how climate change is already badly affecting children’s education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582542/original/file-20240318-20-6dukft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The education of students in countries like Sudan is already being negatively affected by the extremes of climate change. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-boy-school-south-sudan-juba-2428302529">Richard Juilliart/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Schools across <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/18/south-sudan-closes-schools-in-preparation-for-45c-heatwave">South Sudan</a> have been ordered to close as a heat wave of 45°C sweeps across the country. In recent years, severe flooding has already caused major disruptions to schooling in South Sudan where, on average, children complete less than five years of formal <a href="https://unesdoc.unesco.org/in/documentViewer.xhtml?v=2.1.196&id=p::usmarcdef_0000387120&file=/in/rest/annotationSVC/DownloadWatermarkedAttachment/attach_import_73bb9372-6eb2-4593-9406-f7a33c2f66d5?_=387120eng.pdf&locale=en&multi=true&ark=/ark:/48223/pf0000387120/PDF/387120eng.pdf#p98">education across their lives</a>.</p>
<p>As researchers interested in both climate change and learning, we’ve been surprised that most public debate in this area concerns how best to teach children about climate change as part of the curriculum. Recently, we examined a less discussed, but arguably much more consequential, question: How is climate change impacting children’s education worldwide?</p>
<p>In a recent paper published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-01945-z">Nature Climate Change</a>, we reviewed studies linking climate change-related events or “climate stressors” to education outcomes. One of the clearest connections was between heat exposure and reduced academic performance. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w21157/w21157.pdf">study in the US</a> found that adolescents’ maths scores decreased significantly on days above 26°C. <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/726007">In China</a>, hotter day-of-test temperatures were associated with a drop in exam performance equal to losing a quarter of a year – or several months – of schooling.</p>
<p>But it’s not just test days that matter. Studies show that raised temperatures also affect learning over longer time periods. For example, pupils’ <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095069616301887">test scores suffered</a> when there were more hot days across the school year and even when the hotter weather occurred <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pol.20180612">three to four years before</a> exam day.</p>
<p>Our review also highlights how climate-related regional disasters like wildfires, storms, droughts and floods are keeping many children out of school entirely. Floods can prevent children from <a href="https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/138/285">travelling to school</a> and cause <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/51/article/738666/pdf">damage</a> to school buildings and materials, which disrupts learning and lowers test scores.</p>
<p>In developing countries, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014292115001427">storms</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-020-02869-1">droughts</a> commonly cause children to leave school permanently to join the workforce and support their families. Children in higher-income countries are not immune. They miss school days due to <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.4.1.109">hurricanes</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-06050-9#:%7E:text=We%20find%20no%20significant%20impacts,closures%20lasting%203%E2%80%935%20days.">wildfires</a> and these absences have measurable effects on education outcomes.</p>
<p>The impacts of climate disasters can also affect children before they are born with consequences that reverberate across their lives. For example, children whose mothers were pregnant during <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36129196/">Hurricane Sandy</a> were more likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that can make schooling more challenging.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/710066">India</a>, researchers found that raised temperatures lead to lower test scores due to crop failure and malnutrition, highlighting the importance of indirect links between climate stressors and subsequent school participation and learning.</p>
<h2>Educational injustice</h2>
<p>Our analysis suggests that climate change will exacerbate existing inequalities in global education access and attainment, with already disadvantaged groups facing the largest learning setbacks. In the US, heat had <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-020-00959-9">worse effects</a> on exam scores for racial and ethnic minorities and children living in lower-income school districts. </p>
<p>Following a super typhoon in the Philippines, children whose families had fewer financial resources and smaller social networks were <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014292115001427">more likely to drop out</a> of school than their better-resourced neighbours. In contexts where girls’ education is less prioritised than boys’, their school attendance and exam scores have suffered more following climate change stressors such as <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/environment-and-development-economics/article/rainfall-shocks-cognitive-development-and-educational-attainment-among-adolescents-in-a-droughtprone-region-in-kenya/E432EC63DAD24849A991E67C7B387844">droughts</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014292115001427">storms</a>.</p>
<p>Globally, regions where people are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change – in terms of risk of harmful stressors occurring and resources available to adapt – are also regions where children already receive fewer years of schooling. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582546/original/file-20240318-25-n98wau.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="World map in green on left side, another in pink on right with shaded areas to indicate average years of formal education compared to vulnerability to climate change in each country" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582546/original/file-20240318-25-n98wau.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582546/original/file-20240318-25-n98wau.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=192&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582546/original/file-20240318-25-n98wau.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=192&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582546/original/file-20240318-25-n98wau.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=192&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582546/original/file-20240318-25-n98wau.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=242&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582546/original/file-20240318-25-n98wau.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=242&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582546/original/file-20240318-25-n98wau.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=242&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">These maps show the average years of formal education (left) and vulnerability to climate change by country (right).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>The impacts of climate change on education are already widely visible. While the scale of the problem is daunting, there are many ways to take action. Most critically, global heating urgently needs to be limited by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. </p>
<p>At the same time, children’s education must be protected from climate change stressors that are already occurring. Possible measures include installing cooling technologies, effective disaster response planning, building <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/29/we-dont-need-air-con-how-burkina-faso-builds-schools-that-stay-cool-in-40c-heat">stressor-resilient schools</a> and addressing systemic global inequalities related to socioeconomic, gender and racial discrimination. </p>
<p>Preventing harm to children’s education is a worthy goal in itself. But improving education can also contribute to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01701-9">greater awareness</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01171-x">climate literacy</a>, while <a href="https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_01444">mitigating</a> climate change and making children more resilient in the face of climate stressors. </p>
<p>Education can help fight climate change. But we must also fight climate change to prevent harm to education. Without action, the future of young people around the world hangs in the balance.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225737/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Helen Louise Berry has received funding from the National Health & Medical Research Council, the Australian Research Council and various other national and international competitive and consultancy research funding sources. She is affiliated with The Australian Greens. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Caitlin M Prentice, Francis Vergunst, and Kelton Minor do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Teaching children about the environmental crisis can help fight climate change, but climate change is already negatively affecting children’s education around the globe.Caitlin M Prentice, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychology, University of OsloFrancis Vergunst, Associate Professor, Psychosocial Difficulties, University of OsloHelen Louise Berry, Honorary Professor, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Macquarie UniversityKelton Minor, Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Computational Social and Behavioural Science, Columbia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2263092024-03-21T09:16:15Z2024-03-21T09:16:15ZA major report recommends more protections for LGBTQ+ students and teachers in religious schools. But this needs parliament’s support to become law<p>The federal government has just released a <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ALRC-ADL-Final-Report-142.pdf">major report</a> about anti-discrimination laws and religious schools in Australia. </p>
<p>It was done by the Australian Law Reform Commission, which finished its work late last year. </p>
<p>It has been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/no-action-on-lgbtiq-rights-would-be-broken-promise/103613650">keenly anticipated</a> by the LGBTQ+ community who want to ensure students cannot be expelled from religious schools, and to ensure LGBTQ+ teachers do not lose their jobs. </p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/religious-schools-raise-alarm-on-hiring-rules/news-story/586dbbb77330d52bc3b97c5673621a69">religious schools</a> have also been campaigning to maintain their right to hire staff who share their religious beliefs. </p>
<h2>Why do we have this report?</h2>
<p>This work forms part of a broader, <a href="https://theconversation.com/did-the-morrison-government-change-the-relationship-between-religion-and-politics-in-australia-190650">highly contentious</a> debate about religious discrimination and expression in Australia. This has been going since marriage equality laws were passed in 2017. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/inquiry/anti-discrimination-laws/">Australian Law Reform Commission’s</a> job is to provide the federal attorney-general with advice about how to bring the law into line with current social conditions and community needs. It is made up of independent legal experts. </p>
<p>The commission first started looking into the rights of religious schools <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/inquiry/review-into-the-framework-of-religious-exemptions-in-anti-discrimination-legislation/">in 2019</a> at the behest of the Morrison government. </p>
<p>But its <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/inquiry/anti-discrimination-laws/">focus changed in 2022</a>, when the Albanese government asked it to look at what changes were needed to better protect students and staff from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, relationship status or pregnancy.</p>
<p>This debate has been complicated by a <a href="http://researchoutputs.unisa.edu.au/11541.2/141590?_gl=1*3h6hza*_gcl_au*MTg0NjE1MDk3My4xNzA5NTk3NDA5">mix of relevant state and territory laws</a> and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-religious-discrimination-laws-back-in-the-news-and-where-did-they-come-from-in-the-first-place-226220">lack of a special law</a> protecting against discrimination on religious grounds at the federal level.</p>
<h2>What does the report say?</h2>
<p>The report notes many religious schools in Australia already have inclusive enrolment and employment policies and <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/What-We-Heard-ADL2.pdf">do not want</a> to discriminate against students or teachers on any grounds. The commission also highlights the importance of religious faith in the Australian community and says families should be able to continue to choose schools for their children that align with their values and beliefs.</p>
<p>But the commission also notes the laws need changing to make sure religious schools are not given a blanket exemption from the rules designed to protect people against sex discrimination. It follows <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-26/religious-discrimination-bill-lgbtq-students-teachers-religion/100651222">a raft</a> of other inquiries <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/Religiousdiscrimination/Report">documenting accounts</a> of students being expelled from faith-based schools “because they were transgender” or teachers being fired because of their sexual orientation. </p>
<p>The commission found when students or staff are subject to discrimination on the basis of these attributes, it can </p>
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<p>result in tangible harm (such as loss of employment, and economic or social disadvantage) as well as intangible harm (such as undermining a person’s sense of self‑worth, equality, belonging, inclusion, and respect). </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-religious-discrimination-laws-back-in-the-news-and-where-did-they-come-from-in-the-first-place-226220">Why are religious discrimination laws back in the news? And where did they come from in the first place?</a>
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<h2>What does it recommend?</h2>
<p>For these reasons, the commission recommends amending laws so religious schools are subject to the same rules as all other education service providers (including public schools).</p>
<p>This means religious schools can’t deny enrolment to trans students, and can’t expel a kid for having gay parents. It also wants laws clarified so religious schools can’t fire or refuse to hire teachers on the basis of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or pregnancy. </p>
<p>However, at the same time, the commission recommends religious schools should still be able to “<a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ALRC-ADL-Final-Report-142.pdf">build a community of faith</a>”, for example by giving preference when hiring to teachers who share the school’s religion, provided they don’t breach other workplace laws. </p>
<h2>What does this mean for students, teachers and schools?</h2>
<p>If the recommendations become law, not much would change for most schools. For schools in some places, <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/eoa2010250/s83a.html">such as Victoria</a>, this change would simply align state and federal laws. </p>
<p>Religious schools will still be able to <a href="https://theconversation.com/religious-schools-can-build-a-community-of-faith-without-discriminating-the-law-should-reflect-that-200532">maintain their religious character</a> by selecting staff who share their faith. And while the <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ALRC-ADL-Final-Report-142.pdf">recommended changes</a> would remove religious schools’ ability to discriminate directly on certain grounds, such as when hiring staff, a “reasonableness test” would still apply to working out whether other directions or conditions relating to employment are unlawful. </p>
<p>For example, this means a school principal could still ask a teacher to comply with a specific requirement, such as a dress code, if it is reasonable in the circumstances.</p>
<p>This means if the recommendations do become law, religious school administrators would need to check their employment and enrolment policies to review any conditions on staff recruitment (<a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ALRC-ADL-Final-Report-142.pdf">including interns and volunteers</a>. They would also need to check any rules or policies relating to students that could result in a disadvantage for people on the basis of their sexual orientation, orientation, gender identity, relationship status or pregnancy.</p>
<h2>What happens now?</h2>
<p>Although the Australian Law Reform Commission is made of up some of the sharpest legal minds in Australia, it cannot change the law itself. Only federal parliament can do that by passing legislation to implement its recommendations. </p>
<p>At the moment this does not look likely. Earlier this week, <a href="https://theconversation.com/future-of-anthony-albaneses-religious-discrimination-legislation-is-in-peter-duttons-hands-226119">Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said</a> any changes would need bipartisan support before he takes them to parliament. </p>
<p>Coalition members did not make supportive noises. On Tuesday, Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash <a href="https://thewest.com.au/opinion/michaelia-cash-religious-schools-can-be-sued-for-acting-in-good-faith-in-albo-governments-proposed-reforms-c-13994020">asked</a>: “how will religious schools be able to maintain their values?” </p>
<p>This suggests the debate around religious discrimination and schools in Australia will continue. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/future-of-anthony-albaneses-religious-discrimination-legislation-is-in-peter-duttons-hands-226119">Future of Anthony Albanese's religious discrimination legislation is in Peter Dutton's hands</a>
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</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226309/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Moulds has previously received research funding from the Law Foundation of South Australia and the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. She is the volunteer Director of the Rights Resource Network SA and a member of the Australian Discrimination Law Experts Group. </span></em></p>The federal government has just released a long-awaited report about anti-discrimination laws and religious schools in Australia.Sarah Moulds, Senior Lecturer of Law, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256782024-03-15T04:55:19Z2024-03-15T04:55:19ZThere’s an extra $1 billion on the table for NT schools. This could change lives if spent well<p>The federal and Northern Territory governments have just made a “historic” funding <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/anthony-albanese/australian-and-northern-territory-governments-agree-fully-and-fairly-fund-all-nt">announcement</a> of about A$1 billion for schools in the territory. </p>
<p>This includes an extra $737.7 million from the federal government and an extra $350 million from the NT government between 2025 and 2029. This would make the NT only the third Australian jurisdiction (after the ACT and Western Australia) to have “fully funded” public schools. </p>
<p>This means they would get 100% of the “<a href="https://www.education.gov.au/recurrent-funding-schools/schooling-resource-standard">Schooling Resource Standard</a>” which was set up through the so-called Gonski reforms more than a decade ago. This determines how much funding schools get based on student needs. </p>
<p>Federal Education Minister Jason Clare <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/anthony-albanese/australian-and-northern-territory-governments-agree-fully-and-fairly-fund-all-nt">described</a> the announcement as a “historic day for public education in the Northern Territory”.</p>
<p>What is the funding for? What do NT schools and students need?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-more-money-is-flagged-for-wa-schools-what-does-fully-funded-really-mean-222400">As more money is flagged for WA schools, what does 'fully funded' really mean?</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is the funding for?</h2>
<p>Governments say the funding will provide more resources to improve education outcomes in the NT. Funding will go to the most disadvantaged schools first. It also comes on top of <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/king/new-investment-support-better-safer-future-central-australia">$40.4 million</a> dedicated specifically to Central Australian schools in last year’s federal budget. </p>
<p>We already know NT schools need extra support. </p>
<p>Late last month, the NT government released a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-29/nt-government-to-scrap-middle-schools-after-education-review/103530292#">review of secondary education</a> in the territory, produced with Deloitte Access Economics in partnership with Charles Darwin University. </p>
<p>It <a href="https://education.nt.gov.au/reviews-and-consultations/review-of-secondary-education-in-the-northern-territory">found</a> the territory’s education system had higher needs for specialised support for students and teachers than the rest of Australia. </p>
<p>These include high proportions of cultural and linguistic diversity. The territory has the highest proportion of students identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in Australia (39%). There are than 100 Aboriginal and about 87 other languages spoken in the region.</p>
<p>The population is also extremely geographically dispersed with at least 66% in remote or very remote communities.</p>
<p>There are also high levels of socioeconomic and educational disadvantage. For example, a <a href="https://education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1173064/review-of-effective-enrolment-final-report.PDF">2022 report</a> for the territory’s education department noted average household income in very remote areas of the NT was approximately 45% lower than the rest of Australia. </p>
<p>On top of this, there are significant <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-18/department-of-education-nt-redeploy-former-teachers/103363310">teacher shortages</a>. </p>
<h2>The importance of student attendance</h2>
<p>Funding is going to need to be flexible so schools can implement programs that meet their local needs. </p>
<p>This includes addressing student attendance at school, which remains a significant issue in the NT. In 2022, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-14/nt-school-attendance-funding-effective-enrolment/102215672">the overall attendance rate</a> was 73% for public schools and 48% for very remote public schools. This rate refers to the proportion of time students attend school, compared to the time they are expected to attend.</p>
<p>The current NT government student <a href="https://education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1058421/northern-territory-education-engagement-strategy-2022-2031.pdf">engagement strategy</a> found we need to address attendance through local programs, developed at the school level with support from education department teams. Ruth was the Chair of the Expert Reference Panel for this project. </p>
<p>The strategy was developed through extensive consultation with Indigenous communities and recognises students’ educational outcomes depends on four key areas: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>partnership between families and schools</p></li>
<li><p>having educators with the skills to engage students</p></li>
<li><p>meaningful learning experiences</p></li>
<li><p>supporting students’ wellbeing, inclusion and diversity. </p></li>
</ol>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-accord-theres-a-push-to-increase-indigenous-students-and-voices-in-higher-education-but-we-need-more-detail-and-funding-224739">Universities Accord: there's a push to increase Indigenous students and voices in higher education. But we need more detail and funding</a>
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<h2>But we need more certainty</h2>
<p>It is important to point out governments have so far only signed a “statement of intent”. This means there is no formal commitment yet to this funding. </p>
<p>And we don’t have any certainty beyond 2029. </p>
<p>The statement of intent is part of ongoing negotiations this year for a new <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-national-school-reform-agreement-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-school-funding-202847">National School Reform Agreement</a>. This agreement will outline new policies for education reform from 2025. As part of this, all states and territories are making bilateral arrangements with the federal government over funding for their school systems. </p>
<p>We also need to acknowledge decades of educational underfunding cannot be reversed in four years. The funding levels required to improve <a href="https://education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1061386/education-NT-strategy-2021-2025.pdf">targets</a> around key elements such as early literacy skills, school attendance, NAPLAN results and Year 12 attainment need to be assessed (and potentially changed) through to and beyond 2029.</p>
<h2>How do we make sure funding works?</h2>
<p>The $1 billion flagged by governments will be fundamental to improving educational outcomes in the territory. Current funding arrangements are likely to continue cycles of disadvantage.</p>
<p>But ultimately, investment in NT students is more than just funding. It is about recognising and catering to the complex and unique nature of the educational environment, with culturally relevant teachers and high quality resources. This also needs to include culturally relevant assessment and reporting about student progress. </p>
<p>This – combined with funding certainty – would signal there is a long-term and genuine commitment to future of the NT and our children.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-national-school-reform-agreement-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-school-funding-202847">What is the National School Reform Agreement and what does it have to do with school funding?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225678/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Through Charles Darwin University, Ruth Wallace works with the Northern Territory government and the federal government on a project basis. Ruth was a chief investigator in the NT Secondary Review and chair of the Expert Advisory Panel of the Effective Engagement Review both of which are mentioned in this article. The work is independent of NT government influence. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Through Charles Darwin University, Tracy Woodroffe works with the Northern Territory government and the federal government on a project basis. The work is independent of government influence.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sally Knipe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The federal and NT governments have just made a ‘historic’ funding announcement of about $1 billion for schools in the territory.Ruth Wallace, Director, Northern Institute, Charles Darwin UniversitySally Knipe, Associate Professor Education, Charles Darwin UniversityTracy Woodroffe, 2024 ACSES First Nations Fellow, Senior Lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges, Charles Darwin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2241662024-03-10T06:42:33Z2024-03-10T06:42:33ZHappy smiling African children: why school tourism in Zimbabwe shouldn’t be encouraged<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578562/original/file-20240228-26-doqnyj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Children will often sing and dance for visiting tourists.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pascal Deloche/GODONG</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A large, air-conditioned bus draws up outside a school. Tourists, most from Europe and the US, disembark, cameras at the ready. Some have brought gifts: packages of pens and pencils. They distribute these to the children, who spontaneously begin singing and dancing. </p>
<p>This scene and others like it play out in schools around the world. It’s called school tourism. It’s similar to <a href="https://theconversation.com/modern-slavery-and-tourism-when-holidays-and-human-exploitation-collide-78541">orphanage tourism</a> and so-called <a href="https://theconversation.com/slumming-it-how-tourism-is-putting-the-worlds-poorest-places-on-the-map-61320">“slum” tourism</a>, in which tourists visit orphanages or “slums” in poor countries to witness poverty and suffering. These sorts of tourism come with several ethical problems: photography of unconsenting children and adults, intrusions on people’s private lives, daily interruptions to children’s routines and issues of child protection.</p>
<p>Tourists visit a school for between two and three hours. They usually enter classrooms, photograph children and sometimes watch cultural displays like singing and dancing. These tours are generally part of an arrangement with a tourism company but exist in a multitude of forms globally. As an example, a school tour often sits within the itinerary of a tour of southern Africa, or alongside wildlife tourism ventures.</p>
<p>In Zimbabwe, schools have arrangements with tourism companies that enable funding for infrastructure and sponsorship of children. In Matabeleland North, close to Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls) and Hwange National Park, for example, 19 out of 20 companies <a href="https://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ass/article/view/26974">interviewed by researchers in 2012</a> provided some sort of support, sponsorship or infrastructure to schools in nearby areas. </p>
<p>These partnerships are often in conjunction with an exchange of philanthropic funding for access to their school. This phenomenon has also been reported in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09669582.2019.1643871">Fiji, Zambia</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738321000906">Kenya, Ethiopia</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13683500.2010.540314">Mozambique</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/zimbabwes-shattered-economy-poses-a-serious-challenge-to-fighting-covid-19-135066">Zimbabwe’s economic troubles</a>, including severe hyper-inflation, are <a href="https://theconversation.com/inflation-is-spiking-in-zimbabwe-again-why-high-interest-rates-arent-the-answer-187362">well documented</a>. Schools are poorly resourced and, in government schools, teachers are often unpaid or <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/africa_zimbabwe-teachers-reject-promised-salary-increase-far-too-low/6198233.html">earn below the poverty line</a>.</p>
<p>I am a Zimbabwean-born Australian woman and a trained secondary school teacher. In 2015, I was working with a school in Zimbabwe as part of my university degree and witnessed this tourism myself. In 2019, as part of my doctoral research, I spent one term at a school in Matabeleland North. It received 129 visits from tourist groups that year alone. </p>
<p>During my time there I talked with teachers, tourism workers and NGO staff. I also asked students to draw <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02508281.2022.2133812">pictures of their experiences of tourism</a>. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17508487.2023.2286230">a recently published article</a> I contribute to the growing field of research about how schools funded by tourism operate. I offer a critique of how an image of “Africa” is reproduced for the tourist gaze, and the fact that images shared by tourists after their visits further inculcate damaging tropes of the African continent as a place only of extreme poverty and neediness. Schools funded by tourism become a mirror of the tourism industry. </p>
<h2>The study</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17508487.2023.2286230">My research identified</a> the sorts of images involved in marketing of tourism that portray a static and cliched <a href="https://theconversation.com/ordinary-peoples-stories-can-change-the-worlds-views-about-africa-48597">image of “Africa”</a>. This includes landscapes filled with animals, extreme poverty, white women and men dressed for safari and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-00607-7">images of Maasai men</a> herding cattle. Smiling, happy children are another part of the image.</p>
<p>The tourism workers I interviewed tried to prevent the continuation of these images by presenting counter-narratives of how Zimbabweans live. But they were not always successful. This is partly due to the structured nature of mass tourism initiatives: tourists are sold an itinerary and this must be followed. Since the school tours are part of broader tours of southern Africa, the school and tourism workers felt a need to conform to a particular image – and this involved interactions with happy children. When teachers and schools feel a need to conform to a particular image, their actions and choices are constrained.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/changing-the-african-narrative-through-social-media-platforms-97097">Changing the African narrative through social media platforms</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The school I worked with had different arrangements with three tourism companies. One donated US$200 in cash on every visit. Another had promised to build one classroom block. The third company actually founded the school, providing teachers’ salaries and significant infrastructure development. Some tourists had also donated larger pieces of infrastructure, such as the materials for a borehole and electrical connections to the main grid.</p>
<h2>The findings</h2>
<p>The school tours are disruptive to students and staff. They are a diversion from the usual routines of the school. One teacher said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Sometimes you may be called, maybe you did not know that there are visitors coming and they just want to come in at that particular time … Then you are called off the lesson and the time does not wait for you. It goes and that subject is being interrupted. Then you are no longer going to be able to move onto the next subject now. Since you had already introduced the previous lesson, you will not leave it in the air, you have to finish it, so the next subject now is being disturbed.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-close-up-look-at-what-happens-when-tourists-and-maasai-communities-meet-84095">A close-up look at what happens when tourists and Maasai communities meet</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>The school in my study found it difficult to balance the perceived needs of the tourists and the institution’s needs. As one of the school leaders put it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We have to look at it in the sense that, yes, it is taking time: it is probably asking the kids to do something that they would not just usually do when meeting someone. But you have to look at the guest side of things, and also think, these are the people who are helping us. Potential helpers, some are already helping, what are (the tourists) taking away?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The children were <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02508281.2022.2133812">highly aware of the need to please the tourists</a>, whom they saw as fulfilling a particular need. Tawanda, aged 10, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I would prefer to come to school which has visitors because they will be helping us. When there are no books, they will be paying, they will be giving us some money, and we buy some books. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Teachers worried that some groups would donate less if they weren’t able to interact with children.</p>
<h2>What should be done</h2>
<p>Ideally, school tours should not occur at all. However, due to Zimbabwe’s economic instability, schools are becoming increasingly resourceful to find avenues for additional funding. Although they are not a perfect solution, philanthropic partnerships need to exist.</p>
<p>My research does not suggest that people should avoid visiting Zimbabwe as a whole and I do not want to suggest that philanthropic funding of schools is necessarily bad. Rather, it is important to seek out tourism experiences that do not homogenise culture and cultural experiences. Tourists should also consider the itinerary of any tours they book and aim to avoid companies that offer school tours.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224166/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathleen Smithers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A school tour often sits within the itinerary of a tour of southern Africa, or alongside wildlife tourism ventures.Kathleen Smithers, Lecturer, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2211552024-03-07T13:03:45Z2024-03-07T13:03:45ZWhy schools need to take sun safety more seriously – expert explains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577546/original/file-20240223-16-azytla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=37%2C0%2C4195%2C2788&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The World Health Organization recommends formal school programmes as the key to preventing skin cancer.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-boy-having-sunscreen-applied-339150182">Paul Higley/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Despite the UK’s rainy climate, there is a one in six <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ski2.61">risk</a> of developing skin cancer. Children, especially, should take extra care as severe sunburn as a youngster more than <a href="https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/sunburn/">doubles</a> the chance of developing skin cancer later on. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ced/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ced/llad458/7507665">new research</a> my colleagues and I conducted shows that less than half of primary schools in Wales have a formal sun safety policy.</p>
<p>With skin cancer rates continuing to rise by <a href="https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/medical_specialties/dermatology/">8% annually</a> in England and Wales, it’s a problem that’s not going away and the disease now accounts for half of all cancers. In 2020 alone, the cost of treating skin cancer in England was <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23554510/">estimated</a> to be more than £180 million.</p>
<p>There is hope, though. It is estimated that around <a href="https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts">90% of skin cancers</a> are due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure from the sun. This means they can be prevented through safer behaviour. </p>
<p>In the UK, though, many people still <a href="https://academic.oup.com/her/article/20/5/579/611761">underestimate</a> the link between sunburn and skin cancer. Research paints a worrying picture, revealing disparities in sun protection awareness and behaviour across different groups. Notably, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/her/article/20/5/579/611761">men</a>, people living in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26875569/">low-income neighbourhoods</a>, those belonging to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/her/article/20/5/579/611761">lower socioeconomic groups</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28125871/">people of colour</a> are often found to be less informed about sun safety and are more likely to put themselves at risk. </p>
<p>With childhood a crucial time for learning healthy behaviour, teaching all children from a young age about sun protection could be one way to reduce future skin cancer rates. And the <a href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/42678/9241590629_v1.pdf?sequence=1">World Health Organization</a> recommends formal school programmes as the key to prevention. </p>
<p>Overall, school-based interventions have been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743521000438">shown</a> to positively influence sun safe knowledge and behaviour. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyt105">schools in Australia</a> with written policies show better sun protection practices than those without.</p>
<p>But in UK schools, the situation varies. The UK government’s Department for Education has issued <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/physical-health-and-mental-wellbeing-primary-and-secondary#by-the-end-of-primary-school">statutory guidance</a> for England that children should leave primary school knowing about sun safety and how to reduce the risk of getting skin cancer. </p>
<p>In Scotland and Northern Ireland, it is not a legal requirement to teach sun safety in schools. And in Wales, while sun safety is recommended as part of the Welsh Network of Healthy Schools scheme, again there is no mandatory requirement to have a sun safety policy or to teach skin cancer prevention. Nor are there central UK resources provided to help schools in this area. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The red, peeling sunburnt back and shoulders of a young girl." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578006/original/file-20240226-21-2xd3jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578006/original/file-20240226-21-2xd3jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578006/original/file-20240226-21-2xd3jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578006/original/file-20240226-21-2xd3jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578006/original/file-20240226-21-2xd3jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578006/original/file-20240226-21-2xd3jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578006/original/file-20240226-21-2xd3jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Being severely sunburnt as a youngster more than doubles the chance of developing future skin cancer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dangerous-sunburn-shoulders-young-girl-601094933">Alonafoto/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>My colleagues and I wanted to know how many schools have a sun safety policy, a formal document that sets out a school’s position with respect to the education and provision of sun safety. We also wanted to understand whether the existence of a policy varied by area or school characteristic, and what support schools need. </p>
<p>In 2022, we sent a survey to all 1,241 primary schools in Wales. In total, 471 schools responded. </p>
<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>We found that only 39% of responding schools had a formal sun safety policy. And of these, not all enforced them. Schools that had more children receiving free school meals and with lower attendance rates were less likely to have a sun safety policy.</p>
<p>We asked schools that did not have a policy to tell us the reasons why not. Thirty-five per cent of schools were “not aware of the need”, while 27% of schools had “not got around to it just yet”. Thirty schools (13%) said that a sun safety policy was not a priority at this time. Clearly, there is work to be done on raising awareness among schools and school leaders on the role they can play in this area.</p>
<p>Of course, schools are busy places. So, when asked to indicate what would encourage them to create a sun safety policy, 73% of schools said assistance with development, while 56% said resources to aid the teaching of sun safety. </p>
<p>Previously both Cancer Research UK and the Wales-based Tenovus Cancer Care charities have offered support and guidelines for schools but this support is no longer easily available. The England-based charity <a href="https://www.skcin.org/ourWork/sunSafeSchools.htm">Sckin</a> has a comprehensive and free sun-safe schools accreditation scheme. Some schools told us they based their policies on resources supplied by the local authority, but this was not consistent across Wales.</p>
<p>UV levels will soon rise in the UK and now is the time for schools to start thinking about sun protection. Having a formal sun safety school policy sets out the position of the school when it comes to sun safety. When enforced and communicated properly, this makes it clear to everyone (governors, teachers, carers and pupils) their individual responsibilities when it comes to staying safe. </p>
<p>But with fewer than half of schools in Wales having formal policies, and not all enforced, awareness of the importance of this issue and the potential role of schools is lacking. </p>
<p>It is therefore time for sun safety policies to become mandatory for primary schools across the UK. This could help to improve knowledge and behaviour for all age groups. But adequate support and guidance must be also given to schools to help them educate children about sun safety and protect them while they are at school.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221155/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie Peconi received funding for the Sunproofed Study from Health and Care Research Wales through a Health Research Grant Award. She is also a volunteer with the charity Skin Care Cymru, a charity working to raise the profile of skin health in Wales. </span></em></p>Being severely sunburnt as a child more than doubles the chance of developing future skin cancer but less than half of primary schools questioned in new research have a sun safety policy.Julie Peconi, Senior Research Officer in Health Data Science, Swansea UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2250732024-03-05T19:11:23Z2024-03-05T19:11:23ZWhat do schools need to do to have a good culture and healthy approach to gender?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579760/original/file-20240305-30-fyf43w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=58%2C84%2C5304%2C3648&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/assorted-color-neckties-Xy6FpnFyVjo">Rhin Photography/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cranbrook in Sydney’s east is one of the most elite boys schools in Australia. On Monday night, the ABC’s Four Corners program <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-04/cranbrook-school-coed-boys-school-culture-four-corners/103516686">aired claims</a> some female teachers had been bullied by male staff and sexually harassed by students. </p>
<p>Amid the school’s decision to go <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/inevitable-step-forward-cranbrook-s-high-school-to-become-fully-co-ed-20220727-p5b53q.html">fully co-ed</a> by 2028, there are concerns about whether Cranbrook will be a safe space for girls. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24453697/statement-from-cranbrook-school-to-four-corners.pdf">statement to the ABC</a>, Cranbrook said its “current staff, including female staff, overwhelmingly support the School, its values and its culture”. It also said it has appointed teacher Daisy Turnbull to prepare for coeducation and “support the furtherance of gender equality” at the school.</p>
<p>What do schools need to do in order to be genuinely gender inclusive?</p>
<h2>Sexist school cultures</h2>
<p>In the last few years, a number of boys private schools have faced allegations of unacceptable gendered cultures. This includes <a href="https://www.teachusconsent.com/testimonies">sexual assault perpetrated by students</a>, <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/knox-grammar-students-were-caught-sending-offensive-messages-activists-say-its-not-an-isolated-issue/59nog69it">offensive behaviour online</a> and <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/elite-melbourne-school-apologises-over-students-misogynistic-chant-filmed-on-train-090745188.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJVOEl0I_K8QJXtmsLC6ZrzJ59N2BcgwJSZII8cLL1OoHYCzepueJZh6GOzPJ5xFoHoz4AtmAS4hksYYrqAs7xN899h-gJfT55FdHujgy7IGBPZ6GjdbK5vxsTzjG8roAJ8jdqC-PNRzQ1RdrwudNhJ721ks6M1gMkE6KCfZTwrW">in public</a> and woefully inadequate <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-20/trinity-grammar-students-raped-other-students-royal-commission/7949060">responses to sexual assault and violence</a> between students.</p>
<p>Previous <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540253.2010.549114">Australian research </a> has also found elite boys schools can be hostile places for women and girls, trans and gender diverse students, as well as boys who don’t conform to traditional norms of masculinity. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-we-have-single-sex-schools-whats-the-history-behind-one-of-the-biggest-debates-in-education-222603">Why do we have single sex schools? What's the history behind one of the biggest debates in education?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It’s not enough to simply go co-ed</h2>
<p>Simply enrolling girls will not automatically make a boys school more inclusive, less sexist or safer. </p>
<p>Schools aiming to truly welcome a wider range of students will need to significantly reshape the structures and culture of the school itself, both within and beyond the classroom. </p>
<p>The World Health Organization has <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/health-promoting-schools#tab=tab_1">developed a framework</a> to ensure schools are healthy and safe. It addresses three overlapping areas: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>teaching and learning </p></li>
<li><p>the broader school environment</p></li>
<li><p>partnerships with parents and the community.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>This approach can be applied to gender equity and inclusivity. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A boy in a school uniform raises his hard. A female teacher points to a map on a board." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579765/original/file-20240305-28-b9gwh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579765/original/file-20240305-28-b9gwh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579765/original/file-20240305-28-b9gwh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579765/original/file-20240305-28-b9gwh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579765/original/file-20240305-28-b9gwh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579765/original/file-20240305-28-b9gwh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579765/original/file-20240305-28-b9gwh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Research has found elite boys school can be hostile places for women and girls.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/teacher-discussing-her-lesson-about-geography-8926556/">Thirdman/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Teaching and learning</h2>
<p>The first component of a healthy school involves what students learn and the approaches and strategies used to teach it. </p>
<p>Schools that are gender equitable provide diverse curricula and equally diverse extra-curricular opportunities accessible to all students, regardless of gender. </p>
<p>There are all kinds of boys and all kinds of girls. So even single sex schools should be catering to students with a wide range of skills, interests, preferences and experiences. Likewise, there are students who are trans and non-binary, who may be excluded from school activities divided along narrow gender lines.</p>
<p>Some co-ed schools still segregate boys and girls for certain subjects. This approach upholds the idea that boys and girls learn differently and that some topics (such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-needs-to-be-talked-about-earlier-some-children-get-periods-at-8-years-before-menstruation-is-taught-at-school-222887">menstruation</a>) are too awkward to discuss in mixed-gendered groups.</p>
<p>Some schools choose to segregate classrooms to improve girls’ opportunities in areas they have been traditionally underrepresented in. While this can spring from feminist recognition of gender inequalities, it reaffirms the very divides it is attempting to challenge.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-another-elite-boys-school-goes-co-ed-are-single-sex-schools-becoming-an-endangered-species-187857">As another elite boys' school goes co-ed, are single-sex schools becoming an endangered species?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Gender equity across the curriculum</h2>
<p>The current <a href="https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au">Australian Curriculum</a> provides opportunities to engage young people in discussions about gender stereotypes and power in age-appropriate ways, in both primary and high school. </p>
<p>In English, students should <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.839260623382501">meet diverse characters</a> that challenge traditional gender roles and inequality. </p>
<p>Science, technology, engineering and maths subjects can <a href="https://naerjournal.com/article/view/v12n1-1">foster enthusiasm for STEM-related</a> content and careers, through hands-on classroom activities that encourage critical thinking and build confidence. </p>
<p>In health and physical education, comprehensive <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14681811.2022.2140133">sexualities and relationships education</a> should be a priority and include discussions of gender, power, violence, consent and healthy relationships.</p>
<p>Teachers’ values and attitudes about gender will also be reflected in their <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378129448_An_approach_to_developing_shared_understandings_of_consent_with_young_people">everyday teaching routines and practices</a>. This includes whether or not they address students through gendered language, divide students into gendered groups for activities or discipline boys and girls differently. </p>
<p>So teachers also need support and quality professional development to keep pace with evolving understandings of gender and <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d8c2136980d9708b9ba5cd3/t/5e7bf4729801234d8a1f39ec/1585181817564/FactSheet_SupportingYTP.pdf">gender diversity</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of young women play basketball on an indoor court." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579763/original/file-20240305-24-q62h9n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579763/original/file-20240305-24-q62h9n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579763/original/file-20240305-24-q62h9n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579763/original/file-20240305-24-q62h9n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579763/original/file-20240305-24-q62h9n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579763/original/file-20240305-24-q62h9n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579763/original/file-20240305-24-q62h9n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There should be a variety of extra-curricular opportunities available to all genders.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/female-playing-basketball-lbTEVIn6Kqw">Jeffrey F Lin/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The broader school environment</h2>
<p>The second component of a healthy school is the school culture. School leaders should use respectful and inclusive language and there should be strong policies to deal with child-protection concerns, gender-based discrimination and violence at school.</p>
<p>Research indicates that, unlike other forms of bullying, <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/978-1-137-52302-0#aboutBook">gender-based violence is often overlooked</a> or ignored by staff. Sexist language and behaviours can be dismissed as “just a normal part of growing up” and so become a routine part of young people’s schooling experiences.</p>
<p>School staff should also feel valued, respected and safe in their workplace regardless of their sex, gender or sexuality. Unfortunately, evidence indicates this is not always the case. A 2018 survey found <a href="https://www.nswtf.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/LGBTIQA-teachers-experiences-of-workplace-discrimination-and-disadvantage.pdf">43% of NSW LGBTIQA teachers</a> reported experiences of discrimination in the workplace. Australian research published in 2020 found women teachers were experiencing unacceptably high rates of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540253.2021.1962516">sexual harassment in elite boys schools</a>.</p>
<p>School leaders have a duty to ensure their schools have robust policies and processes for responding to disclosures of harassment and discrimination from staff. They also need to pursue <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1741143215617946">evidence-informed</a> cultural change to ensure a safe work environment. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-reports-some-students-are-making-sexual-moaning-noises-at-school-heres-how-parents-and-teachers-can-respond-220136">There are reports some students are making sexual moaning noises at school. Here's how parents and teachers can respond</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Involve students</h2>
<p>Students can be active partners in developing an inclusive school community and can even help <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378129448_An_approach_to_developing_shared_understandings_of_consent_with_young_people">co-design curricula</a> relating to gender, overcoming biases and developing healthy relationships. </p>
<p>Student diversity should also be reflected through gender-balanced representation in student leadership roles. Student initiatives around gender equality and LGBTQIA+ visibility, such as <a href="https://www.gsaconnect.org.au/">gender and sexuality alliances</a>, should also be supported.</p>
<p>School uniforms should provide options so all young people feel safe and comfortable in what they wear at school.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-cant-i-wear-a-dress-what-schools-can-learn-from-preschools-about-supporting-trans-children-223859">'Why can't I wear a dress?' What schools can learn from preschools about supporting trans children</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Partnerships and services</h2>
<p>The third and final part of a healthy school looks beyond the school gates. Schools should see parents as partners and celebrate diversity in the community. </p>
<p>Parents should be invited to ask questions about curriculum and school culture and to raise concerns or lend expertise. School policies should be publicly available and regularly reviewed with student and parent input.</p>
<p>Schools can also work with organisations that promote gender equity, diversity and promote healthy relationships such as <a href="https://education.ourwatch.org.au/taking-action-in-your-school/">Our Watch</a>, <a href="https://www.fpnsw.org.au/education-training/courses-school-teachers">Family Planning</a> and <a href="https://twenty10.org.au/prism-orgsschools/">Twenty10</a>. </p>
<p>These organisations can support schools’ counselling and pastoral care services and provide resources and training for teachers. </p>
<h2>All schools can adopt this model</h2>
<p>While boys schools have been the focus of recent media attention all schools should be called upon to evaluate and reflect on their gendered culture. </p>
<p>Co-ed and girls schools are not immune to gender-based violence, sexism, homophobia and transphobia. </p>
<p>A whole-of-school review of curricula, school culture and partnerships can help schools ensure they are creating inclusive and respectful environments. This work is urgent if we aspire to a society where all students and teachers are safe in our schools.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225073/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kellie Burns has previously received funding from the University of Sydney Equity Prize</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Kean receives funding from the Australian Research Council for the Special Research Initiative 'Australian Boys: Beyond the Boy Problem'.</span></em></p>Enrolling girls will not automatically make a boys school more inclusive. Schools need to look at things such as what is taught, extra-curricular activities and support for students.Kellie Burns, Senior Lecturer in Health Education, University of SydneyJessica Kean, Lecturer in Gender and Cultural Studies, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2242342024-02-29T22:55:50Z2024-02-29T22:55:50ZBeyond the cafeteria: The economic case for investing in school meals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578771/original/file-20240228-18-mnuihk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=66%2C8%2C5492%2C3692&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An investment in a national school food program today is an investment in a stronger Canada tomorrow.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The return on investing in universal school meals is clear. According to our new report, universal free school meals (breakfast and lunch for students regardless of income) have <a href="https://amberleyruetz.ca/assets/uploads/ruetz-consulting_the-economic-rationale-for-investing-in-school-meal-programs-for-canada.pdf">2.5 to seven times the return</a> in human health and economic benefits in comparable high-income countries. </p>
<p>The quality of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2017-0125">student diets in Canada across all socio-economic backgrounds is poor</a>, with only a small fraction meeting <a href="https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/">Canada’s Food Guide recommendations</a>. </p>
<p>Studies have shown that school-provided meals offer higher nutritional quality compared to home-packed lunches in many countries, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980012000699">Canada</a>, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1941406411399124">United States</a>, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114510001601">United Kingdom</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2018.29">Denmark</a>. </p>
<p>A national school food program would join <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/campaigns/child-care.html">Canada’s universal child care program</a> and the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview.html">Canada child benefit</a> as a crucial social support, bringing immediate relief to families while also delivering several short to long-term economic and social benefits. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustrated graphic titled 'the missing piece in existing social policies: national school food program'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Universal free school meals have 2.5 to seven times the return in human health and economic benefits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Immediate relief to household budgets</h2>
<p>Healthy food has become unaffordable for many Canadian families. In 2023, Canadians <a href="https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sites/agri-food/Canada%27s%20Food%20Price%20Report%202023_Digital.pdf">spent less on food</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/inflation-is-down-overall-so-why-are-my-grocery-bills-still-going-up-210122">despite rampant cost increases</a>, and this is only predicted to get worse.</p>
<p>The 2024 Canada’s Food Price Report anticipates <a href="https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sites/agri-food/EN_CANADA%27S%20FOOD%20PRICE%20REPORT%202024.pdf">an annual increase of $701 in food costs</a> per four-person household, which means Canadian families can expect to spend $16,297 on groceries this year.</p>
<p>Universal school meals could <a href="https://amberleyruetz.ca/assets/uploads/ruetz-consulting_the-economic-rationale-for-investing-in-school-meal-programs-for-canada.pdf">save families between $129 and $189 per child per month on grocery bills</a>, according to our report. </p>
<p>Universal school meals would put more money back into the pockets of Canadians, helping them keep up with the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/the-grind-submissions-1.7043269">increased cost of living</a> and allowing them to afford healthy meals when their children are not in school.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Universal school meals could save families between $129 and $189 per child per month on grocery bills.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Sweden, one study found that participation in a universal free school lunch program led to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/restud/rdab028">permanent household income increase of 2.6 per cent</a>. </p>
<p>Importantly, this permanent increase was not attributed to reduced household food expenditures, meaning school meals can help increase affordability in the short-term and increase household incomes in the mid-term. </p>
<h2>Supporting women in the workforce</h2>
<p>Preparing healthy school lunches is tough when parents work long hours. Universal free school meals support parents — particularly <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1209763245/globally-women-are-cooking-twice-as-many-meals-as-men">women, who often spend more time making meals</a> — <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030911">by saving money and time, reducing financial stress, and guaranteeing kids eat well at school</a>. </p>
<p>This allows women to focus better at work, reduces interruptions and helps them achieve a healthier work-life balance, leading to increased productivity and career advancement opportunities.</p>
<p>In fact, the same Swedish study that was previously mentioned found that access to a universal free school lunch program increased mothers’ labour market participation by five per cent.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustrated graphic that lists the benefits of universal food programs on housholds and families" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">School food programs support families and especially women, who often spend more time making meals than men do.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In China, the introduction of school lunches led to a <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11956/185233">nine to 14 per cent increase in mothers’ working hours per week</a>, with the greatest increases among low-income mothers and mothers in rural communities.</p>
<p>Overall, this means that in addition to increasing household income, universal free school meals can increase women’s workforce participation, thereby supporting gender equality, individual economic prosperity and national economic growth. </p>
<h2>Increasing earnings, reducing inequality</h2>
<p>In the long-term, universal free school lunches can also improve children’s health, academic performance and subsequent economic outcomes throughout life. </p>
<p>The previously mentioned Swedish study found that students exposed to a school lunch program throughout the entirety of primary school had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/restud/rdab028">three per cent higher lifetime earnings</a> compared to students that did not participate due to improved nutritional health and education outcomes. </p>
<p>Among children from households in the lowest income bracket, access to free school lunches led to a six per cent increase in lifetime earnings. The program had the greatest positive impact on students from low-income households, showcasing the role school meals can play in reducing socioeconomic inequalities in adulthood.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustrated graphic of a bar graph demonstrating that students’ lifetime earnings when they have access to a universal school food program" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In Sweden, access to universal free lunch increased students’ lifetime earnings, creating more equitable societies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Growing Canada’s agri-food economy</h2>
<p>Universal school meals can also support the Canadian agri-food sector. A national program has the potential to stimulate the <a href="https://sciencepolicy.ca/posts/national-school-food-program-a-short-term-opportunity-for-jobs-creation-and-economic-growth-2/">creation of as many as 207,700 jobs</a>. </p>
<p>Investments in school meal programs in <a href="https://www.choicesmagazine.org/UserFiles/file/cmsarticle_565.pdf">the U.S.</a> have led to the creation of jobs in food service, agriculture and nutrition and program administration, fuelling economic growth while curbing unemployment. </p>
<p>Furthermore, by adopting a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2012.0023">farm-to-school approach similar to that in the U.S.</a>, Canada could support local farmers and suppliers. According to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, every dollar allocated to such programs generates an additional <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.338161">$1.30 to $2.60 in local economic activity</a>. </p>
<p>Similarly, in British Columbia, every dollar allocated to procuring provincially grown food for public institutions yields a <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/growbc-feedbc-buybc/feed-bc-and-the-bc-food-hub-network#">twofold return to the economy</a>, showcasing the significant economic benefits of supporting local agriculture.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustrated graphic of a school with a farmer on one side and a vegetable stand on the other, with arrows leading from the school to both" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">School food programs can support local farmers and food businesses and contribute to Canada’s agrifood sector.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>School food programs are recognized internationally as <a href="https://executiveboard.wfp.org/document_download/WFP-0000038526">one of the most successful drivers of health and education among schoolchildren and increased productivity</a> when they become working adults, as reported by the World Food Programme. </p>
<p>Our new research summarizes the <a href="https://amberleyruetz.ca/assets/uploads/ruetz-consulting_the-economic-rationale-for-investing-in-school-meal-programs-for-canada.pdf">strong economic rationale for investing in school meal programs</a> in Canada. Universal school meals can not only provide immediate relief to families, but also build a legacy of improved public health and economic prosperity for generations to come. </p>
<p>An investment in a national school food program today is an investment in a stronger Canada tomorrow.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224234/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amberley T. Ruetz receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Arrell Family Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Flora Zhang receives funding from the Arrell Family Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gabrielle Edwards receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Arrell Family Foundation. </span></em></p>From reducing families’ grocery bills to boosting the economy, school meals offer far-reaching benefits, fostering both immediate well-being and long-term economic prosperity.Amberley T. Ruetz, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of SaskatchewanFlora Zhang, Master of Public Health Student, University of TorontoGabrielle Edwards, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of GothenburgLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2238592024-02-22T19:20:31Z2024-02-22T19:20:31Z‘Why can’t I wear a dress?’ What schools can learn from preschools about supporting trans children<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576943/original/file-20240221-22-vpe08q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=58%2C109%2C5515%2C3480&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/red-white-and-green-color-pencils-O2u6gA2esAI"> Alexander Grey/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A new group of young children has just started school for the first time, with many excited about new friends, uniforms and being at “big school”. </p>
<p>But for trans kids, starting school can be a much more daunting process. </p>
<p>They have likely gone from preschools and daycare where they had the freedom to wear what they want and play what they want, whether that was dinosaurs, dolls or dress ups. The boy who likes to be Rapunzel was probably viewed as “cute” and the girl always playing pirates was encouraged to do so. </p>
<p>But school culture is much more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12540">cisnormative</a>. This means schools tend to assume children can be sorted into boys and girls and everyone is comfortable in what category they are in. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-it-mean-to-be-cisgender-103159">Explainer: what does it mean to be 'cisgender'?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>You can see this in formal ways, with boys’ and girls’ uniforms and toilets and in informal ways, with boys and girls making different friendship groups and playing different games at lunch.</p>
<p>This makes it difficult for trans children to feel as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681221121710">though they belong</a> at school. Trans students often have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.11.008">lower levels of wellbeing</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2012.732546">lower educational outcomes</a> than non-trans students.</p>
<p>My research looks at what schools can learn from preschools and other early learning settings such as daycare centres about how to support trans students.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/4-out-of-5-parents-support-teaching-gender-and-sexuality-diversity-in-australian-schools-176787">4 out of 5 parents support teaching gender and sexuality diversity in Australian schools</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>My research</h2>
<p>In 2023 I partnered with P-TYE, an advocacy network for parents of trans children. The study, which is currently in peer review, looked at how we can integrate support for trans children across a range of services including education, medical and mental health. </p>
<p>Through P-TYE and wider networks, we recruited 12 families with trans children. The children had an average age of 13 and had been recognised as trans between two and ten years. </p>
<p>Though interviews, I spoke to them about their experiences of childcare and school. Three themes emerged.</p>
<h2>1. The importance of being ‘child-centred’</h2>
<p>Early education services are “child-centred”. This means educators are trained to place a child’s “belonging, becoming and being” at the centre of their curriculum (as per the <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-law-regulations/approved-learning-frameworks">Early Years Learning Framework</a>). This includes freely exploring gender and their identity. </p>
<p>As one parent told us their trans girl “had an incredible teacher” for preschool</p>
<blockquote>
<p>who’d take old curtains and make things […] these three-tiered skirts that were heavy and they made beautiful sounds and they caressed you when you wore them and [my child] found such joy in these creations.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another child showed her foster parents a photo of herself at daycare </p>
<blockquote>
<p>in a dress up pushing a pram around with a baby in it. And she’s got a handbag on, jewellery and everything. She’s about three years old in the picture. And she says, this is the first time I knew I was a girl.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In contrast, trans identity in schools often means “breaking the rules”. Parents in the study described examples of schools not letting trans students express their identity.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>every day she was asking, ‘why can’t I wear a dress to school’? Why do I have to go to the boys’ toilets? They’re mean to me when I’m in there.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A dress up box with clothes and jewellery spilling out the top." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576944/original/file-20240221-20-4h4iye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576944/original/file-20240221-20-4h4iye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576944/original/file-20240221-20-4h4iye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576944/original/file-20240221-20-4h4iye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576944/original/file-20240221-20-4h4iye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576944/original/file-20240221-20-4h4iye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576944/original/file-20240221-20-4h4iye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In daycare centres children are free to experiment with identity in their play.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/child-toddlers-dress-clothes-jewellery-creative-1905733132">Klem Mitch/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Not categorising kids by gender</h2>
<p>Parents in the study also reported how children weren’t categorised into genders by pre-school routines. As one interviewee said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>all the kids use the same toilet […] they [were called the] ‘cockatoos’ and the ‘koalas’ or whatever […] they weren’t ever separated by gender.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But at school, children faced daily choices about whether they are a boy or a girl. One parent described how a class had segregated lunch crates for boys and girls. Their trans child stood out with “this pink drink bottle with unicorns on in a sea of dinosaurs”. </p>
<p>Children also have to wear the correct uniform, be in the right line for sport and use the assigned toilet and can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1550428X.2019.1647810">bullied</a> by other students when they try.</p>
<p>One child “survived kindergarten by walking”. She told her parent </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I just realised that if I wasn’t still, I was less of a target so I just made sure in kindergarten to keep moving and I never stopped moving.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For non-binary children – who don’t feel like a boy or a girl – school brings a more complex set of difficulties.</p>
<p>One parent talked about a lucky dip at the school fete with boy or girl gifts. They said this signals to their child “I have to be one of these things or the other” and “tells my kid that they don’t fit in the world”.</p>
<h2>3. Support for educators</h2>
<p>Research shows having <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2016.1273104">teachers who are positive about gender diversity</a> is crucial for the wellbeing of trans students. </p>
<p>My interviews also suggested responses to trans kids often depend on individual educators and schools. Many preschool educators were supportive and “totally fine to change pronouns, like immediately”. But as one parent told the study, one educator reportedly said: “I’m not going to play this name game” and refused to use a child’s new name. </p>
<p>Some school teachers did make a difference. One wellbeing officer “put out all the uniforms and said, ‘which one would you like to wear?’”</p>
<p>At a schools sports day one trans boy was allowed to compete with the boys. As his parent said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>he’s never been a sporty kid. He came last and everything, but it made him really happy to to be in with the boys.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another teacher was “fantastic” but “a bit old school” saying “I’ve got no idea what to do, what to call her, what to say. I’m really out to sea here.”</p>
<p>This suggests both early education and school teachers need access to <a href="https://westernsydney.edu.au/gsds/educator_resources">education and resources</a>, so whether students get support isn’t left up to chance.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-kind-of-suffocating-queer-young-australians-speak-about-how-they-feel-at-school-and-what-they-think-of-politicians-187010">'It's kind of suffocating': queer young Australians speak about how they feel at school and what they think of politicians</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What should schools do differently?</h2>
<p>Schools should take the lead from early learning environments and stop “sorting” students based on gender. </p>
<p>This could mean:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>having a range of uniform items children can select from as some schools already do</p></li>
<li><p>more all-gender toilet facilities, where privacy is protected for all students</p></li>
<li><p>preferred names and pronouns should be easy to change in school systems and teachers should use these.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Teachers also need access to resources and information so they can confidently have conversations about gender. This needs to be part of a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2017.1355648">whole-of-school approach</a> to supporting trans students and their families.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223859/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cris Townley is a member of the advocacy network Parents for Trans Youth Equity (P-TYE).</span></em></p>Children are often allowed to freely explore their identities in early childhood services. But when they get to school, they are categorised as ‘boys’ or ‘girls’.Cris Townley, Postdoctoral research fellow, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234632024-02-19T19:03:45Z2024-02-19T19:03:45Z‘It’s about making our children feel proud’: how schools can learn about local Indigenous language and culture<p>One of the priorities of the <a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/resource-centre/indigenous-affairs/commonwealth-closing-gap-2023-annual-report-and-2024-implementation-plan">Closing the Gap reporting</a> is that Indigenous cultures and languages are “strong, supported and flourishing”. It also calls for Indigenous students to “achieve their full learning potential”. </p>
<p>These two priorities are listed in totally different sections of the report but they are very much connected. </p>
<p>Schools can play a big role in Indigenous language revitalisation and <a href="https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rev3.3264">creating</a> a strong sense of identity and belonging for students, supporting their wellbeing and learning. </p>
<p>Our new research shows how this can be done through co-designing curriculum resources with local communities that privilege local knowledge, strengths, stories and languages.</p>
<h2>A repository of language and culture</h2>
<p>In 2020 we began to work with the Elders advisory group connected to a local high school on Wakka Wakka Country, which covers a vast area in Queensland’s Burnett region. But the communities involved in this project were Cherbourg and Murgon. </p>
<p>This was a <a href="https://theconversation.com/co-design-is-the-latest-buzzword-in-indigenous-education-policy-does-it-live-up-to-the-hype-212194">co-designed process</a> from the very beginning. This meant we spoke to Elders and the community to identify what they wanted and then worked with them throughout the process. </p>
<p>Talking to Elders, community and school staff, we learned there was a strong desire to have tangible resources about local history and culture that elevated their voices. These could be used by local childcare services and schools, as well as the broader community.</p>
<p>Indigenous authors <a href="https://www.anitaheiss.com/">Anita Heiss</a> and Uncle <a href="https://youngausperspectives.com.au/boori-monty-pryor/">Boori Monty Pryor</a> delivered a series of workshops with school students and local community members to share their experiences and inspire people to share their stories. We also had local Indigenous researchers working closely with community to support anyone who wanted to contribute a story. </p>
<p>The project culminated in a series of strengths-based stories (emphasising strengths and aspirations) being hosted on the Cherbourg Shire Council <a href="https://cherbourg.qld.gov.au/home/binung-ma-na-du/">website</a> to give the community control of the Binung Ma Na Du (ear, eye, hand and heart) project. </p>
<p>The series includes video stories, written stories, podcasts and bilingual books. For example, the 13 video stories include diverse stories of community members memories of growing up in Cherbourg, overcoming adversity and staying strong in culture. The podcasts continue the theme of storytelling through yarning and understanding the lived experiences of mob from these communities.</p>
<p>All storytellers own the intellectual property of their stories. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/co-design-is-the-latest-buzzword-in-indigenous-education-policy-does-it-live-up-to-the-hype-212194">'Co-design' is the latest buzzword in Indigenous education policy. Does it live up to the hype?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>All students benefit</h2>
<p>We also asked 28 local people (six non-Indigenous school staff and 22 Indigenous school staff and/ or community members) about what they see as the benefits for students when Indigenous knowledges and languages and embedded in school learning. </p>
<p>All participants were clear there are benefits for all students, whether they are Indigenous or non-Indigenous. </p>
<p>For Indigenous students, strengthening identity and building confidence clearly emerged as key strengths. </p>
<p>As Uncle Edward, a Wakka Wakka Elder, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] it’s about making our children feel proud – not just of themselves, but of their people, of their ancestors. And that language that they take is part of those
old people. And […] and I always say to them, ‘You take that language of the old people, you’re gonna start acting like them old people’. And I think our young people start to do that.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Our respondents noted how non-indigenous students gained greater understanding about cultural differences. Learning language and locally produced stories also helped build relationships between Indigenous and non-indigenous people. </p>
<p>As Lavell, a community member and father, shared:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] when I was growing up in high school I did German and it was no use to me as an adult. If they learn Wakka Wakka they learn the language of this place first and they need to learn the language of this place and we need to learn they’re language to come together and live in harmony. We all call Australia home and we need to all respect that.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Lessons from our research</h2>
<p>We also asked the group of community members and school practitioners what good co-design looks like in developing local curriculum resources. </p>
<p>They emphasised how collaboration with community needs to be there right at the start and right through to the end of a project. They also stressed that local knowledge and leadership must be incorporated into the final project (so it can’t just be researchers or policymakers making their own findings). </p>
<p>Sarah, a community member and parent shared that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>communities and schools work better together when we acknowledge and value the knowledge holders such as Elders, parents and community.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/once-students-knew-their-identity-they-excelled-how-to-talk-about-excellence-in-indigenous-education-193394">'Once students knew their identity, they excelled': how to talk about excellence in Indigenous education</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How can other schools develop similar resources?</h2>
<p>For schools who want to work with their local communities to enhance local knowledge and language in their curriculum, here are some key tips, based on our research:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>work with Indigenous staff in your school first and foremost to learn about local cultural protocols. If you don’t have any Indigenous staff, your local Elders are the first place to go</p></li>
<li><p>ensure this will be reciprocal. Be clear about what and how you are giving back to the community. For example, you might offering a space for
regular communication between the school and community (not just a one-off interaction)</p></li>
<li><p>work collaboratively with Elders and community to have visual representations of the traditional owners, local language (for example, signage and greetings) and cultures around the school. This is so these become common knowledge among all students and staff and part of the school’s culture</p></li>
<li><p>when working with Indigenous people in remote Indigenous communities, ensure you have met with the local council in the community. These local councils are elected by community and it is respectful and expected that you engage with local councils</p></li>
<li><p>use strengths-based approaches that privilege Indigenous voices in decision-making processes. This means you start by looking at what is already working well and build from that strength, rather than coming in with a deficit mindset (or looking to “fix” something) </p></li>
<li><p>don’t have fixed deadlines: collaborative work in communities take time. You need to build relationships with people first and then be prepared to work flexibly with them. The funding body gave us 12 months initially to complete the project, but it ended up taking about three and a half years from project planning with community to final completion.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223463/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marnee Shay receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Government and AIATSIS.
Marnee Shay is a member of QATSIETAC with the Department of Education Queensland.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fred Cobbo receives funding from AIATSIS. Fred Cobbo is an elected Council Member on the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council..</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grace Sarra receives funding from The Australian Research Council and AIATSIS.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Margaret Kettle receives funding from the Queensland Department of Education, AIATSIS, and the Scanlon Foundation.</span></em></p>Researchers worked with Wakka Wakka Elders and local community members to co-design curriculum resources for local schools.Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of QueenslandFred Cobbo, Adjunct Fellow, The University of QueenslandGrace Sarra, Professor, Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice, Queensland University of TechnologyMargaret Kettle, Professor, School of Education and the Arts, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2190872024-02-16T13:18:51Z2024-02-16T13:18:51ZA Bronx school district offers lessons in boosting student mental health<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575680/original/file-20240214-30-zch8fe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C42%2C5640%2C3745&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Building a sense of community is critical for students to thrive.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/happy-female-teacher-talking-with-junior-high-royalty-free-image/1439953744?phrase=students+speaking&adppopup=true">Maskot / Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you are an educator or a parent, you have likely already seen many ways in which “<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/stressful-lives/202302/the-kids-are-not-alright">the kids are not alright</a>.” </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221084722">Mounting evidence</a> shows that the mental health of American youth has been declining for at least a decade. During the pandemic, it took an even sharper downturn. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2021 – the most recent data available – 42% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/yrbs_data_summary_and_trends.htm">22% seriously considered suicide</a>. This is a significant increase from 10 years earlier, when 28% of students reported persistent feelings of sadness or loneliness and 16% considered attempting suicide.</p>
<p>The isolation of pandemic stay-at-home orders and the trauma of losing loved ones <a href="https://www.aft.org/press-release/educators-say-covid-19-has-greatly-exacerbated-grief-support-crisis-schools">contributed to declines in well-being</a>. Schools have an important role to play in addressing this crisis.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gUZyPcUAAAAJ&hl=en">researchers in education</a>, my co-author, <a href="https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?as_q=&num=10&btnG=Search+Scholar&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_occt=any&as_sauthors=%22Javaid+E.+Siddiqi%22&as_publication=&as_ylo=&as_yhi=&as_allsubj=all&hl=en">Javaid Siddiqi</a> and I interviewed educators working in <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-43237-8#toc">school districts that faced extreme adversity</a> during the pandemic but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43237-8">still found success in supporting their students</a>.</p>
<p>One district in particular stood out for the challenges it faced. At the time of our study in 2020, Bronx Community School District 7 in New York City was not just in the <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2019/12/ny-has-the-richest-poorest-smallest-most-unequal-congressional-districts/176658/">poorest congressional district in the nation</a>, but it also experienced one of the <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#deaths-landing_">highest death rates per capita from COVID-19</a>. </p>
<p>Despite these obstacles – all of which were outside of their control – educators told us they found ways to be there for their students and support their mental health.</p>
<p>In the course of our research, three strategies became apparent. The lessons show promise not just in this section of New York City, but for the rest of the country as well.</p>
<h2>1. Connect to community</h2>
<p>In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy raised alarm about the essential need for social connection within communities to heal America’s “<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/03/new-surgeon-general-advisory-raises-alarm-about-devastating-impact-epidemic-loneliness-isolation-united-states.html">epidemic of loneliness</a>.” Schools, in particular, have a history of being hubs for connection. In the pandemic, that was especially apparent when they became <a href="https://ethics.harvard.edu/schools-during-covid-19">centers of information</a>, offering academic support and internet access as well as food and nutrition, even when classes were remote.</p>
<p>Across the country, educators quickly realized that psychologically isolated students also needed social connection, and they responded with innovation. They developed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK5hMspzTaM&ab_channel=AlexaSorden">bedtime story videos</a> for families, online cooking lessons that invited community members into their homes, and socially distanced dance classes on school athletic fields.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Bedtime videos can be beneficial during difficult times.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Bronx CSD 7, a <a href="https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/pressrelease/mental-health-services-expanded-for-students-in-areas-hardest-hit-by-covid-19/">partnership with a nearby hospital</a> increased access to much-needed mental health services for students and educators.</p>
<p>Community connections help educators understand child and family needs and allow community members to trust schools as a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-bronx-school-works-to-help-students-thrive-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-11590249600">source of support</a>. They also bring community assets, such as free clinics, food pantries, housing programs and mental health resources, into schools where families can more easily access them.</p>
<p>With emergency educational funding from the pandemic <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/02/funding-cliff-student-mental-health">expiring on Sept. 30, 2024</a>, <a href="https://www.ascd.org/books/the-six-priorities?variant=122022">school-community partnerships</a> will be essential for continuing mental health services in schools to support psychological recovery.</p>
<h2>2. Give students a seat at the table</h2>
<p>Relationships within schools are also important for improving and maintaining mental health. Research shows that when school leaders involve students in decision-making, it encourages them to develop leadership skills and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12960">increases the overall well-being of the community</a>, as indicated by civic engagement and health outcomes.</p>
<p>In Bronx CSD 7, students are part of the Superintendent’s Advisory Council. This meant that during the pandemic they were able to bring to light the challenges of engaging in online learning all day without a break. Unlike a regular school day, where students would move between classes and chat with teachers and friends in the hallways, the online school day went from one class period to another with no built-in opportunities to take breaks, socialize and refocus. Experts were quickly recommending that online school days be <a href="https://transcendeducation.org/why-distance-learning-should-not-replicate-school/">restructured to meet student needs</a>. But students knew this first.</p>
<p>When youth are empowered to share their stories, they not only strengthen their school community, but they also serve as trusted messengers for their peers. During the pandemic, students around the country created <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/06/17/877498373/coronavirus-racism-and-kindness-how-nyc-middle-schoolers-built-a-winning-podcast">youth-led podcasts</a> to learn from each other. They also <a href="https://time.com/6071300/kids-pandemic/">documented their experiences</a>, processing psychological upheaval, communicating their needs and supporting each other. Education researchers have referred to these empowering connection activities as “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2021.1992603">cultural assets</a>” because they not only support young people, but they also help teachers approach students in more culturally sensitive ways.</p>
<h2>3.Think developmentally</h2>
<p>Since the end of the pandemic, school districts across the country have been dedicating resources and time to recovering “<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w29497">lost learning</a>,” the phrase used to describe the test score declines attributed to school closures and emergency online learning. But some students experienced another equally devastating decline that’s gotten less attention – their social and emotional development. </p>
<p>To soften the impact of social isolation, educators in Bronx CSD 7 intentionally dedicated time during remote learning to social interactions. They provided informal connection spaces during the school day, played video games with their students and encouraged them to eat lunch together online. Research shows that young people who communicated more often with friends were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2305">less impacted by the social isolation of the pandemic</a>. The experience of Bronx CSD 7 shows that schools could play an instrumental role in nurturing this force for mental well-being. </p>
<p>Every district faced its own complex challenges during the pandemic, and educators across the country have supported their students, communities and each other in the recovery process. As school leaders consider ways to recover lost academic opportunities and learning, it is equally important to help students stabilize their mental health and boost their overall well-being.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219087/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Faiza Jamil does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Giving students a voice in decision-making helps foster well-being, research has found.Faiza Jamil, Associate Professor of Education, Clemson UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2229402024-02-15T13:35:30Z2024-02-15T13:35:30ZStudents lose out as cities and states give billions in property tax breaks to businesses − draining school budgets and especially hurting the poorest students<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575520/original/file-20240214-20-j3e0d8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1684%2C678&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Exxon Mobil Corp.'s campus in East Baton Rouge Parish, left, received millions in tax abatements to the detriment of local schools, right.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/oil-refinery-owned-by-exxon-mobil-is-the-second-largest-in-news-photo/1225711980">Barry Lewis/Getty Images, Tjean314/Wikimedia</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Built in 1910, James Elementary is a three-story brick school in Kansas City, Missouri’s historic Northeast neighborhood, with a bright blue front door framed by a sand-colored stone arch adorned with a gargoyle. As bustling students and teachers negotiate a maze of gray stairs with worn wooden handrails, Marjorie Mayes, the school’s principal, escorts a visitor across uneven blue tile floors on the ground floor to a classroom with exposed brick walls and pipes. Bubbling paint mars some walls, evidence of the water leaks spreading inside the aging building.</p>
<p>“It’s living history,” said Mayes during a mid-September tour of the building. “Not the kind of living history we want.”</p>
<p>The district would like to tackle the US$400 million in deferred maintenance needed to create a 21st century learning environment at its 35 schools – including James Elementary – but it can’t. It doesn’t have the money.</p>
<h2>Property tax redirect</h2>
<p>The lack of funds is a direct result of the property tax breaks that Kansas City lavishes on companies and developers that do business there. The program is supposed to bring in new jobs and business but instead has ended up draining civic coffers and starving schools. Between 2017 and 2023, the Kansas City school district lost $237.3 million through tax abatements.</p>
<p><iframe id="vGoau" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/vGoau/3/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Kansas City is hardly an anomaly. An <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/incentives-to-pander/E0003C20215EDA5047EA0831FEEB6D92">estimated 95%</a> of U.S. cities provide economic development tax incentives to woo corporate investors. The upshot is that billions have been diverted from large urban school districts and from a growing number of small suburban and rural districts. The impact is seen in districts as diverse as Chicago and Cleveland, Hillsboro, Oregon, and Storey County, Nevada.</p>
<p>The result? A 2021 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2022.2148171">review of 2,498 financial statements</a> from school districts across 27 states revealed that, in 2019 alone, at least $2.4 billion was diverted to fund tax incentives. Yet that substantial figure still downplays the magnitude of the problem, because three-quarters of the 10,370 districts analyzed did not provide any information on tax abatement agreements.</p>
<p>Tax abatement programs have long been controversial, pitting states and communities against one another in beggar-thy-neighbor contests. Their economic value is also, at best, unclear: Studies show most companies <a href="https://research.upjohn.org/up_workingpapers/289/">would have made the same location decision</a> without taxpayer subsidies. Meanwhile, schools make up the largest cost item in these communities, meaning they suffer most when companies are granted breaks in property taxes.</p>
<p>A three-month investigation by The Conversation and three scholars with expertise in <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RO4oI-8AAAAJ&hl=en">economic development</a>, <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/education/kevin-welner">tax laws</a> and <a href="https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/government/faculty/nj4353">education policy</a> shows that the cash drain from these programs is not equally shared by schools in the same communities. At the local level, tax abatements and exemptions often come at the cost of <a href="https://www.schoolfinancedata.org/the-adequacy-and-fairness-of-state-school-finance-systems-2024/.">critical funding</a> for school districts that <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3062/2024-01-31_Good_Jobs_First_Abating_Our_Future.pdf?1707953373">disproportionately serve</a>
students from low-income households and who are racial minorities.</p>
<p>In Missouri, for example, in 2022 <a href="https://www.kcpublicschools.org/about/tax-incentives-kcps#:%7E:text=As%20of%202022%2C%20nearly%20%241%2C700,%24500-%24900%20per%20pupil">nearly $1,700 per student was redirected</a> from Kansas City public and charter schools, while between $500 and $900 was redirected from wealthier, whiter Northland schools on the north side of the river in Kansas City and in the suburbs beyond. Other studies have found <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/08912424231174836">similar demographic trends elsewhere</a>, including <a href="https://goodjobsfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/How-Tax-Abatements-Cost-New-York-Public-Schools.pdf">New York state</a>, <a href="https://goodjobsfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/South-Carolinas-Corporate-Tax-Breaks-2022.pdf">South Carolina</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2023.2217899">Columbus, Ohio</a>.</p>
<p>The funding gaps produced by abated money often force schools to <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/3325345">delay needed maintenance</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ets2.12098">increase class sizes</a>, <a href="https://districtadministration.com/teacher-layoffs-enter-k12-outlook-school-districts-budget-deficits/">lay off teachers</a> and support staff and even close outright. Schools also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/reader-center/us-public-schools-conditions.html">struggle to update or replace</a> outdated technology, books and other educational resources. And, amid a nationwide teacher shortage, schools under financial pressures sometimes turn to inexperienced teachers who are <a href="https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/state-teacher-shortages-vacancy-resource-tool">not fully certified</a> or <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2023/10/16/dallas-relies-on-international-teachers-more-than-any-other-school-district-in-the-us/">rely too heavily</a> on recruits from overseas who have been given special visa status.</p>
<p>Lost funding also prevents teachers and staff, who often feed, clothe and otherwise go above and beyond to help students in need, from <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/teacher-pay-by-state">earning a living wage</a>. All told, tax abatements can end up harming a community’s value, with constant funding shortfalls creating <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/a-punishing-decade-for-school-funding">a cycle of decline</a>.</p>
<h2>Incentives, payoffs and guarantees</h2>
<p>Perversely, some of the largest beneficiaries of tax abatements are the politicians who publicly boast of handing out the breaks despite the harm to poorer communities. Incumbent governors have used the incentives as a means of <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/incentives-to-pander/E0003C20215EDA5047EA0831FEEB6D92">taking credit for job creation</a>, even when the jobs were coming anyway.</p>
<p>“We know that subsidies don’t work,” said <a href="https://www.elizabethmarcello.com/">Elizabeth Marcello</a>, a doctoral lecturer at Hunter College who studies governmental planning and policy and the interactions between state and local governments. “But they are good political stories, and I think that’s why politicians love them so much.”</p>
<figure>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Academic research shows that economic development incentives are ineffective most of the time – and harm school systems.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While some voters may celebrate abatements, parents can recognize the disparities between school districts that are created by the tax breaks. Fairleigh Jackson pointed out that her daughter’s East Baton Rouge third grade class lacks access to playground equipment.</p>
<p>The class is attending school in a temporary building while their elementary school undergoes a two-year renovation.</p>
<p>The temporary site has some grass and a cement slab where kids can play, but no playground equipment, Jackson said. And parents needed to set up an Amazon wish list to purchase basic equipment such as balls, jump ropes and chalk for students to use. The district told parents there would be no playground equipment due to a lack of funds, then promised to install equipment, Jackson said, but months later, there is none.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575426/original/file-20240213-28-rkjkme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Cement surface surrounded by a fence with grass beyond. There's no playground equipment.." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575426/original/file-20240213-28-rkjkme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575426/original/file-20240213-28-rkjkme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575426/original/file-20240213-28-rkjkme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575426/original/file-20240213-28-rkjkme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575426/original/file-20240213-28-rkjkme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575426/original/file-20240213-28-rkjkme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575426/original/file-20240213-28-rkjkme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The temporary site where Fairleigh Jackson’s daughter goes to school in East Baton Rouge Parish lacks playground equipment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fairleigh Jackson</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jackson said it’s hard to complain when other schools in the district don’t even have needed security measures in place. “When I think about playground equipment, I think that’s a necessary piece of child development,” Jackson said. “Do we even advocate for something that should be a daily part of our kids’ experience when kids’ safety isn’t being funded?”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the challenges facing administrators 500-odd miles away at Atlanta Public Schools are nothing if not formidable: The district is dealing with <a href="https://atlanta.capitalbnews.org/chronic-absenteeism-aps/">chronic absenteeism</a> among half of its Black students, many students <a href="https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2023/08/28/more-atlanta-students-homeless-this-school-year/">are experiencing homelessness</a>, and it’s facing a <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/teacher-retention-an-issue-in-georgia-situation-could-get-worse">teacher shortage</a>.</p>
<p>At the same time, Atlanta is showering corporations with tax breaks. The city has two bodies that dole them out: the Development Authority of Fulton County, or DAFC, and Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development agency. The deals handed out by the two agencies have drained $103.8 million from schools from fiscal 2017 to 2022, according to Atlanta school system financial statements.</p>
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<p>What exactly Atlanta and other cities and states are accomplishing with tax abatement programs is hard to discern. <a href="https://research.upjohn.org/up_workingpapers/289/">Fewer than a quarter</a> of companies that receive breaks in the U.S. needed an incentive to invest, according to a 2018 study by the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, a nonprofit research organization. </p>
<p>This means that at least 75% of companies received tax abatements when they’re not needed – with communities paying a heavy price for economic development that sometimes provides little benefit.</p>
<p>In Kansas City, for example, there’s no guarantee that the businesses that do set up shop after receiving a tax abatement will remain there long term. That’s significant considering the historic border war between the Missouri and Kansas sides of Kansas City – a competition to be the most generous to the businesses, said Jason Roberts, president of the Kansas City Federation of Teachers and School-Related Personnel. Kansas City, Missouri, has a <a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/finance/earnings-tax">1% income tax</a> on people who work in the city, so it competes for as many workers as possible to secure that earnings tax, Roberts said.</p>
<p>Under city and state tax abatement programs, companies that used to be in Kansas City have since relocated. The AMC Theaters headquarters, for example, <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2011/09/14/amc-entertainment-will-move-hq-to-ks.html">moved from the city’s downtown</a> to Leawood, Kansas, about a decade ago, garnering some $40 million in <a href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/program/business-incentives-and-services/peak/">Promoting Employment Across Kansas</a> tax incentives.</p>
<p>Roberts said that when one side’s financial largesse runs out, companies often move across the state line – until both states decided in 2019 that <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article233725152.html">enough was enough</a> and <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-end-of-kansas-missouris-border-war-should-mark-a-new-chapter-for-both-states-economies/">declared a cease-fire</a>.</p>
<p>But tax breaks for other businesses continue. “Our mission is to grow the economy of Kansas City, and application of tools such as tax exemptions are vital to achieving that mission, said Jon Stephens, president and CEO of Port KC, the Kansas City Port Authority. The incentives speed development, and providing them "has resulted in growth choosing KC versus other markets,” he added.</p>
<p>In Atlanta, those tax breaks <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/fulton-authority-gives-tax-breaks-to-projects-in-hot-markets-ajc-finds/PHR5H4SXNRAGRNWHBUUCIPHFQM/">are not going</a> to projects in neighborhoods that need help attracting development. They have largely been handed out to projects that are in high demand areas of the city, said Julian Bene, who served on Invest Atlanta’s board from 2010 to 2018. In 2019, for instance, the Fulton County development authority <a href="https://saportareport.com/fulton-agency-approves-nearly-100-million-in-property-tax-abatements/sections/reports/maggie/">approved a 10-year, $16 million tax abatement</a> for a 410-foot-tall, 27,000-square-foot tower in Atlanta’s vibrant Midtown business district. <a href="https://1105westpeachtree.com/">The project</a> included hotel space, retail space and office space that is now occupied by <a href="https://blog.google/inside-google/company-announcements/atlanta-office/">Google</a> and <a href="https://www.ajc.com/business/economy/invesco-plans-add-500-jobs-new-midtown/CX8ubABcCfK2IuqrJu5nMJ/">Invesco</a>.</p>
<p>In 2021, a developer in Atlanta <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/ponce-city-market-developer-pulls-request-8-million-tax-break-its-expansion/DYWYAKHVTNH5PPVHFBD5QCZDXY/">pulled its request</a> for an $8 million tax break to expand its new massive, mixed-use Ponce City Market development in the trendy Beltline neighborhood with an office tower and apartment building. Because of community pushback, the developer knew it likely did not have enough votes from the commission for approval, Bene said. After a second try for $5 million in lower taxes was also rejected, the developer went ahead and <a href="https://poncecitymarket.com/directory-view-all">built the project</a> anyway.</p>
<p>Invest Atlanta has also turned down projects in the past, Bene said. Oftentimes, after getting rejected, the developer goes back to the landowner and asks for a better price to buy the property to make their numbers work, because it was overvalued at the start.</p>
<h2>Trouble in Philadelphia</h2>
<p>On Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, an environmental team was preparing Southwark School in Philadelphia for the winter cold. While checking an attic fan, members of the team saw loose dust on top of flooring that contained asbestos. The dust that certainly was blowing into the floors below could contain the cancer-causing agent. Within a day, <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/education/philadelphia-school-asbestos-closed-southwark-20231027.html">Southwark was closed</a> – the seventh Philadelphia school temporarily shuttered since the previous academic year because of possible asbestos contamination.</p>
<p>A 2019 inspection of the John L Kinsey school in Philadelphia found <a href="https://www.philasd.org/capitalprograms/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2019/11/6280_Building_21_@_John_L_Kinsey_School_2018_2019_3_Year_AHERA_Report.pdf">asbestos in plaster walls, floor tiles, radiator insulation and electrical panels</a>. Asbestos is <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/education/asbestos-closure-philadelphia-school-district-20231027.html">a major problem</a> for Philadelphia’s public schools. The district needs <a href="https://www.philasd.org/capitalprograms/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2017/06/2015-FCA-Final-Report-1.pdf">$430 million</a> to clean up the asbestos, lead, and other environmental hazards that place the health of students, teachers and staff at risk. And that is on top of an additional <a href="https://www.philasd.org/capitalprograms/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2017/06/2015-FCA-Final-Report-1.pdf">$2.4 billion</a> to fix failing and damaged buildings.</p>
<p>Yet the money is not available. Matthew Stem, a former district official, <a href="https://pubintlaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/02.07.23-Memorandum-Opinion-Filed-pubintlaw.pdf">testified in a 2023 lawsuit</a> about financing of Pennsylvania schools that the environmental health risks cannot be addressed until an emergency like at Southwark because “existing funding sources are not sufficient to remediate those types of issues.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the city keeps doling out abatements, draining money that could have gone toward making Philadelphia schools safer. In the <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24362508-final-acfr-2022-with-artwork-as-of-022423">fiscal year ending June 2022</a>, such tax breaks cost the school district $118 million – more than 25% of the total amount needed to remove the asbestos and other health dangers. These abatements <a href="https://www.phila.gov/media/20180524153805/City-of-Philadelphia-2018-Abatement.pdf">take 31 years to break even</a>, according to the city’s own <a href="https://www.phila.gov/documents/property-tax-abatement-studies/">scenario impact analyses</a>.</p>
<p>Huge subsets of the community – primarily Black, Brown, poor or a combination – are being “drastically impacted” by the exemptions and funding shortfalls for the school district, said Kendra Brooks, a Philadelphia City Council member. Schools and students are affected by mold, asbestos and lead, and crumbling infrastructure, as well as teacher and staffing shortages – including support staff, social workers and psychologists.</p>
<p>More than half the district’s schools that lacked adequate air conditioning – 87 schools – had to <a href="https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-schools-early-dismissals-lack-air-conditioning-extreme-heat/">go to half days</a> during the first week of the 2023 school year because of extreme heat. Poor heating systems also leave the schools cold in the winter. And some schools are overcrowded, resulting in large class sizes, she said.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575461/original/file-20240213-28-1b0wxq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Front of a four-story brick school building with tall windows, some with air-conditioners" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575461/original/file-20240213-28-1b0wxq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575461/original/file-20240213-28-1b0wxq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575461/original/file-20240213-28-1b0wxq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575461/original/file-20240213-28-1b0wxq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575461/original/file-20240213-28-1b0wxq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575461/original/file-20240213-28-1b0wxq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575461/original/file-20240213-28-1b0wxq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Horace Furness High School in Philadelphia, where hot summers have temporarily closed schools that lack air conditioning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horace_Furness_High_School_1900_S_3rd_St_Philadelphia_PA_%28DSC_3038%29.jpg">Nick-philly/Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Teachers and researchers agree that a lack of adequate funding undermines educational opportunities and outcomes. That’s especially true for children living in poverty. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26495136">A 2016 study</a> found that a 10% increase in per-pupil spending each year for all 12 years of public schooling results in nearly one-third of a year of more education, 7.7% higher wages and a 3.2% reduction in annual incidence of adult poverty. The study estimated that a 21.7% increase could eliminate the high school graduation gap faced by children from low-income families.</p>
<p>More money for schools leads to more education resources for students and their teachers. The same researchers found that spending increases were associated with reductions in student-to-teacher ratios, increases in teacher salaries and longer school years. Other studies <a href="https://hep.gse.harvard.edu/9781682532447/educational-inequality-and-school-finance/">yielded similar results</a>: <a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w25368/w25368.pdf">School funding matters</a>, especially for children already suffering the harms of poverty.</p>
<p>While tax abatements themselves are generally linked to rising property values, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.21862">benefits are not evenly distributed</a>. In fact, any expansion of the tax base due to new property construction tends to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15575339809489773">outside of the county granting the tax abatement</a>. For families in school districts with the lost tax revenues, their neighbors’ good fortune likely comes as little solace. Meanwhile, a poorly funded education system is less likely to yield a <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13398/education-for-life-and-work-developing-transferable-knowledge-and-skills">skilled and competitive workforce</a>, creating <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199982981.003.0014">longer-term economic costs</a> that make the region less attractive for businesses and residents.</p>
<p>“There’s a head-on collision here between private gain and the future quality of America’s workforce,” said Greg LeRoy, executive director at Good Jobs First, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group that’s critical of tax abatement and tracks the use of economic development subsidies.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575449/original/file-20240213-26-7jhmm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three-story school building with police officers out front and traffic lights in the foreground" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575449/original/file-20240213-26-7jhmm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575449/original/file-20240213-26-7jhmm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575449/original/file-20240213-26-7jhmm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575449/original/file-20240213-26-7jhmm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575449/original/file-20240213-26-7jhmm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575449/original/file-20240213-26-7jhmm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575449/original/file-20240213-26-7jhmm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Roxborough High School in Philadelphia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X4dQQT50psqFFY1sPKeUz_wAk8eOtZ44/view?usp=sharing">AP Photo/Matt Rourke</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As funding dwindles and educational quality declines, additional <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3739064">families with means often opt for</a> alternative educational avenues such as private schooling, home-schooling or moving to a different school district, further weakening the public school system.</p>
<p>Throughout the U.S., parents with the power to do so <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0161956X.2015.988536">demand special arrangements</a>, such as selective schools or high-track enclaves that <a href="https://www.nyulawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/NYULawReview-93-4-Miller.pdf">hire experienced, fully prepared</a> teachers. If demands aren’t met, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904818802106">they leave</a> the district’s public schools for private schools or for the suburbs. Some parents even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-4469.2009.01166.x">organize to splinter</a> their more advantaged, and generally whiter, neighborhoods away from the larger urban school districts.</p>
<p>Those parental demands – known among scholars as “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-6991-3">opportunity hoarding</a>” – may seem unreasonable from the outside, but scarcity breeds very real fears about educational harms inflicted on one’s own children. Regardless of who’s to blame, the children who bear the heaviest burden of the nation’s concentrated poverty and racialized poverty again lose out.</p>
<h2>Rethinking in Philadelphia and Riverhead</h2>
<p>Americans also ask public schools to accomplish Herculean tasks that go <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15575330.2023.2217881">far beyond the education basics</a>, as many parents discovered at the onset of the pandemic when schools closed and their support for families largely disappeared.</p>
<p>A school serving students who endure housing and food insecurity must dedicate resources toward children’s basic needs and trauma. But districts serving more low-income students <a href="https://edtrust.org/resource/equal-is-not-good-enough/">spend less per student</a> on average, and almost half the states <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED596199.pdf">have regressive funding structures</a>.</p>
<p>Facing dwindling resources for schools, several cities have begun to rethink their tax exemption programs.</p>
<p>The Philadelphia City Council recently passed a scale-back on a <a href="https://www.phila.gov/2018-05-24-city-releases-study-of-10-year-property-tax-abatement/">10-year property tax abatement</a> by decreasing the percentage of the subsidy over that time. But even with that change, millions will be lost to tax exemptions that could instead be invested in cash-depleted schools. “We could make major changes in our schools’ infrastructure, curriculum, staffing, staffing ratios, support staff, social workers, school psychologists – take your pick,” Brooks said.</p>
<p>Other cities looking to reform tax abatement programs are taking a different approach. In Riverhead, New York, on Long Island, developers or project owners can be granted exemptions on their property tax and allowed instead to shell out a far smaller “payment in lieu of taxes,” or PILOT. When the abatement ends, most commonly after 10 years, the businesses then will pay full property taxes.</p>
<p>At least, that’s the idea, but the system is <a href="https://nysfocus.com/2023/10/11/riverhead-ida-tax-breaks-aquarium-school">far from perfect</a>. Beneficiaries of the PILOT program have failed to pay on time, leaving the school board struggling to fill a budget hole. Also, the payments <a href="https://nysfocus.com/2023/10/11/riverhead-ida-tax-breaks-aquarium-school">are not equal</a> to the amount they would receive for property taxes, with millions of dollars in potential revenue over a decade being cut to as little as a few hundred thousand. On the back end, if a business that’s subsidized with tax breaks fails after 10 years, the projected benefits never emerge.</p>
<p>And when the time came to start paying taxes, developers have returned to the city’s Industrial Development Agency with hat in hand, asking for more tax breaks. A <a href="https://www.newsday.com/business/ida-tax-breaks-nestle-aquarium-steel-i30377">local for-profit aquarium</a>, for example, was granted a 10-year PILOT program break by Riverhead in 1999; it has received so many extensions that it is not scheduled to start paying full taxes until 2031 – 22 years after originally planned.</p>
<h2>Kansas City border politics</h2>
<p>Like many cities, Kansas City has a long history of segregation, white flight and racial redlining, said Kathleen Pointer, senior policy strategist for Kansas City Public Schools.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575513/original/file-20240214-16-znl7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575513/original/file-20240214-16-znl7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575513/original/file-20240214-16-znl7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575513/original/file-20240214-16-znl7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575513/original/file-20240214-16-znl7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575513/original/file-20240214-16-znl7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575513/original/file-20240214-16-znl7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575513/original/file-20240214-16-znl7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">James Elementary in Kansas City, Mo.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Danielle McLean</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Troost Avenue, where the Kansas City Public Schools administrative office is located, serves as the city’s <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/decades-dividing-line-troost-avenue-kansas-city-mo-sees-new-n918851">historic racial dividing line</a>, with wealthier white families living in the west and more economically disadvantaged people of color in the east. Most of the district’s schools are located east of Troost, not west.</p>
<p>Students on the west side “pretty much automatically funnel into the college preparatory middle school and high schools,” said The Federation of Teachers’ Roberts. Those schools are considered signature schools that are selective and are better taken care of than the typical neighborhood schools, he added.</p>
<p>The school district’s tax levy was set by voters in 1969 at 3.75%. But successive attempts over the next few decades to increase the levy at the ballot box failed. During a decadeslong desegregation lawsuit that was eventually resolved through a settlement agreement in the 1990s, a court raised the district’s levy rate to 4.96% without voter approval. The levy has remained at the same 4.96% rate since.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Kansas City is still distributing 20-year tax abatements to companies and developers for projects. The district calculated that about 92% of the money that was abated within the school district’s boundaries was for projects within the whiter west side of the city, Pointer said.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, we can’t pick or choose where developers build,” said Meredith Hoenes, director of communications for Port KC. “We aren’t planning and zoning. Developers typically have plans in place when they knock on our door.”</p>
<p>In Kansas City, <a href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2021/11/29/kansas-city-tax-incentives/">several agencies administer tax incentives</a>, allowing developers to shop around to different bodies to receive one. Pointer said he believes the Port Authority is popular because they don’t do a third-party financial analysis to prove that the developers need the amount that they say they do.</p>
<p>With 20-year abatements, a child will start pre-K and graduate high school before seeing the benefits of a property being fully on the tax rolls, Pointer said. Developers, meanwhile, routinely threaten to build somewhere else if they don’t get the incentive, she said.</p>
<p>In 2020, BlueScope Construction, a company that had received tax incentives for nearly 20 years and was about to roll off its abatement, asked for another 13 years and <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-25/kansas-city-council-rejects-incentives-for-a-company-that-threatened-to-move-across-state-line">threatened to move</a> to another state if it didn’t get it. At the time, the U.S. was grappling with a racial reckoning following the murder of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.</p>
<p>“That was a moment for Kansas City Public Schools where we really drew a line in the sand and talked about incentives as an equity issue,” Pointer said.</p>
<p>After the district raised the issue – <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/development/article243798657.html">tying the incentives to systemic racism</a> – the City Council rejected BlueScope’s bid and, three years later, it’s still in Kansas City, fully on the tax rolls, she said. BlueScope did not return multiple requests for comment.</p>
<p>Recently, a <a href="https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2023/07/18/port-kc-waldo-plaza-tax-breaks/">multifamily housing project</a> was approved for a <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-08-30/port-kc-approves-20-year-tax-incentive-deal-for-plaza-apartments">20-year tax abatement</a> by the Port Authority of Kansas City at Country Club Plaza, an outdoor shopping center in an affluent part of the city. The housing project included no affordable units. “This project was approved without any independent financial analysis proving that it needed that subsidy,” Pointer said.</p>
<p>All told, the Kansas City Public Schools district faces several shortfalls beyond the $400 million in deferred maintenance, Superintendent Jennifer Collier said. There are staffing shortages at all positions: teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff. As in much of the U.S., the cost of housing is surging. New developments that are being built do not include affordable housing, or when they do, the units are still out of reach for teachers.</p>
<p>That’s making it harder for a district that already loses about 1 in 5 of its teachers each year to keep or recruit new ones, who earn an average of only $46,150 their first year on the job, Collier said.</p>
<h2>East Baton Rouge and the industrial corridor</h2>
<p>It’s impossible to miss the tanks, towers, pipes and industrial structures that incongruously line Baton Rouge’s Scenic Highway landscape. They’re part of Exxon Mobil Corp.’s campus, home of the oil giant’s refinery in addition to chemical and plastics plants.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575171/original/file-20240213-20-ey3jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Aerial view of industrial buildings along a river" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575171/original/file-20240213-20-ey3jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575171/original/file-20240213-20-ey3jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575171/original/file-20240213-20-ey3jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575171/original/file-20240213-20-ey3jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575171/original/file-20240213-20-ey3jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575171/original/file-20240213-20-ey3jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575171/original/file-20240213-20-ey3jk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Baton Rouge campus occupies 3.28 square miles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/3c6e5c10434a44c48929197377f7a717?ext=true">AP Photo/Gerald Herbert</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sitting along the Mississippi River, <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/locations/united-states/baton-rouge-area-operations-overview#Safetyhealthandenvironment">the campus</a> has been a staple of Louisiana’s capital for over 100 years. It’s where 6,000 employees and contractors who collectively earn over $400 million annually produce <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/-/media/global/files/locations/united-states-operations/baton-rouge/2022-brrf-fact-sheet.pdf">522,000 barrels</a> of crude oil per day when at full capacity, as well as the annual production and manufacture of <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/-/media/global/files/locations/united-states-operations/baton-rouge/2022-brpo-fact-sheet.pdf">3 billion pounds</a> of high-density polyethylene and polypropylene and <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/-/media/global/files/locations/united-states-operations/baton-rouge/2022-brcp-fact-sheet.pdf">6.6 billion pounds</a> of petrochemical products. The company posted a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/exxon-smashes-western-oil-majors-earnings-record-with-59-billion-profit-2023-01-31/">record-breaking</a> <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/news/news-releases/2023/0131_exxonmobil-announces-full-year-2022-results">$55.7 billion</a> in profits in 2022 and <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/news/news-releases/2024/0202_exxonmobil-announces-2023-results">$36 billion</a> in 2023.</p>
<p>Across the street are empty fields and roads leading into neighborhoods that have been designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a low-income <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/">food desert</a>. A mile drive down the street to Route 67 is a Dollar General, fast-food restaurants, and tiny, rundown food stores. A Hi Nabor Supermarket is 4 miles away.</p>
<p>East Baton Rouge Parish’s McKinley High School, a 12-minute drive from the refinery, serves a student body that is about 80% Black and 85% poor. The school, which boasts famous alums such as rapper Kevin Gates, former NBA player Tyrus Thomas and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Gardner C. Taylor, holds a special place in the community, but it has been beset by violence and tragedy lately. Its football team quarterback, <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2709703-mckinley-high-school-qb-bryant-lee-fatally-shot-days-before-graduation">who was killed</a> days before graduation in 2017, was among at least four of McKinley’s students who <a href="https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/mckinley-high-student-shot-and-injured-near-baton-rouge-campus-school-placed-on-lockdown/article_f1025d24-2f07-11e9-9d4e-2789b90eae2f.html">have been shot</a> <a href="https://www.nola.com/archive/suspects-in-up-and-coming-baton-rouge-rappers-november-slaying-not-indicted-or-cleared/article_c18af908-164c-5c16-b871-55e7fbe3dbf8.html">or murdered</a> <a href="https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/he-played-tuba-baseball-at-mckinley-and-dreamed-of-college-a-shooting-cut-it-all/article_0f5fa014-9e73-11ec-941e-0f819ca7bca1.html">over the past six years</a>.</p>
<p>The experience is starkly different at some of the district’s more advantaged schools, including its magnet programs open to high-performing students.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575533/original/file-20240214-26-gvctzn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Black-and-white outline of Louisiana showing the parishes, with one, near the bottom right, filled in red" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575533/original/file-20240214-26-gvctzn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575533/original/file-20240214-26-gvctzn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575533/original/file-20240214-26-gvctzn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575533/original/file-20240214-26-gvctzn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575533/original/file-20240214-26-gvctzn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=683&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575533/original/file-20240214-26-gvctzn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=683&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575533/original/file-20240214-26-gvctzn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=683&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">East Baton Rouge Parish, marked in red, includes an Exxon Mobil Corp. campus and the city of Baton Rouge.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Louisiana_highlighting_East_Baton_Rouge_Parish.svg">David Benbennick/Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Baton Rouge is a tale of two cities, with some of the worst outcomes in the state for education, income and mortality, and some of the best outcomes. “It was only separated by sometimes a few blocks,” said Edgar Cage, the lead organizer for the advocacy group Together Baton Rouge. Cage, who grew up in the city when it was segregated by Jim Crow laws, said the root cause of that disparity was racism.</p>
<p>“Underserved kids don’t have a path forward” in East Baton Rouge public schools, Cage said.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://urbanleaguela.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/BR-Equity-Report-Online.pdf">2019 report</a> from the Urban League of Louisiana found that economically disadvantaged African American and Hispanic students are not provided equitable access to high-quality education opportunities. That has contributed to those students underperforming on standardized state assessments, such as the LEAP exam, being unprepared to advance to higher grades and being excluded from high-quality curricula and instruction, as well as the highest-performing schools and magnet schools.</p>
<p>“Baton Rouge is home to some of the highest performing schools in the state,” according to the report. “Yet the highest performing schools and schools that have selective admissions policies often exclude disadvantaged students and African American and Hispanic students.”</p>
<p>Dawn Collins, who served on the district’s school board from 2016 to 2022, said that with more funding, the district could provide more targeted interventions for students who were struggling academically or additional support to staff so they can better assist students with greater needs.</p>
<p>But for decades, Louisiana’s <a href="https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/business-incentives/industrial-tax-exemption">Industrial Ad Valorem Tax Exemption</a> <a href="https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/business-incentives/industrial-tax-exemption">Program</a>, or ITEP, allowed for 100% property tax exemptions for industrial manufacturing facilities, said Erin Hansen, the statewide policy analyst at Together Louisiana, a network of 250 religious and civic organizations across the state that advocates for grassroots issues, including tax fairness.</p>
<p>The ITEP program was created in the 1930s through a state constitutional amendment, allowing companies to bypass a public vote and get approval for the exemption through the governor-appointed <a href="https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/boards-reports-and-rules/louisiana-board-of-commerce-and-industry">Board of Commerce and Industry</a>, Hansen said. For over 80 years, that board approved nearly all applications that it received, she said.</p>
<p>Since 2000, Louisiana has granted a total of <a href="https://fastlaneng.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/public/reports">$35 billion in corporate property tax breaks</a> for 12,590 projects. </p>
<h2>Louisiana’s executive order</h2>
<p>A few efforts to reform the program over the years have largely failed. But in 2016, Gov. John Bel Edwards <a href="https://gov.louisiana.gov/assets/ExecutiveOrders/JBE16-26.pdf">signed an executive order</a> that slightly but importantly tweaked the system. On top of the state board vote, the order gave local taxing bodies – such as school boards, sheriffs and parish or city councils – the ability to vote on their own individual portions of the tax exemptions. And in 2019 the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board <a href="https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/itep-critics-defeat-exxonmobil-tax-break-requests-at-school-board-here-are-next-steps/article_09cb2d54-1a68-11e9-a672-7f6ee09f1f74.html">exercised its power</a> to vote down an abatement.</p>
<p>Throughout the U.S., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2022.2148171">school boards’ power over the tax abatements</a> that affect their budgets vary, and in some states, including Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, New Jersey and South Carolina, school boards lack any formal ability to vote or comment on tax abatement deals that affect them.</p>
<p>Edwards’ executive order also capped the maximum exemption at 80% and tightened the rules so routine capital investments and maintenance were no longer eligible, Hansen said. A requirement concerning job creation was also put in place.</p>
<p>Concerned residents and activists, led by Together Louisiana and sister group Together Baton Rouge, rallied around the new rules and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/05/us/louisiana-itep-exxon-mobil.html">pushed back</a> against the billion-dollar corporation taking more tax money from the schools. In 2019, the campaign worked: the school board rejected a $2.9 million property tax break bid by Exxon Mobil.</p>
<p>After the decision, Exxon Mobil reportedly described the city as “<a href="https://www.businessreport.com/business/exxonmobil-calls-baton-rouge-unpredictable-for-investment-after-itep-requests-rejected">unpredictable</a>.”</p>
<p>However, members of the business community have continued to lobby for the tax breaks, and they have pushed back against further rejections. In fact, according to Hansen, loopholes were created during the rulemaking process around the governor’s executive order that allowed companies to weaken its effectiveness.</p>
<p>In total, <a href="https://fastlaneng.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/public/reports">223 Exxon Mobil projects</a> worth nearly $580 million in tax abatements have been granted in the state of Louisiana under the ITEP program since 2000.</p>
<p>“ITEP is needed to compete with other states – and, in ExxonMobil’s case, other countries,” according to Exxon Mobil spokesperson Lauren Kight.</p>
<p>She pointed out that Exxon Mobil is the largest property taxpayer for the EBR school system, paying more than $46 million in property taxes in EBR parish in 2022 and another $34 million in sales taxes.</p>
<p>A new ITEP contract won’t decrease this existing tax revenue, Kight added. “Losing out on future projects absolutely will.”</p>
<p>The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has continued to approve Exxon Mobil abatements, passing $46.9 million between 2020 and 2022. Between 2017 and 2023, the school district has lost $96.3 million.</p>
<p><iframe id="8PBGX" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/8PBGX/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Taxes are highest when industrial buildings are first built. Industrial property comes onto the tax rolls at <a href="https://ascensionedc.com/local-incentives/#">40% to 50% of its original value</a> in Louisiana after the initial 10-year exemption, according to the Ascension Economic Development Corp.</p>
<p>Exxon Mobil received its latest tax exemption, $8.6 million over 10 years – an 80% break – in October 2023 for $250 million to install facilities at the Baton Rouge complex that purify isopropyl alcohol for microchip production and that create a new advanced recycling facility, allowing the company to address plastic waste. The project <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/la/ebrp/Board.nsf/files/CV7LXR562D7C/$file/ITEP-Exxon%20Mobil%20Corporation%2020230071-ITE%20Application.pdf">created zero new jobs</a>.</p>
<p>The school board <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-Ry-veRlM4">approved it by a 7-2 vote</a> after a long and occasionally contentious board meeting.</p>
<p>“Does it make sense for Louisiana and other economically disadvantaged states to kind of compete with each other by providing tax incentives to mega corporations like Exxon Mobil?” said EBR School Board Vice President Patrick Martin, who voted for the abatement. “Probably, in a macro sense, it does not make a lot of sense. But it is the program that we have.”</p>
<p>Obviously, Exxon Mobil benefits, he said. “The company gets a benefit in reducing the property taxes that they would otherwise pay on their industrial activity that adds value to that property.” But the community benefits from the 20% of the property taxes that are not exempted, he said.</p>
<p>“I believe if we don’t pass it, over time the investments will not come and our district as a whole will have less money,” he added.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E-9hbVfhZRQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">In 2022, a year when Exxon Mobil made a record $55.7 billion, the company asked for a 10-year, 80% property tax break from the cash-starved East Baton Rouge Parish school district. A lively debate ensued.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Meanwhile, the district’s budgetary woes are coming to a head. Bus drivers staged a sickout at the start of the school year, refusing to pick up students – in protest of low pay and not having buses equipped with air conditioning amid a heat wave. The district was forced to release students early, leaving kids stranded without a ride to school, before it acquiesced and provided the drivers and other staff <a href="https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/lost-class-time-due-to-baton-rouge-bus-crisis-to-be-made-up/article_f5666e24-4694-11ee-8f5d-87183159ce0e.html">one-time stipends</a> and purchased new buses with air conditioning.</p>
<p>The district also agreed to reestablish transfer points as a temporary response to the shortages. But that transfer-point plan has historically resulted in students riding on the bus for hours and occasionally missing breakfast when the bus arrives late, according to Angela Reams-Brown, president of the East Baton Rouge Federation of Teachers. The district plans to purchase or lease over 160 buses and solve its bus driver shortage next year, but the plan could lead to <a href="https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/baton-rouge-school-bus-crisis-could-lead-to-budget-crisis/article_a24d6502-5fdb-11ee-ad9c-c378e2276bbf.html">a budget crisis</a>.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.wafb.com/2023/06/20/program-aimed-help-teacher-shortage/">teacher shortage looms</a> as well, because the district is paying teachers below the regional average. At the school board meeting, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-Ry-veRlM4">Laverne Simoneaux</a>, an ELL specialist at East Baton Rouge’s Woodlawn Elementary, said she was informed that her job was not guaranteed next year since she’s being paid through federal COVID-19 relief funds. By receiving tax exemptions, Exxon Mobil was taking money from her salary to deepen their pockets, she said.</p>
<p>A young student in the district told the school board that the money could provide better internet access or be used to hire someone to pick up the glass and barbed wire in the playground. But at least they have a playground – Hayden Crockett, a seventh grader at Sherwood Middle Academic Magnet School, noted that his sister’s elementary school lacked one.</p>
<p>“If it wasn’t in the budget to fund playground equipment, how can it also be in the budget to give one of the most powerful corporations in the world a tax break?” Crockett said. “The math just ain’t mathing.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222940/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christine Wen worked for the nonprofit organization Good Jobs First from June 2019 to May 2022 where she helped collect tax abatement data. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nathan Jensen has received funding from the John and Laura Arnold Foundation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. He is a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Danielle McLean and Kevin Welner do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An estimated 95% of US cities provide economic development tax incentives to woo corporate investors, taking billions away from schools.Christine Wen, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning, Texas A&M UniversityDanielle McLean, Freelance Reporter and Editor, The ConversationKevin Welner, Professor of Education Policy & Law; Director of the National Education Policy Center, University of Colorado BoulderNathan Jensen, Professor of Government, The University of Texas at AustinLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2219342024-02-13T13:21:50Z2024-02-13T13:21:50ZPhiladelphia hopes year-round schooling can catch kids up to grade level – will it make a difference?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573112/original/file-20240202-17-vr7vpc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Year-round schooling can assist low-income parents in need of child care.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teacher-helping-elementary-students-writing-in-royalty-free-image/1457744427">kali9/E+ Collection via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Upon becoming mayor of Philadelphia, <a href="https://www.phila.gov/media/20240101180939/First-100-Days-of-Mayor-Cherelle-L.-Parkers-Administration.pdf">Cherelle Parker announced</a> that she will establish a working group on full-day and year-round schooling – an idea she had supported <a href="https://www.cherelleparker.com/253-2/">while campaigning</a>. The group will develop a strategy to keep Philadelphia public schools open for longer hours during the week, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., as well as over the summer, and to provide “meaningful, instructive out-of-school programming and job opportunities for students.”</em></p>
<p><em>Below, education expert <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EzLkaxMAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">Daniel H. Robinson</a> answers five questions about year-round schooling in Philadelphia.</em></p>
<h2>What do we know about the mayor’s plan?</h2>
<p>Parker is proposing to keep Philadelphia public school buildings open longer hours and more days throughout the year. According to Superintendent Tony Watlington’s <a href="https://www.philasd.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/SDP_StrategicPlan_23_July28-3.pdf">Accelerate Philly</a> strategic plan, a year-round and extended-day school calendar will be piloted in up to 10 schools, with the goal of increasing student academic achievement. It does not state how many days or hours will be added to the 180 days Philadelphia currently requires. </p>
<p>This is different from what’s commonly known as <a href="https://theconversation.com/year-round-school-difference-maker-or-waste-of-time-211659">year-round schooling</a>, which doesn’t add extra school days but simply moves the existing days around so that there are multiple short breaks instead of a long summer break. For example, students might have 45 school days followed by 15 days of break, or 60 school days followed by 20 days of break.</p>
<p>The Philadelphia school district plan aligns with a recommendation made over 40 years ago, in 1983, in the <a href="http://edreform.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/A_Nation_At_Risk_1983.pdf">Nation at Risk</a> report commissioned by the Department of Education. The report suggested that the school year should be increased to 200 to 220 days. </p>
<h2>How prevalent is year-round schooling?</h2>
<p>The length of the school day and year varies around the world. Japan and Australia have school for almost the entire year, while the U.S. has school for only about nine months. In contrast, countries like Finland, Iceland and Ireland have shorter school days and years than the U.S. France has a longer school year but similar total hours per year as the U.S. <a href="https://online.ysu.edu/degrees/education/msed/curriculum-instruction-education-literacy/year-round-school-in-the-us/">French students</a> get a two-hour lunch and do not attend school on Wednesdays.</p>
<p>In Philadelphia, <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2023/8/7/23820472/philadelphia-year-round-school-charter-school-academics-safety-vacation-superintendent-mayor/">some charter schools</a> have added a summer extension program. But they still maintain traditional school hours during the school year.</p>
<p>Several states are participating in an initiative this year called the <a href="https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/longer-school-days-coming-for-thousands-of-students-next-year">Time Collaborative</a>. This three-year initiative involves 40 schools that will add 300 hours to their existing school calendar by having either longer days, longer school years or both.</p>
<h2>Can the mayor legally do this?</h2>
<p>The current minimum number of days that Pennsylvania schools are required to be open is 180 – similar to <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/07/in-the-u-s-180-days-of-school-is-most-common-but-length-of-school-day-varies-by-state/">most other states</a>. Districts can decide when they start and finish. The Philadelphia mayor can certainly extend the school day and the school hours since she <a href="https://www.philasd.org/schoolboard/aboutus/">appoints the school board members</a>, who in turn control who is hired or fired as superintendent. And, most importantly, the new superintendent is supportive of the mayor’s plan. </p>
<p>A more important question is: Should the mayor do this? </p>
<p>Parker has said that she wants to catch kids up academically to grade level. Only about <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/dst2022/pdf/2023010xp4.pdf">15% of fourth graders</a> in Philadelphia public schools score at or above the proficient level on standardized reading tests, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.</p>
<p>But what are the additional costs? In addition to possible increased student and teacher fatigue and stress, the main cost is money. Keeping schools open and staffed longer requires more dollars.</p>
<p>Despite the hope that longer school days or years will lead to gains in student achievement, there’s <a href="https://blogs.chicagotribune.com/files/extending-the-school-day-or-school-year-patall-et-al.pdf">little evidence that they will</a>.</p>
<p>If Philly does in fact adopt a longer school day or year, even with just 10 schools on a voluntary basis, it could prove difficult to evaluate the effects.</p>
<p>Foremost among these challenges is <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1156778">selection bias</a>. Schools that have support to opt in are likely different from schools that do not. </p>
<p>A better evaluation plan would be to first solicit applications for the pilot program from the more than 200 Philadelphia schools. Then, from those schools who volunteer to participate, randomly choose 10 for the pilot and then, at the end of the school year, measure the outcomes and compare them to the schools that weren’t chosen.</p>
<h2>What are the potential gains?</h2>
<p>The Accelerate Philly plan cites <a href="https://cepr.harvard.edu/sites/hwpi.harvard.edu/files/cepr/files/explaining_covid_losses_5.23.pdf">a 2023 study</a>, which suggests that “summer and after-school programming can be effective in accelerating learning.”</p>
<p>Adding additional hours for before-school and after-school enrichment, and for more days during the school year, supports parents by providing free and convenient child care. It makes it easier for them to drop off and pick up kids on their way to and from work. </p>
<p>It also provides kids a safe and supportive environment for more hours. Keeping kids at school longer during the day and for more days during the year can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2018.03.010">lower juvenile crime</a>. More time in school can mean less time on the streets.</p>
<p>There is still no decision on whether student participation will be mandatory. If it is not, some kids who might benefit may not get their parents’ consent to go to school earlier, stay longer and go for more days over the summer.</p>
<h2>What hurdles might year-round schooling face in Philly?</h2>
<p>Funding will be a big hurdle. Keeping school buildings open longer requires more energy. Many Philly public schools <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-school-district-early-dismissal-air-conditioning-20220831.html">do not have adequate air conditioning</a> to be open throughout the hot summer months.</p>
<p>More importantly, this plan requires more personnel – particularly teachers who can stay more hours. A January 2024 report from Penn State University’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis found that Philadelphia teachers are leaving the profession at “<a href="https://ceepablog.wordpress.com/2024/02/08/where-did-they-go-teacher-attrition-in-philadelphia-county-2018-2022/">relatively high attrition rates</a>” – considerably higher than the rest of Pennsylvania. More Philadelphia teachers are quitting or retiring than those who are being newly trained, according to the report. </p>
<p>It is not clear yet how the <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2023/5/17/23727637/philadelphia-mayor-primary-elections-2023-cherelle-parker-school-funding-charters-librarians/">teachers union would react</a> to year-round schooling throughout the district or how all the additional hours and programming would fit into the <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2023/5/26/23738831/philadelphia-school-board-strategic-plan-budget-charter-school-watlington-vote/">annual operating budget</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221934/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel H. Robinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An education expert explains the potential benefits and drawbacks of year-round schooling in Philadelphia.Daniel H. Robinson, Professor, College of Education, University of Texas at ArlingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2231802024-02-11T10:09:01Z2024-02-11T10:09:01ZIf we want more Australian students to learn to read, we need regular testing in the early primary years<p>When you send your child to school, you expect they will learn how to read. But according to 2023 NAPLAN results, about <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-23/one-in-three-students-not-meeting-naplan-standards/102756262">one-third</a> of Australian school students can’t read at their grade level.</p>
<p>For Indigenous students, students from disadvantaged families, and students in regional and rural areas, it’s more than half.</p>
<p>This is deeply troubling. When children do not learn to read fluently and efficiently in early primary school, it can <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/reading-guarantee/">undermine</a> their future learning across all subject areas, harm their self-esteem, and limit their life chances. </p>
<p>Our new Grattan Institute report, <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/reading-guarantee/">The Reading Guarantee</a>, outlines a strategy to ensure at least 90% of Australian school students are proficient readers.</p>
<p>This includes measures such as more support for lower-performing schools, coaching and building teachers’ expertise. On top of these, a key part of the strategy is that all schools regularly assess students’ reading progress and provide additional catch-up support – either in small groups or one-on-one – to those who are falling behind. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-do-kids-learn-to-read-how-do-you-know-if-your-child-is-falling-behind-214154">When do kids learn to read? How do you know if your child is falling behind?</a>
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<h2>Struggling students need early support</h2>
<p>As previous Grattan Institute <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Tackling-under-achievement-Grattan-report.pdf">research</a> shows, struggling students need early support so they do not fall even further behind.</p>
<p>Developing foundational reading skills, like decoding (the ability to sound out unfamiliar words on a page), are vital for students’ later reading success. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4134909/#:%7E:text=Although%20poor%20reading%20comprehension%20certainly,that%20are%20general%20to%20language">2014 study</a> of more than 400,000 students in Years 1, 2, and 3 found if a students’ decoding and vocabulary skills developed normally, fewer than 1% of students had problems with reading comprehension later on. </p>
<p>A focus on these early reading sub-skills is also more likely to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/desc.13325">instil a love of reading</a> in students.</p>
<p>If students don’t master reading in early primary school, they may struggle with the reading demands of subjects such as biology and history in high school.</p>
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<h2>Tests can help</h2>
<p>The earlier we assess students’ reading skills, the better, so struggling students can be supported to catch-up. For example, a 2017 <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-13234-001">US study</a> of nearly 200 students found Year 1 and Year 2 students receiving additional help to catch up on their word reading progressed twice as fast as students who didn’t receive this help until Year 3.</p>
<p>The choice of assessment matters too – they need to be quick to administer and give teachers useful information. They should tell teachers what specific areas of reading students are struggling in, so support can be well targeted. </p>
<p>One example of this is The University of Oregon-developed <a href="https://dibels.uoregon.edu">DIBELS</a> (the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). This has six short assessments of about one minute each of different reading sub-skills, such as “phonemic awareness” (identifying speech sounds in spoken language) and “reading fluency” (how quickly and accurately a child reads with the right expression). It also has benchmarks for the beginning, middle and end of the year. </p>
<p>Most Australian state and territory education departments mandate some specific early reading assessment tools and make recommendations about other assessments to use. But our report argues they are not necessarily recommending effective tests and they do not always provide the information teachers need to monitor reading progress.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/some-kids-with-reading-difficulties-can-also-have-reading-anxiety-what-can-parents-do-215438">Some kids with reading difficulties can also have reading anxiety – what can parents do?</a>
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<h2>We need a national Year 1 Phonics Screening check</h2>
<p>There should be a nationally consistent <a href="https://www.literacyhub.edu.au/plan-teach-and-assess/year-1-phonics-check/">Year 1 Phonics Screening Check</a> to provide governments with a useful “health check” on early reading performance across states. The test was <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368290/phonics_2011_technical_report.pdf">developed</a> in the United Kingdom where it has been mandated for government schools since 2012. </p>
<p>It is also currently mandated in Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia. </p>
<p>Phonics is not the only important reading skill students should master in early primary school. But having a test focusing on phonics acknowledges how the ability to accurately decode words is a <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/646220f3427e41000cb43766/PIRLS_2021_-_national_report_for_England__May_2023.pdf">good predictor</a> of students’ future reading achievement. </p>
<p>This test assesses students’ decoding skills across 40 real and made-up words (such as “lig”) of increasing complexity. It takes about seven minutes to complete per student. By assessing 40 words, it can identify the letter-sound combinations a student is struggling with. </p>
<p>Parents would then get a report on their child’s results and aggregate results would also be published at the state and sector levels. </p>
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<h2>We should also be assessing students at other times</h2>
<p>The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check will tell governments how students are tracking on phonics. But schools should also be regularly tracking students’ progress on reading. </p>
<p>Governments should require all schools to assess students’ reading skills (using robust assessments such as DIBELS) at least twice a year from the first year of school to Year 2 and on entry into high school. This would identify students who may not have learnt necessary reading skills in primary school.</p>
<p>Governments should also provide clearer guidelines about which assessment tools are effective. And they should provide guidance on when assessments should be done and advice on what to do with the results. </p>
<p>The alternative is we keep going with a “wait-to-fail” approach, which lets too many students fall through the cracks.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223180/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Grattan Institute began with contributions to its endowment of $15 million from each of the Federal and Victorian Governments, $4 million from BHP Billiton, and $1 million from NAB. In order to safeguard its independence, Grattan Institute’s board controls this endowment. The funds are invested and contribute to funding Grattan Institute's activities. Grattan Institute also receives funding from corporates, foundations, and individuals to support its general activities as disclosed on its website.</span></em></p>A new Grattan Institute report provides a plan to ensure at least 90% of Australian school students can read well.Anika Stobart, Senior Associate, Grattan InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2228492024-02-09T13:32:30Z2024-02-09T13:32:30ZWhy John Dewey’s vision for education and democracy still resonates today<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574482/original/file-20240208-30-vvibg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=35%2C106%2C7790%2C5122&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">John Dewey was a proponent of active learning. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/students-working-on-stem-projects-royalty-free-image/1456008678?phrase=children+classroom+active+learning&adppopup=true">FatCamera via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>John Dewey was one of the <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dewey/#:%7E:text=John%20Dewey%20(1859%E2%80%931952),half%20of%20the%20twentieth%20century.">most important educational philosophers</a> of the 20th century. His work has been cited in scholarly publications <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dD5DTREAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">over 400,000 times</a>. Dewey’s writings continue to influence discussions on a variety of subjects, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/edth.12567">democratic education</a>, which was the focus of Dewey’s famous 1916 book on the subject. In the following Q&A, Nicholas Tampio, a political science professor and editor of a <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/democracy-and-education/9780231558273">forthcoming 2024 edition of Dewey’s “Democracy and Education,”</a> explains why Dewey’s work remains relevant to this day.</em></p>
<h2>Why revisit John Dewey’s philosophy on education and democracy now?</h2>
<p>I think it is time to revisit Dewey’s philosophy about the value of field trips, classroom experiments, music instruction and children playing together on playgrounds. This is especially true after the pandemic when children spent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.56157">significantly more time</a> in front of screens rather than having whole body experiences.</p>
<p>Dewey’s philosophy of education was that children “learn by doing.” Dewey argued that children learn from using their entire bodies in meaningful experiences. That is why, in his 1916 text, “<a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/democracy-and-education/9780231558273">Democracy and Education,”</a> Dewey called for schools to be “equipped with laboratories, shops, and gardens.”</p>
<p>Dewey argued that planting seeds, measuring the relationship between Sun, soil, water and plant growth, and then tasting fresh peas made for a seamless transition between childhood curiosity and the scientific way of looking at things. Dewey also encouraged schools to create time for “<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/852/852-h/852-h.htm">dramatizations, plays, and games</a>.” </p>
<p>In his 2014 book, “<a href="https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9780801479540/an-education-in-politics/#bookTabs=1">An Education in Politics: The Origin and Evolution of No Child Left Behind</a>,” the political scientist <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OsXHylAAAAAJ&hl=en">Jesse H. Rhodes</a> shows how business groups and certain civil rights groups advocated federal laws that required states to administer high-stakes tests. This focus on tested subjects means that public school students in places <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2010.490776">such as Texas</a> have less time for arts education. </p>
<h2>What role did Dewey see for public schools in preserving democracy?</h2>
<p>For Dewey, modern societies can use schools to impart democratic habits in young people from an early age. He argued that the “intermingling in the school of youth of different races, differing religions, and unlike customs creates for all a new and broader environment.” Dewey was writing as <a href="https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/progressive-era-to-new-era-1900-1929/immigrants-in-progressive-era/">millions of European immigrants</a> were arriving in the United States between 1900 and 1915. Dewey believed that schools could teach immigrants what it means to be a citizen and incorporate their experiences into American culture. </p>
<p>Dewey’s view of the schools remains relevant today. In the <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-104737.pdf">2020-21 school year</a>, more than a third of the country’s children attended schools where 75% of the student body is the same race or ethnicity – hardly the ideal conditions for Dewey’s vision of democracy. </p>
<p>Dewey <a href="https://chipbruce.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dewey_creative_dem.pdf">opposed “racial, color, or other class prejudice</a>.” Segregated schools <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2293151">violate Dewey’s ideal</a> of treating all students as possessing intrinsic worth and dignity. Dewey <a href="https://chipbruce.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dewey_creative_dem.pdf">believed that</a> democracy means “that every human being, independent of the quantity or range of his personal endowment, has the right to equal opportunity with every other person for development of whatever gifts he has.” Democratic schools, for Dewey, empower every child to develop their gifts in ways that benefit the community.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574477/original/file-20240208-28-gkl7uz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A young boy feeds a goat while his parents stand nearby." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574477/original/file-20240208-28-gkl7uz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574477/original/file-20240208-28-gkl7uz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574477/original/file-20240208-28-gkl7uz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574477/original/file-20240208-28-gkl7uz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574477/original/file-20240208-28-gkl7uz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=726&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574477/original/file-20240208-28-gkl7uz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=726&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574477/original/file-20240208-28-gkl7uz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=726&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Dewey espoused the idea of learning by doing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado via Getty Images</span></span>
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<h2>How closely does today’s education system resemble Dewey’s vision for education?</h2>
<p>I would argue that the education system resembles the vision of modern testing pioneers like <a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/pioneers-of-modern-testing/1999/06">Edward Thorndike</a> more than Dewey’s.</p>
<p>Dewey thought that standardized tests serve a small role in education. <a href="http://dewey.pragmatism.org/creed.htm">He believed</a> that “the child’s own instincts and powers furnish the material and give the starting point for all education.” Dewey maintained that teachers need to use student interest as the fuel to propel students to learn math, reading and the scientific method, and standardized tests serve mainly to help the teacher identify where <a href="http://dewey.pragmatism.org/creed.htm">each student</a> “can receive the most help.” In his lifetime, <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo3683209.html">Dewey opposed</a> proponents of intelligence testing, such as Thorndike.</p>
<p>But the testing proponents seem to be winning. According to a 2023 <a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/educators-feel-growing-pressure-for-students-to-perform-well-on-standardized-tests/2023/09">Education Week</a> survey of teachers, nearly 80% feel moderate or large amounts of pressure to have their students perform well on state-mandated standardized tests. According to <a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/educators-feel-growing-pressure-for-students-to-perform-well-on-standardized-tests/2023/09">one principal</a>, “There’s too much pressure put on these kids for testing, and there’s too much testing.”</p>
<p>Dewey’s vision of education is teachers nurturing each child’s passions and not using tests to rank children. For many teachers, U.S. public schools are <a href="https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/standardized-testing-still-failing-students">far from realizing that vision</a>.</p>
<h2>How popular are John Dewey’s views today?</h2>
<p>Dewey’s ideas were controversial during his lifetime. They remain so to this day.</p>
<p>In 2023, Richard Corcoran, the president of New College of Florida, criticized “<a href="https://www.srqmagazine.com/srq-daily/2023-11-16/22795_In-Conversation-with-Leaders-in-Higher-Education">the Dewey school of thought</a>” for training students to become “widget makers.” According to Corcoran, Dewey thought that “if we can teach (people) just enough skills to get on the assembly line and help us with this Industrial Revolution, everything will be great.” Corcoran is right that Dewey thought that schools should teach children about industry, including with hands-on tasks. But Dewey opposed vocational education that <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1179397">slotted children from a young age into a career path</a>. </p>
<p>“I am utterly opposed,” Dewey explained, “to giving the power of social predestination, by means of narrow trade-training, to any group of fallible men no matter how well-intentioned they may be.” Dewey thought that children could learn about history and economics from using machinery in schools. However, he opposed a two-tiered education system that denied working-class children a well-rounded education or that equated human flourishing with making widgets. </p>
<p>Educators and scholars such as <a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2017/12/31/john-dewey-my-pedagogic-creed/">Diane Ravitch</a>, <a href="https://www.tcpress.com/beyond-testing-9780807758526">Deborah Meier</a> and <a href="http://zhaolearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/josi12191_LR.pdf">Yong Zhao</a> cite Dewey and apply his insights to current education debates. Those debates include topics such as the place of standardized testing in schools, the freedom of the classroom teacher and the need for schools to build trust with families and community members.</p>
<p>Zhao, for instance, argues that Dewey outlined a way to address education inequity that does not rely on closing gaps in test scores. Dewey’s idea, according to Zhao, is that all children should have a chance to express and cultivate individuality, learn through experiences and make “the most of the opportunities of present life.”</p>
<p>Dewey believed that “<a href="https://chipbruce.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dewey_creative_dem.pdf">democracy is a way of life</a>.” He also believed schools could teach that lesson to young people by allowing people in the school to have a meaningful say in the aims of education. For many people who read Dewey today, his call for <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/992653">democracy in education</a> still resonates.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222849/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicholas Tampio does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Educational philosopher John Dewey saw America’s schools as a place for students from different backgrounds to learn from one another.Nicholas Tampio, Professor of Political Science, Fordham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2220552024-02-08T21:17:53Z2024-02-08T21:17:53ZThe war in Gaza is wiping out Palestine’s education and knowledge systems<p>Gaza’s education system has suffered significantly since Israel’s bombardment and assault on the strip began. Last month, Israel <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68023080">blew up</a> Gaza’s last standing university, Al-Israa University.</p>
<p>In the past four months, all or parts of Gaza’s <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/24/how-israel-has-destroyed-gazas-schools-and-universities#:%7E:text=Palestinian%20news%20agency%20Wafa%20reported,university%20in%20Gaza%20in%20stages.">12 universities</a> have been bombed and mostly destroyed. </p>
<p>Approximately <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-102-enarhe">378 schools</a> have been destroyed or damaged. The Palestinian Ministry of Education has reported the deaths of over <a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/151126/file/State-of-Palestine-Humanitarian-Situation-Report-No.15-(Escalation)-17-January-2024.pdf">4,327 students, 231 teachers</a> and <a href="https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6108/Israel-kills-dozens-of-academics,-destroys-every-university-in-the-Gaza-Strip">94 professors.</a></p>
<p>Numerous <a href="https://librarianswithpalestine.org/gaza-report-2024/?fbclid=IwAR1VqwE8t9HEb46IFQDPJhl8ZFReHyyzgCAXjPfMPIGoThfbSXBEsy-Trog">cultural heritage sites</a>, including libraries, archives and museums, have also been destroyed, damaged and plundered.</p>
<p>But the assault on Palestinian educational and cultural institutions did not begin in response to the Oct. 7 attack. Israel has a long record of <a href="https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/430540">targeted attacks</a> on Palestinian institutions that produce knowledge and culture. That history includes targeting and <a href="https://yam.ps/page-11801-en.html">assassinating</a> Palestinian intellectuals, <a href="https://www.aaiusa.org/library/i-knew-ghassan-kanafani">cultural producers</a> and political figures. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4cY6H8n0zf0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A video clip shared by ‘The New Arab,’ showing the destruction at Al-Israa University in the Gaza Strip.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What is scholasticide?</h2>
<p>The destruction of education systems and buildings is known as “scholasticide,” a term first coined by Oxford professor Karma Nabulsi during the 2008-2009 Israeli assault on Gaza. Scholasticide describes <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/10/gaza-schools">the systemic destruction of Palestinian education</a> within the context of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0377919X.2021.1909376">Israel’s decades-long settler colonization and occupation of Palestine</a>.</p>
<p>Recently, a group of scholars working under the name <a href="https://scholarsagainstwar.org/toolkit/">Scholars Against the War on Palestine</a> broadened the definition to include a more comprehensive picture of what is happening during the current war. They outline the intimate relationship between <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/world/how-israels-scholasticide-denies-palestinians-their-past-present-and-future/article_8f52d77a-b648-11ee-863d-f3411121907b.html">scholasticide and genocide</a>.</p>
<p>They say scholasticide includes the intentional <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/14/a-cultural-genocide-which-of-gazas-heritage-sites-have-been-destroyed">destruction of cultural heritage</a>: archives, libraries and museums. Scholasticide includes killing, causing bodily or mental harm, incarcerating, or systematically harassing educators, students and administrators. It includes besieging, closing or obstructing access to educational institutions. It can also include using universities or schools as a military base (as was done with <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68023080">Al-Israa University</a>).</p>
<p>The magnitude of destruction has led them <a href="https://scholarsagainstwar.org/toolkit/">to conclude:</a> “Israeli colonial policy in Gaza has now shifted from a focus on systematic destruction to total annihilation of education.”</p>
<p>As genocide scholar Douglas Irvin-Erickson says: the original definition of genocide as first drafted by <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781351214100-2/rapha%C3%ABl-lemkin-douglas-irvin-erickson">Raphael Lemkin in 1943</a> included the idea that “attacking a culture was a way of committing genocide, and not a different type of genocide.” </p>
<h2>The International Court of Justice</h2>
<p>During the recent genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa argued that <a href="https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/192/192-20231228-app-01-00-en.pdf">Palestinian academics were being intentionally assassinated</a>.</p>
<p>Legal representative for South Africa, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f_yoal4gx8">told the court</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Almost 90,000 Palestinian university students cannot attend university in Gaza. Over 60 per cent of schools, almost all universities and countless bookshops and libraries have been damaged and destroyed. Hundreds of teachers and academics have been killed, including deans of universities and leading Palestinian scholars. Obliterating the very future prospects of the future education of Gaza’s children and young people.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/192/192-20240126-sum-01-00-en.pdf">On Jan. 26, in a landmark ruling, the ICJ</a> ordered Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza.</p>
<h2>Attempting to eliminate Palestinian futures</h2>
<p>Scholasticide is not an event. It’s part of a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0377919X.2021.1975478">colonial continuum</a> of attacking and destroying a people’s educational life, knowledge systems and plundering material culture and cultural heritage.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1525/jps.2017.46.4.75">targeted killing of the educated class</a> is intended to make it difficult for Palestinians to restore the political and socio-economic conditions needed to survive and rebuild Gaza.</p>
<p>This systematic destruction is at the core of the settler colonial “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14623520601056240">logic of elimination</a>.” It has also been applied to Indigenous Peoples in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/2201473X.2012.10648833">logic</a> drives a settler population to replace Indigenous peoples in their aim to establish a new society. </p>
<p>For example, this logic was exercised <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/palestine-nakba-9781848139718/">during the 1948 Nakba</a>. Thousands of <a href="https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/78440">Palestinian books</a>, manuscripts, libraries, archives, photographs, cultural artifacts and cultural property <a href="https://journal.radicallibrarianship.org/index.php/journal/article/view/54">were looted, destroyed or damaged</a> by Zionist militias. In 1948, <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ethnic-Cleansing-of-Palestine/Ilan-Pappe/9781851685554">Palestinian schools were destroyed or damaged</a> or later appropriated for use by the new Israeli state. </p>
<h2>Resistance: Palestinian history and culture</h2>
<p>Despite the ongoing attempts to erase Palestinian history, culture and memory, Palestinians have found ways to resist their erasure. In the 1960s and ‘70s, <a href="https://palestinianstudies.org/workshops/2023/palestinian-revolutionary-tradition-and-global-anti-colonialism">an anti-colonial revolutionary tradition</a>, produced and influenced by intellectual and political thought, was strengthened. </p>
<p>It helped to create <a href="https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/1650753">infrastructures</a> for the survival, mobilization and development of the Palestinian people and their national movement. It cultivated transnational relationships of solidarity. It helped displaced Palestinians, separated across geographies, to preserve their identity and reorganize themselves politically.</p>
<p>The intellectual and political thought of this period was <a href="https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/des/article/view/28899">passed onto</a> the generations that followed. It influenced educational and political programs, cultural development and practices of resistance. Especially during the First Intifada from 1987-1993. This enabled Palestinians to stay steadfast in their struggle against colonial violence across time and space. Palestinian education and culture form <a href="https://www.newarab.com/analysis/israels-archaeological-war-palestinian-cultural-heritage">the backbone</a> of the right to self-determination. This is why Israel frequently targets Palestinian education and culture. </p>
<p>Palestinians have endured <a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v32/n20/karma-nabulsi/diary">several periods of intense attacks</a> on their cultural and educational life. This includes the June 1967 war, Israel’s 1982 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jan/06/israel7">invasion of Lebanon during which a number of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s institutions were destroyed</a> and the First and Second Intifadas.</p>
<p>Following Israel’s destruction of <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/44746845">the Palestine Research Center in Lebanon in 1982</a>, Palestinian poet <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/palestinian-identity/">Mahmoud Darwish said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“He who steals land does not surprise us by stealing a library. He who kills thousands of innocent civilians does not surprise us by killing paintings.” </p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A man in glasses wears a suit and tie" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574465/original/file-20240208-16-vtx98z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574465/original/file-20240208-16-vtx98z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=737&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574465/original/file-20240208-16-vtx98z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=737&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574465/original/file-20240208-16-vtx98z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=737&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574465/original/file-20240208-16-vtx98z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=926&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574465/original/file-20240208-16-vtx98z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=926&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574465/original/file-20240208-16-vtx98z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=926&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The poet Mahmoud Darwish wrote about everyday grief. (Photo is from 1980)</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Syrian News Agency/Al Sabah)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.2022.2114778">colonial theft</a> continues unabashed. Cultural heritage has been <a href="https://librarianswithpalestine.org/gaza-report-2024/?fbclid=IwAR2QpiHfxSB6939yfyipOLY6zVYTED_rQN7JVxTq33UCinF_-3U1xNuQFzE">annihilated, damaged or plundered</a> in this war. During the bombing of Al-Israa University in January, Israel also targeted the National Museum. Licensed by the Ministry of Antiquities, the museum housed over <a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/israel-obliterates-gazas-last-university-amid-boycott-calls">3,000 rare artifacts, which were looted</a>. </p>
<p>Most academic institutions around the world remain silent about Israel’s scholasticide. But others are speaking out. Globally, this includes <a href="https://lithub.com/israel-has-damaged-or-destroyed-at-least-13-libraries-in-gaza/">Librarians and Archivists with Palestine</a> and some <a href="https://www.brismes.ac.uk/news/destruction-of-palestinian-education-system">academic associations</a> and faculty groups. The ICJ’s recent order to Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza may motivate other scholars and institutions to consider breaking their silence on scholasticide.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222055/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chandni Desai does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Scholars say Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s schools, universities and museums are part of an ongoing project to destroy Palestinian people, identity and ideas.Chandni Desai, Assistant professor, Education, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2228742024-02-08T01:13:32Z2024-02-08T01:13:32ZA new Senate report sounds alarm bells on student behaviour. Here are 4 things to help teachers in the classroom<p>Managing 20-30 adults in one room is a challenge for even the best managers. Swap the adults for children and you have what classroom teachers do every day.</p>
<p>Student behaviour and engagement in class are some of the biggest problems worrying Australian teachers and education experts. According to a 2022 <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-classrooms-are-among-the-least-favourable-for-discipline-in-the-oecd-heres-how-to-improve-student-behaviour-202946">report</a>, Australian classrooms rank among the OECD’s most disorderly. This can range from low-level behaviours such as talking, not following instructions and using a mobile phone in class, to destruction of property, physical and verbal abuse. </p>
<p>This makes it harder for students to learn and more stressful for teachers to teach. </p>
<p>For the past year, a Liberal-chaired <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/DASC">Senate inquiry</a> has been looking at “increasing disruption in Australian school classrooms”. </p>
<p>Following an <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-senate-inquiry-is-calling-for-a-new-behaviour-curriculum-to-try-and-tackle-classroom-disruptions-218695">interim report</a> in December 2023, the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/DASC/Report">final report</a> was released on Wednesday evening. </p>
<h2>What is in the report?</h2>
<p>On top of its <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-senate-inquiry-is-calling-for-a-new-behaviour-curriculum-to-try-and-tackle-classroom-disruptions-218695">previous recommendation</a> to introduce a “behaviour curriculum” (to “help students understand their school’s behavioural expectations and values”), the committee now recommends a further inquiry into “declining academic standards” in Australian schools. </p>
<p>The report notes the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-teenagers-record-steady-results-in-international-tests-but-about-half-are-not-meeting-proficiency-standards-218814">results</a>. Released in December 2023, this is an international test of 15-year-olds’ knowledge and skills in science, maths and reading:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>while Australia’s relative performance has remained mostly unchanged over the last two cycles, Australian students’ overall performance has actually been in steady decline over the past two decades.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Along with the academic component, a PISA questionnaire asked students how often disruptions happened in maths lessons. This included asking whether students do not listen to what the teacher says and whether there is noise and disorder in the classroom.</p>
<p>Australia ranked 33 out of the 37 OECD countries in the survey. Around 40% of Australian students reported they get distracted by using digital devices in maths lessons, while more than 30% said they get distracted by other students using digital devices.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-australian-students-really-falling-behind-it-depends-which-test-you-look-at-218709">Are Australian students really falling behind? It depends which test you look at</a>
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<h2>What could help?</h2>
<p>The report also noted the Australian Education Research Organisation’s recent work on behaviour, backed by federal government funding. </p>
<p>In December 2023 the organisation released a paper <a href="https://www.edresearch.edu.au/research/research-reports/effectively-managing-classrooms-create-safe-and-supportive-learning-environments">looking at the evidence</a> on what works to manage classrooms. Last month it also released a <a href="https://www.edresearch.edu.au/guides-resources/practice-resources/classroom-management-handbook">guide for teachers</a> based on this research. </p>
<p>Below are four key messages from this work. </p>
<h2>1. Set expectations, routines and rules</h2>
<p>Students don’t arrive at school innately knowing what is <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/education-data-and-research/cese/publications/literature-reviews/classroom-management">expected</a> of them. This includes what to do when they are entering and exiting the classroom, wanting to gain their teacher’s attention, completing tasks or moving through the school.</p>
<p>So classroom rules and routines need to be explicitly taught and regularly revised to help students understand and demonstrate them automatically. This then gives them more headspace for learning.</p>
<p>Some expectations should be shared with families, such as arrival routines or expectations about homework.</p>
<p>Teachers should also role-model what they expect of students. This includes arriving to class on time, being organised, and listening to and speaking to students in a consistent and calm manner.</p>
<h2>2. Prepare the classroom environment</h2>
<p>The way a classroom is set up plays an important role in creating welcoming, calm and functional learning environments. </p>
<p>This can include the way furniture is arranged – so everyone can see and hear the teacher easily – as well as visual displays that are set up to enhance and not distract from learning. </p>
<p>This includes reminders for where students will put their bags, displaying timetables and routines so students know where they need to be and what they need to do.</p>
<h2>3. Build student-teacher relationships</h2>
<p>If students have a positive connection with their teacher, they are <a href="https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/media/2763/speaking-out-about-school-and-learning.pdf">more likely</a> to have a positive attitude towards school. Some ways teachers can establish a strong relationship include greeting students individually at the classroom door every day and interacting with students outside the classroom.</p>
<p>They should regularly “check in” with every student. For example, ask about their weekend, their activities and interests outside of school, such as how their football team is performing or how their dance performance went. </p>
<p>If there are issues, they should deliver feedback constructively. This involves reminding students of the expectations, identifying what they were doing and what they need to do instead and why. After giving feedback, teachers should let go of the incident and start fresh.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-a-call-for-a-new-behaviour-curriculum-in-australian-schools-is-that-a-good-idea-219593">There's a call for a new 'behaviour curriculum' in Australian schools. Is that a good idea?</a>
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</p>
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<h2>4. Respond to behaviour</h2>
<p>Even with the best classroom management practices, there will be times when teachers need to handle <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/engaging-students-creating-classrooms-that-improve-learning/">disengaged or disruptive behaviours</a>.</p>
<p>Teachers should be familiar with a combination of non-verbal and verbal “corrections” and escalate responses as needs be. </p>
<p>This includes talking to a student privately one-on-one, at a time that does not interrupt the flow of the lesson. They can also remind the group or whole class of expectations. </p>
<p>Teachers can also use non-verbal strategies, such as moving closer to a student who is not behaving, pausing and looking at a student in a deliberate way to demonstrate they are aware of what is happening. They could also make a gesture (such as a finger to their lips). The focus should always be on supporting students to re-engage in learning rather than punishing them.</p>
<p>Acknowledging and praising students who are meeting behaviour expectations is also as important as addressing disruption. This reinforces the <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-first-days-of-school-5ed-harry-k-wong/book/9780976423386.html?source=pla&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAn-2tBhDVARIsAGmStVnWK0yXyQQemq7VoR0tenh-z0PePTWQ6JoaEq1pmPtc-916H_0ZZGcaAsODEALw_wcB">expected behaviours</a> for all students.</p>
<h2>A complex issue</h2>
<p>Student behaviour is a complex issue and is by no means solely an issue for teachers to fix. As the Senate <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/reportsen/RB000063/toc_pdf/TheissueofincreasingdisruptioninAustralianschoolclassrooms.pdf">inquiry heard</a>, behaviour can be influenced by socioeconomic factors, bullying, family trauma and disability.</p>
<p>But there are practical things teachers and schools can do to help students engage in their lessons and keep classrooms calm and focused.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222874/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zid Niel Mancenido is Senior Manager, Research and Evaluation for the Australian Research Education Organisation. The project mentioned in this article is funded by the federal Department of Education, through the Engaged Classrooms Through Effective Classroom Management Program.</span></em></p>For the past year, a Senate inquiry has been looking at “increasing disruption in Australian school classrooms”.Zid Niel Mancenido, Lecturer, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2226032024-02-05T19:11:32Z2024-02-05T19:11:32ZWhy do we have single sex schools? What’s the history behind one of the biggest debates in education?<p>When students walked through the sandstone gates of Sydney’s Newington College for the first day of school last week, they were met by <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/school-life/alumni-protest-against-newington-colleges-decision-to-go-coed/news-story/e46de1ac4e3d82e67c55dd19f37a5565">protesters</a>. </p>
<p>A group of parents and former students had gathered outside this prestigious school in the city’s inner west, holding placards decrying the school’s decision to become fully co-educational by 2033. </p>
<p>Protesters have even <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-30/nsw-newington-college-co-ed-parents-legal-threat-boys-girls/103168862">threatened legal action</a> to defend the 160-year-old tradition of boys’ education at the school. One <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85OG_hldBpRE">told Channel 9</a> they fear the change is driven by “woke […] palaver” that will disadvantage boys at Newington.</p>
<p>Newington is not the only prestigious boys school to open enrolments to girls. Cranbrook in Sydney’s east will also go fully co-ed, with the decision sparking a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/inevitable-step-forward-cranbrook-s-high-school-to-become-fully-co-ed-20220727-p5b53q.html">heated community debate</a>. </p>
<p>This debate is not a new one. What is the history behind the single-sex vs co-ed divide? And why does it spark so much emotion? </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-another-elite-boys-school-goes-co-ed-are-single-sex-schools-becoming-an-endangered-species-187857">As another elite boys' school goes co-ed, are single-sex schools becoming an endangered species?</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>What is the history of the debate?</h2>
<p>Schools like Newington were set up at a time when the curriculum and social worlds for upper-class boys and girls were often quite different. Boys and girls were thought to require different forms of education for their intellectual and moral development.</p>
<p>The question of whether it’s a good idea to educate boys and girls separately has been debated in Australia for at least 160 years, around the time Newington was set up. </p>
<p>In the 1860s, the colony of Victoria introduced a policy of coeducation for all government-run schools. This was despite community concerns about “<a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/HER-04-2020-0023/full/html">moral well-being</a>”. There was a concern that boys would be a “corrupting influence” on the girls. So schools were often organised to minimise contact between boys and girls even when they shared a classroom.</p>
<p>Other colonies followed suit. The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00309230601080618">main reason</a> the various Australian governments decided to educate boys and girls together was financial. It was always cheaper, especially in regional and rural areas, to build one school than two. So most government schools across Australia were established to enrol both girls and boys. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00309230601080618">One notable exception</a> was New South Wales, which set up a handful of single-sex public high schools in the 1880s. </p>
<p>These were intended to provide an alternative to single-sex private secondary schools. At that time, education authorities did not believe parents would agree to enrol their children in mixed high schools. Historically, coeducation has been more controversial for older students, but less so for students in their primary years. </p>
<h2>A changing debate</h2>
<p>By the 1950s, many education experts were arguing <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/1176773">coeducation was better for social development</a> than single-sex schooling. This was at a time of national expansion of secondary schooling in Australia and new psychological theories about adolescents.</p>
<p>In following decades, further debates emerged. A <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/3019567">feminist reassessment</a> in the 1980s argued girls were sidelined in co-ed classes. This view was in turn <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/00346543073004471">challenged during the 1990s</a>, with claims girls were outstripping boys academically and boys were being left behind in co-ed environments. </p>
<h2>Which system delivers better academic results?</h2>
<p>There is <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-another-elite-boys-school-goes-co-ed-are-single-sex-schools-becoming-an-endangered-species-187857">no conclusive evidence</a> that one type of schooling (co-ed or single sex) yields better academic outcomes than the other. </p>
<p>Schools are complex and diverse settings. There are too many variables (such as resourcing, organisational structures and teaching styles) to make definitive claims about any one factor. Many debates about single-sex vs co-ed schooling also neglect social class as a <a href="https://vuir.vu.edu.au/42362/1/educational-opportunity-in-australia-2020.pdf">key factor</a> in academic achievement.</p>
<h2>What about the social environment?</h2>
<p>Research about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-another-elite-boys-school-goes-co-ed-are-single-sex-schools-becoming-an-endangered-species-187857">social outcomes</a> of co-ed vs single-sex schools is also contested.</p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/26/co-ed-versus-single-sex-schools-its-about-more-than-academic-outcomes">argue</a> co-ed schooling better prepares young people for the co-ed world they will grow up in. </p>
<p>Others <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03055690020003610">have suggested</a> boys may fare better in co-ed settings, with girls acting as a counterbalance to boys’ unruliness. But it has also <a href="https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01411920701434011">been argued</a> boys take up more space and teacher time, detracting from girls’ learning and confidence.</p>
<p>Both of these arguments rely on gender stereotypes about girls being compliant and timid and boys being boisterous and disruptive.</p>
<p>Key to these debates is a persistent belief that girls and boys learn differently. These claims <a href="http://www.australianreview.net/digest/2012/11/burns.html">do not have a strong basis</a> in educational research.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-can-see-the-gender-bias-of-all-boys-schools-by-the-books-they-study-in-english-156119">We can see the gender bias of all-boys' schools by the books they study in English</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why such a heated debate?</h2>
<p>Tradition plays a big part in this debate. Often, parents want their children to have a similar schooling experience to themselves. </p>
<p>For others it’s about access to specific resources and experiences. Elite boys schools have spent generations accumulating social and physical resources tailored to what they believe boys are interested in and what they believe is in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09540253.2010.549114">boys’ best interests</a>. This includes sports facilities, curriculum offerings, approaches to behaviour management and “old boys” networks.</p>
<p>Many of these schools have spent decades marketing themselves as uniquely qualified to educate boys (or a certain type of boy). So it’s not surprising if some in these school communities are resisting change.</p>
<p>More concerning are the Newington protesters who suggest this move toward inclusivity and gender diversity will make boys “second-class citizens”. This echoes a refrain common in anti-feminist and anti-trans <a href="https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/cjwl.28.1.18">backlash movements</a>, which position men and boys as vulnerable in a world of changing gender norms. This overlooks the ways <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10304312.2021.2006888">they too can benefit</a> from the embrace of greater diversity at school. </p>
<p>As schools do the work to open up to <a href="https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s13384-023-00678-w?sharing_token=MGqmL4VmbMSszh1LZWF95_e4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY5f5nEUUj4iL8N0aLkEZ8jXukE_G9Zeya6UEqBnCni8x3eD2rCYy8N07xUwHEO7nM3Edf3xKzU6lNwGjDEbV_UZLF6AuKunXqbi6TfS3OpsrHrjGz6wT6l_PMyWjN4UmAg%3D">more genders</a>, it is likely they will also become welcoming to a wider range of boys and young men.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222603/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Kean receives funding from an Australian Research Council Special Research Initiative grant 'Australian Boys: Beyond the Boy Problem'. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Helen Proctor receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kellie Burns previously received funding from the University of Sydney, Equity Prize. </span></em></p>The question of whether it’s a good idea to educate boys and girls separately has been debated in Australia for at least 160 years.Jessica Kean, Lecturer in Gender and Cultural Studies, University of SydneyHelen Proctor, Professor, University of SydneyKellie Burns, Senior Lecturer in Health Education, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2222552024-02-01T19:05:00Z2024-02-01T19:05:00Z5 questions your child’s school should be able to answer about bullying<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572379/original/file-20240131-25-b7ipz8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C16%2C5609%2C3748&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/boy-sitting-on-concrete-stairs-FLdK5N-YGf4">Gaelle Marcel/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As children return to classrooms for 2024, school communities will be confronting bullying in person and via technology. </p>
<p>In-person bullying and cyberbullying affect <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/justice-and-safety/bullying">significant numbers</a> of children and young people in Australia and <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/eclinm/PIIS2589-5370(20)30020-1.pdf">around the world</a>.</p>
<p>The eSafety Commission <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/40-jump-in-child-bullying-reports-to-esafety">recently revealed</a> a 40% jump in cyberbullying reports. In 2023, it received 2,383 reports of cyberbullying compared with 1,700 in 2022. Two-thirds (67%) of reports concerned children aged 12–15 years.</p>
<p>A 2019 <a href="https://headspace.org.au/our-organisation/media-releases/new-data-finds-more-than-half-of-aussie-kids-experience-cyberbullying/">headspace survey</a> found 53% of young Australians aged 12–25 have experienced cyberbullying.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/justice-safety/bullying">2016 survey</a> of 12- and 13-year-olds found seven in ten children had experienced at least one bullying-like behaviour within the past year.</p>
<p>Schools have a responsibility to provide a safe learning environment. As part of our <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42380-023-00179-5.pdf">work on bullying</a>, we have identified five key ways schools can prevent and respond to bullying. </p>
<h2>What is bullying?</h2>
<p>In-person bullying is unwanted, negative and aggressive behaviour. It is done on purpose and done repeatedly, and can cause physical, emotional or social harm. </p>
<p>As the eSafety Commission <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/cyberbullying">explains</a>, cyberbullying occurs </p>
<blockquote>
<p>when someone uses the internet to be mean to a child or young person so they feel bad or upset. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It can happen on a social media site, game or app. It can include comments, messages, images, videos and emails. </p>
<p>There is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33066202/">a lot of overlap</a> between the two types of bullying. Those who bully or are bullied in person also tend to bully or be bullied online, and vice versa. </p>
<p>In any kind of bullying, the person doing the bullying has – or is perceived to have – more power than the person being bullied. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-new-study-provides-a-potential-breakthrough-on-school-bullying-195716">Our new study provides a potential breakthrough on school bullying</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What do schools need to do?</h2>
<p>As the Australian Human Rights Commission <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/commission-general/bullying-know-your-rights-violence-harassment-and-bullying-fact-sheet">notes</a>, bullying is an abuse of individuals’ human rights. It says schools have a responsibility to provide a safe learning environment free from violence, harassment and bullying. This protects the right to education. </p>
<p>Approaches vary between jurisdictions and school systems. In <a href="https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/bullying-prevention-response/policy">Victoria</a>, for example, government schools need to have bullying prevention policies. In New South Wales, government schools need to have an “<a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/policy-library/public/implementation-documents/pd-2010-0415-01.pdf">anti-bullying plan</a>”. </p>
<p>But while schools often have bullying policies, they need comprehensive systems to be adequately prepared. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-kids-bully-and-what-can-parents-do-about-it-194812">Why do kids bully? And what can parents do about it?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Our work has <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42380-023-00179-5.pdf">examined</a> what schools should do to be prepared to prevent and respond to bullying. As part of this, we spoke to five principals and teachers at five Victorian schools in 2022. </p>
<p>This highlighted the ongoing and complex nature of the challenges schools face. For example, they told us how COVID set back responses to cyberbullying. As one high school principal told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We had a lot of online bullying going on […] a lot of nasty stuff happening online, a lot of sexting and a lot of horrible comments […] We nearly got it wiped out and then COVID hit and we then went back to having kids on computers all day, every day, so I think that’s back in a big way.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Technological change also means new challenges keep emerging. As a primary school teacher said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>[students are now] getting Apple Watches and so we’re having to rewrite policy to deal with that.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What should schools do to be prepared?</h2>
<p>We have also reviewed Australian and international evidence on bullying. Here we distil this work into five key questions to ask your child’s school. </p>
<p><strong>1. Do they have good data?</strong> The school should regularly collect, review and act on data about social relationships in the school community. These should include levels of trust, support, empathy and kindness between students and between students and teachers/staff. This tells the school whether students feel safe and supported to raise social problems if they arise. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Five students sit on steps with backpacks, writing in books and working on a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ask students what they think how to stop bullying in their school. And whether they trust their peers and teachers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/students-sitting-on-steps-in-a-school-hallway-and-writing-in-notebooks-8457288/">Norma Mortenson/Pixels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2. Do they seek students’ ideas?</strong> The school should ask students how the school can better prevent and respond to bullying. It should also consider and act on these suggestions. Actively involving children and young people in issues that concern them is a basic human right. It also results in policies and practices that are more likely to be appropriate for them.</p>
<p><strong>3. Do people know about “gateway behaviours”?</strong> All school staff and students should be trained to identify and immediately report “gateway behaviours”. Examples include posting embarrassing photos online, ignoring particular students, name-calling, whispering about people in front of them, and eye-rolling. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elizabeth-Englander-2/publication/311654874_Understanding_Bullying_Behavior_What_Educators_Should_Know_and_Can_Do/links/5b87f13d92851c1e123bf9fb/Understanding-Bullying-Behavior-What-Educators-Should-Know-and-Can-Do.pdf">Gateway behaviours</a> are not in and of themselves considered bullying, but when left unchecked, can escalate into bullying. </p>
<p><strong>4. Do students think bullying is being reported?</strong> The school should also ask students whether they believe students and staff report all or almost all bullying they observe. It is also important to know whether students think reporting will remain anonymous and be acted on and positively resolved. This indicates whether students believe the school takes bullying seriously and feel empowered to come forward if they need to.</p>
<p><strong>5. Does the school have “safety and comfort plans”?</strong> These are created for specific students immediately after they are identified as having been a victim of bullying. They should be designed by the student and a staff member together. This is to ensure they feel comforted and safe at school. </p>
<p>We know bullying can have devastating <a href="https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/bullying/conditioninfo/health#:%7E:text=It%20can%20lead%20to%20physical,emotional%20problems%2C%20and%20even%20death.&text=Those%20who%20are%20bullied%20are,and%20problems%20adjusting%20to%20school.&text=Bullying%20also%20can%20cause%20long%2Dterm%20damage%20to%20self%2Desteem.">physical and psychological impacts</a> on children. It can lead to issues including <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-homeschooling-numbers-keep-rising-in-australia-is-more-regulation-a-good-idea-217802">school refusal</a>, poor self-esteem and poor mental health. This is why it is so important schools are properly equipped to not just handle incidents of bullying when they arise, but try and prevent them in the first place. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au">Lifeline</a> on 13 11 14, <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800 or contact <a href="https://headspace.org.au/online-and-phone-support/connect-with-us/">headspace</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222255/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nina Van Dyke was funded by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation to conduct this research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona MacDonald was funded by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation to conduct this research. </span></em></p>Bullying is not going away. The eSafety Commission recently revealed a 40% jump in cyberbullying reports.Nina Van Dyke, Principal Research Fellow and Associate Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityFiona MacDonald, Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2224002024-02-01T01:55:48Z2024-02-01T01:55:48ZAs more money is flagged for WA schools, what does ‘fully funded’ really mean?<p>It’s back-to-school time for students and staff across Australia. But the politics of school funding has also turned up at the front gate.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/press-conference-east-hamersley-primary-school">told</a> nearly 325,000 Western Australian students and their families that by 2026, theirs will be “the first state in Australia to fully fund public schools” (the Australian Capital Territory already has full funding). The federal government has pledged an additional A$774 million, which is to be matched by the WA government.</p>
<p>It’s a significant announcement, given the next national funding agreement (due by the end of 2024) is still to be thrashed out between the Commonwealth, states, territories and non-government school sectors.</p>
<p>The government has also only just released a <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/review-inform-better-and-fairer-education-system/announcements/now-published-review-inform-better-and-fairer-education-system">major review</a> looking at what the next phase of school reforms should involve. </p>
<p>What does the WA news mean for schools, and what does full funding really involve? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-report-wants-more-funding-and-better-support-for-australian-schools-but-we-need-a-proper-plan-for-how-to-get-there-219491">A new report wants more funding and better support for Australian schools. But we need a proper plan for how to get there</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What do we mean by “fully funded”?</h2>
<p>“Fully funded” is often talked about when it comes to education debates. To the casual observer, the aspiration is a peculiar one. At one level, public schools across all states and territories are already funded almost entirely by governments. </p>
<p>State and territory governments provide most of the recurring annual funding for their school systems. The federal government provides about 20% of the total funding via agreements made every five years. As the <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2023">Productivity Commission</a> notes, 2.6 million students in Australian public schools cost federal and state taxpayers A$54.9 billion, or just shy of $21,000 per student per year.</p>
<p>But as significant as this amount might seem to the wider public, this isn’t enough to provide all students in public schools with what has been agreed is a reasonable standard of funding. </p>
<p>More than a decade ago, a <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/school-funding/resources/review-funding-schooling-final-report-december-2011">school funding review</a> led by David Gonski recommended Australia introduce a “<a href="https://www.education.gov.au/recurrent-funding-schools/schooling-resource-standard">schooling resource standard</a>”. This would be a mechanism to ensure fair and equitable distribution of government funding. This means funding should be based on need – schools with greater levels of student need receive greater funds.</p>
<p>On top of a base rate, there are extra loadings for schools with students with disability, students of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, students with socio-educational disadvantage, students with low English proficiency, small schools and schools in regional and remote locations.</p>
<p>This system seems uncontroversial, particularly when those who benefit most are those most in need. </p>
<p>But despite broad agreement about the idea, there has been (and still is) a long wait to see it put into practice. The timeline to “fully fund” all Australian public schools is still <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BriefingBook46p/SchoolFunding">set for 2029</a>. </p>
<p>To date, only public schools in the ACT have had full funding allocations under this model. No other state or territory funds their public schools to the full level required.</p>
<h2>Is there a catch?</h2>
<p>More money for education should be applauded, especially when there is broad acknowledgement <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/review-inform-better-and-fairer-education-system/announcements/now-published-review-inform-better-and-fairer-education-system">public schools across Australia are inadequately funded</a>. </p>
<p>What looms large over this announcement, though, is the question of what outcomes could be expected from investing the money and how they will be achieved.</p>
<p>It’s only 12 months since the Productivity Commission delivered a <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/school-agreement/report">damning assessment of Australian education</a>. The report noted a lack of transparency over funding agreements, as well as poor educational outcomes for the money. It also repudiated onerous “low value” administrative burdens on school leaders and teachers.</p>
<p>If steps are not taken to address these criticisms, the money risks being accompanied by additional bureaucratic burden.</p>
<p>It’s also worth highlighting how some of the most serious issues facing schools – <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/public-school-teacher-shortages">teacher shortages</a>, student <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/DASC/Interim_Report">behaviour problems</a> and teacher <a href="https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A95358">mental health and personal safety</a> concerns – are unlikely to be resolved simply by providing more money.</p>
<p>The increased funding is necessary and welcome. But it’s not enough on its own. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-national-school-reform-agreement-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-school-funding-202847">What is the National School Reform Agreement and what does it have to do with school funding?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Where to now?</h2>
<p>It’s hard to ignore the timing of this announcement at the beginning of a year when the next <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/recurrent-funding-schools/national-school-reform-agreement">National School Reform Agreement</a> will be determined. </p>
<p>This is a joint agreement between the Commonwealth, states and territories. It sets out national policy initiatives all governments agree to implement over a five-year period. </p>
<p>Later this year, we can expect each jurisdiction to sign individual agreements with the federal government. This will include what they will do to improve student outcomes (in line with the reform agreement), as well as the funding states and territories will contribute as a condition of receiving federal funding.</p>
<p>At the outset of this process, the WA announcement indicates some players at least are considering bold reform. </p>
<p>But the scale of the political challenge is already evident. Only hours after the announcement, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/jan/31/queensland-and-victoria-rebuff-albanese-governments-offer-of-more-public-school-funding">education ministers across the nation</a> were refusing to signal their hearty agreement. Instead, they called on the federal government to increase its contribution from 20% of the school resourcing standard up to 25%.</p>
<p>It is also important to note that WA has only signed a “statement of intent” so far. This is not a final deal. As Clare’s <a href="https://jasonclare.com.au/media/portfolio-media-releases/joint-media-release-australian-and-wa-governments-agree-to-fully-and-fairly-fund-all-western-australian-public-schools/">media release</a> noted, this “provides a basis for the negotiation of the next National School Reform Agreement and associated bilateral agreement”.</p>
<p>There is a lot more work to go in this very important year for Australian schools. But this first announcement is is a positive step. Further, concrete agreements can hopefully be reached and bring forward the day when all schools receive what they need.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222400/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Kidson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>This is a big year for Australian education. State and federal governments are working out a major agreement on schools reform and the question of funding looms large.Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2200452024-01-29T19:04:52Z2024-01-29T19:04:52Z60% of Australian English teachers think video games are a ‘legitimate’ text to study. But only 15% have used one<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568121/original/file-20240107-27-ot63a8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C38%2C5152%2C3368&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/closeup-of-white-sony-ps4-controller-HUBNTCzE-R8">Caspar Camille Rubin/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Are you worried about how much time your child spends playing video games? Do they “hibernate” for hours in their room, talking what seems like gibberish to their friends? </p>
<p>Fresh air and life away from gaming are undeniably important. But it may help to know <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X23002664?via%3Dihub">our research</a> shows many English teachers are thinking seriously about how gaming applies in their classrooms – even if there are divided opinions about how to approach it. </p>
<h2>Video games and English education</h2>
<p>The global gaming industry <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/ioc-president-thomas-bach-exploring-plans-to-create-olympic-esports-games">is huge</a> and continues to grow. It is tipped to be worth <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/gaming-pandemic-lockdowns-pwc-growth/">US$321 billion (A$477 billion) by 2026</a>. </p>
<p>While many gamers are over 18, we know video games are very important to young people’s <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439884.2021.1936017">culture and identity</a>. In 2023, Bond University <a href="https://igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IGEA_AP2023_FINAL_REPORT.pdf">surveyed</a> 1,219 Australian households on behalf of the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association. It found 93% of 5-14 year-olds and 91% of 15-24 year-olds surveyed in Australia play video games. </p>
<p>More than fifteen years of <a href="https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/61222/88437_1.pdf">research</a> has also shown video games can also have <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/education/school-program-and-resources/game-lessons/">educational benefits</a>. This includes developing problem solving and <a href="https://www.nzcer.org.nz/system/files/Critical%20literacy%20and%20games%20working%20paper.pdf">literacy skills</a>, creativity, team work and developing a critical understanding of their place in the world.</p>
<p>From an English teachers’ perspective, many video games have complex narrative scripts and plots and clear character development. They also typically require players to interpret cultural contexts and apply them. For example, games like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2023/may/12/nintendo-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-kingdom-launches-critical-acclaim">The Legend of Zelda</a> (first released in 1986 with multiple spin-offs) contain back-stories and plot-lines that are ripe for analysis. </p>
<p>However, these sorts of games (or texts) are still not valued in English curricula. Greater value is placed on studying favourite classics such as Shakespeare, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway and other print-based literature. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young person holds a gaming controller." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568123/original/file-20240107-27-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568123/original/file-20240107-27-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568123/original/file-20240107-27-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568123/original/file-20240107-27-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568123/original/file-20240107-27-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568123/original/file-20240107-27-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568123/original/file-20240107-27-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Video games such as The Legend of Zelda contain complex plots and characters.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-black-game-controller-1563796/">Deeanna Arts/ Peels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-why-the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-is-big-news-even-among-those-who-dont-see-themselves-as-gamers-205229">Here's why The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is big news – even among those who don't see themselves as 'gamers'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>To better understand how teachers value digital games in their classrooms and how they use them, we surveyed 201 high school English teachers around Australia. They came from all school sectors. More than 60% of those surveyed had been teaching for at least ten years. </p>
<p>Our research found: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>58.6% of teachers surveyed believed digital games are a “legitimate text type”. This means they thought they can be taught in English programs alongside other texts such as plays, books and poetry. A further 27.4% were unsure and 14% of respondents said digital games were not legitimate texts </p></li>
<li><p>85% had not used digital games as a main or “focus” text for classroom study, with 74% having no plans to do so in the future</p></li>
<li><p>teachers with less experience were more likely to think they could use video games as a text for classroom study. For example, teachers who had used digital games with their students were 260% more likely to have 15 years or less experience </p></li>
<li><p>of those not using digital games as a focus or supplementary text, 23% reported limited knowledge of, and time to explore, how to use them in the classroom</p></li>
<li><p>80% of teachers had not received professional development on how to use digital games but 60% had independently read articles, books, or chapters about them.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/video-gaming-can-bolster-classroom-learning-but-not-without-teacher-support-190483">Video gaming can bolster classroom learning, but not without teacher support</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What does the curriculum say?</h2>
<p>The term “multimodal” appears more than 300 times in the Australian English curriculum. Multimodal means a text contains two or more modes, such as written or spoken text, video images and audio. </p>
<p>While digital games are indeed multimodal texts, the curriculum does not overtly name digital games (or video games) as an example of a multimodal text.</p>
<p>Perhaps unsurprisingly, only 30% of our respondents felt digital games were mentioned in the curriculum.</p>
<h2>Teachers in their own words</h2>
<p>In open-ended questions, teachers revealed strong and in some cases, polarised views about video games in their classrooms. Those who were positive, emphasised their ability to engage students. As one teacher told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think digital games are the future of education […] a medium all students are familiar with, engage in, and enjoy. Students do not read books ‘en masse’ anymore, yet we as English teachers insist on dragging them kicking and screaming through texts they detest, whilst penalising them for playing the digital games they love. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Teachers also spoke of the rich, complex nature of some games. For example, they valued the way digital games have “multiple plot lines”, “connectivity between segments”, and “immerse students in worlds” as “active rather than passive” users of a text.</p>
<p>But some teachers also said video games hampered students’ creativity: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I am so over this stupid fixation. Digital games stymie imaginative writing and actually ‘flatten’ affect in the student’s ‘voice’. It comes to define their idea of writing and they regurgitate silly game stories that lack any emotional or creative flair.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>They also expressed strong concerns they were were not good for students (echoing similar, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/31/1178977198/video-games-kids-good-limits">ongoing concerns</a> in news media), with one stating: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I really hate video games and I do not think they are healthy for kids […].</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A closeup of a computer keyboard." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568122/original/file-20240107-17-jrz2iz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568122/original/file-20240107-17-jrz2iz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568122/original/file-20240107-17-jrz2iz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568122/original/file-20240107-17-jrz2iz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568122/original/file-20240107-17-jrz2iz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568122/original/file-20240107-17-jrz2iz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568122/original/file-20240107-17-jrz2iz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teachers in the study variously described computer games as the ‘future’ and a ‘stupid fixation’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/purple-and-black-computer-keyboard-74JeU2jfnfk">Syed Ali/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What does this mean?</h2>
<p>Our research shows digital games remain a contentious issue among English teachers. This suggests there needs to be clearer curriculum guidelines about their use in the classroom (rather than general references to “multimodal” texts). </p>
<p>It also suggests teachers need more professional development around video games, including their potential benefits as well as how to use them effectively and for critical understanding in their English programs. This will require practical resources and research-based examples. </p>
<p>We need students to be able to think critically when engaging with all types of texts. Especially those that feature so prominently in their lives. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/vacuuming-moving-house-unpacking-are-boring-in-real-life-so-why-is-doing-them-in-a-video-game-so-fun-214853">Vacuuming, moving house, unpacking are boring in real life – so why is doing them in a video game so fun?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220045/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Scholes has received funding from The Australian Research Council, Catholic Education, Qld, The Department of Education, Qld, and the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Gutierrez, Kathy Mills, and Luke Rowe do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many English teachers are thinking seriously about how gaming applies in their classrooms. But opinions are divided about how to approach it.Amanda Gutierrez, Associate Professor in Literacy and WIL partnerships, Australian Catholic UniversityKathy Mills, Professor of Literacies and Digital Cultures, Australian Catholic UniversityLaura Scholes, Associate Professor of Gender and Literacies, Australian Catholic UniversityLuke Rowe, Lecturer and Researcher (Science of Learning), Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2185942024-01-25T20:45:52Z2024-01-25T20:45:52ZCommunity-controlled schools create better education outcomes for First Nations students<p>In Australia, more than a dozen independent, community-controlled First Nations schools were set up in the 1970s and ‘80s. These schools, some still in operation, offered culturally and linguistically relevant education to First Nations students reflecting Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. </p>
<p>Our research projects have explored <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17508487.2023.2249064">self-determination in Indigenous community-controlled schools in Australia</a>. We <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220620.2022.2151578">found</a> First Nations-led schools can support self-determination and improve education outcomes for Indigenous young people. </p>
<p>This is also the lesson of a new children’s book <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781761269714/">In My Blood It Runs</a> by Arrernte and Garuwa man Dujuan Hoosan. The new book shares Dujuan’s experience of navigating an educational system not designed for him, and the benefits of First Nations-controlled education.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-is-promising-truth-telling-in-our-australian-education-system-heres-what-needs-to-happen-191420">Albanese is promising 'truth-telling' in our Australian education system. Here's what needs to happen</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>First Nations controlled schools</h2>
<p>Our research found many First Nations-led schools were set up in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17508487.2023.2249064">1970s and 1980s</a>, as communities began to fight for appropriate education. This emerged after a long history of insufficient government-mandated education, forced exclusion from school, or forced attendance at missionary and reserve schools.</p>
<p>These included the community-controlled <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220620.2022.2151578">Yipirinya School in Mparntwe</a>. The school was set up by families in the town camps and their European allies. The school developed curriculum in Arrernte, Pitjantjatjara, Western Arrarnte (also known as Western Aranda), Lurijta and Warlpiri, as well as in English and Aboriginal English. Classes were initially taught in the town camps. </p>
<p>Others included the <a href="https://www.mabonativetitle.com/info/historyOfBCS.htm">Black Community School</a> in Townsville. The school was set up by Torres Strait Islander land rights campaigners Eddie “Kioki” Mabo, Bonita Mabo and Woiworrung and Yorta Yorta author and activist Burnum Burnum. Another example is the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/cabaret-tells-how-loved-melbourne-school-was-saved-from-kennett-closures-20210421-p57l8x.html">Northland College</a> for Koori kids in Richmond.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjr9IOUxvyCAxUsgK8BHWKdAgYQFnoECBMQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.voced.edu.au%2Fcontent%2Fngv%253A20015&usg=AOvVaw3NAeXQ7hBhAnb7G58P8t9v&opi=89978449">Hughes Report</a>, published in 1988, became the basis of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy for the next decade. It recognised First Nations-controlled schools as an important step in overcoming a long history of educational exclusion. The report called for self-determination in education, the training of First Nations teachers, and developing suitable curricula that embedded Indigenous languages and knowledges. </p>
<p>Bilingual and multilingual schooling <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-10-2078-0">began from community-led initatives in First Nations communities</a>. They demonstrated how schools controlled by local communities provide safe and sustaining places for First Nations young people. It was <a href="https://www.towardstruth.org.au/doc1778-leanne-holt-the-development-of-aborigina">around this time</a> the numbers of First Nations people participating in education increased most dramatically. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments in universities <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED449932.pdf">increased</a> by 50% in the 1980s, and primary school enrolments increased by 40% in the 1990s.</p>
<p>However, policy began to <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.200192661824553">shift away</a> from this focus in the late 1990s and onwards. Education debates began to emphasise attendance as the key issue, and measuring English-only literacy and numeracy data as a way to gauge the success of education.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/unreasonable-unjust-oppressive-how-a-police-program-targeted-indigenous-kids-216627">'Unreasonable, unjust, oppressive': how a police program targeted Indigenous kids</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1726418748981088455"}"></div></p>
<h2>Recent developments</h2>
<p>Released last year, Dujuan’s story In My Blood it Runs, coauthored with his grandmothers Margaret Anderson and Carol Turner, illustrates how Indigenous children balance their existence in two distinct worlds. </p>
<p>After many years of struggling at school, Dujuan left Mparntwe (Alice Springs) to attend an Indigenous-led Garuwa homeland school on his father’s country in Borroloola, about 1,200km north of Mparntwe. Here, he was able to learn on Country, from Aboriginal teachers, in a nourishing and rewarding environment. He became excited to attend school and his learning journey took off.</p>
<p>First Nations-led non-profit organisation Children’s Ground recently released a <a href="https://childrensground.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-MK-Turner-Report-Childrens-Ground.pdf">report</a> responding to ongoing policy failures in First Nations education. This includes the dismantling of bilingual education.</p>
<p>The report calls for a First Nations-controlled education system and the establishment of an independent governing body to oversee it. The recommendations in the report align with the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf">United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples</a>. This includes a key focus on self-determination in education. </p>
<p>In particular, Article 14 of the Declaration recognises the right of Indigenous peoples to establish and control their own educational systems. This would ensure education is culturally and linguistically relevant to Indigenous peoples. </p>
<p>And the recent release of a report from the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Aboriginal_and_Torres_Strait_Islander_Affairs/UNDRIP?utm_source=miragenews&utm_medium=miragenews&utm_campaign=news">Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs</a> into whether Australia should implement the UN declaration has renewed attention on self-determination.</p>
<p>Similar discussions have been had in Canada for many years. Recent treaties have included provisions to transfer control of education of First Nations students to First Nations groups. Graduation rates have been positively impacted for groups who have obtained authority over education. When First Nations group Mi'kmaq from northeastern Canada initially took control of their education system in 1998 only 30% of their students were graduating from secondary school. According to the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_AUxQnaOXJpm4BwO6ljIIUsLddsDOiw3/view">most recent annual report</a>, 83% are now graduating.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CzXIzYySyYh/?hl=en\u0026img_index=1","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Where to from here?</h2>
<p>We can look to successful examples in Australia, such as Yipirinya School in Mparntwe, the Black Community School, and recent education reforms in Canada, as important lessons on how to support First Nations-controlled education in line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. </p>
<p>We can also look to Dujuan’s story. His book is a call to action to reform education, juvenile justice, child welfare and racist practices.</p>
<p>Dujuan’s story invites us to imagine how we can make school work for First Nations children.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218594/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samara is a co-founder and director at the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition who partnered with the In My Blood it Runs production team to launch the Learn Our Truth campaign.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Archie Thomas has provided research material to the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition (NIYEC) and the In My Blood it Runs production team. Archie is a member of the National Tertiary Education Union.</span></em></p>Research shows the many benefits of First Nations-led education systems and schooling.Samara Hand, PhD Candidate, UNSW SydneyArchie Thomas, Chancellor's Research Fellow, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2191192024-01-22T19:04:08Z2024-01-22T19:04:08ZGood lunchboxes are based on 4 things: here’s how parents can prepare healthy food and keep costs down<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568160/original/file-20240108-17-vx4wzp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=116%2C107%2C5775%2C3790&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-teen-girl-eating-snack-in-box-5905684/">Katerina Holmes/Pexles </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Heading back to school is a time of great anticipation for many families, but it is not without challenges. One of the big challenges is preparing healthy, easy, affordable and appealing lunchboxes.</p>
<p>Lunchboxes are vital for supporting children’s energy levels throughout the school day, which in turn helps maintain their <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/%20%20nu13030911%20https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051297">concentration</a>. </p>
<p>What does a healthy lunchbox contain? How can you keep it fresh, while also keeping costs down? </p>
<h2>Making a healthy lunchbox</h2>
<p>A healthy well-balanced lunchbox should have four things: </p>
<p><strong>1. food for energy:</strong> these foods have carbohydrates for energy to learn and play. This could be sandwiches, wraps, pasta or rice dishes </p>
<p><strong>2. food for growth:</strong> these foods have protein to support growing bodies and minds. This could be lean meats, eggs, beans or dairy</p>
<p><strong>3. food for health:</strong> these foods have vitamins and minerals to support healthy immune systems and include fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours</p>
<p><strong>4. something to drink:</strong> water, milk or milk alternatives are the best choices. Do not give your children sugary drinks, including juice, cordial or energy drinks as they can lead to dental issues. If your child has trouble drinking plain water, try different bottles or cups. Some kids are more likely to drink from a strawed or spouted bottle. You can also try adding in a few drops of colourful fresh vegetable juice such as beetroot to make the water pink. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A lunch box with a peeled mandarin, grapes, dried apricots and a sandwich." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568163/original/file-20240108-15-ftzfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lunchboxes should contain a mix of foods for energy, growth and health.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-sandwich-lunch-box-with-fruits-5852281/">Antoni Shkraba/ Pixels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Choose snacks wisely</h2>
<p>Most kids will eat a treat food over the core foods listed above (just like most adults!). These foods are fun and yummy but not the best choice for sustained energy and focus at school everyday. </p>
<p>So try and avoid snacks like fruit bars and straps, which are low in fibre, fluids, vitamins and minerals, and high in sugar. Also avoid dairy desserts such as custard pouches, biscuits, chocolate bars and muesli bars that are often high in fat and sugar and don’t need to be included in the lunchbox. </p>
<p>While homemade snacks like pikelets, scrolls or homemade dip are ideal and more cost effective, pre-packaged options can be a lifesaver for time-pressed parents.</p>
<p>When choosing packaged snacks, look for items under 600 kilojules per serving, low in saturated fat (less than 2 grams per serving) and containing fibre (more than 1 gram per serving). </p>
<p>Also look for nutrient-dense ingredients like low-fat dairy, wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, or beans to provide a more balanced snack selection. Good options include popcorn, dried fruit boxes, wholegrain crackers and cheese, mini rice cakes, tinned fruit cups and yoghurts without added sugars. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sick-of-packing-school-lunches-already-heres-how-to-make-it-easier-179675">Sick of packing school lunches already? Here's how to make it easier</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Keep lunch boxes easy</h2>
<p>Try to make school food easy to handle and eat. </p>
<p>For younger children, cut up large pieces of fruit and vegetables, quarter sandwiches and choose things with easy-to-open packaging.</p>
<p>Involve your children in preparing and packing the lunchbox or show them the final product so they know its contents. This means the child is not surprised by the contents. They are also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666314001573">more likely to eat</a> a meal they helped make.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young child chops tomato on a plate with chopped cucumbers." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568164/original/file-20240108-21-c0myyz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Encourage your your kids to help prepare and pack their lunchboxes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-little-boy-cutting-vegetables-on-red-plate-3984726/">Gustavo Fring/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trying-to-spend-less-on-food-following-the-dietary-guidelines-might-save-you-160-a-fortnight-216749">Trying to spend less on food? Following the dietary guidelines might save you $160 a fortnight</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Keep things fresh</h2>
<p>Food can sit in lunchboxes for hours, so it’s important to keep it fresh. To help keep it as cool you can: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>use an insulated lunchbox and ice pack. Pack the ice pack next to items prone to spoilage</p></li>
<li><p>if you are preparing the lunchbox the day before, store it in the fridge overnight</p></li>
<li><p>ask your kids to keep lunchboxes in their school bags, away from direct sunlight and heat</p></li>
<li><p>also consider freezing water bottles overnight to provide a cool and refreshing drink for hot days</p></li>
<li><p>if you know it’s going to be a particularly hot day or your child is going to be out and about with their lunch box, choose foods that don’t have to be kept cool. For example, baked beans, tetra pack milk, wholegrain crackers and diced fruit cups. Also consider uncut and whole raw fruit and vegetables such as an apple or orange, baby carrots, baby cucumbers or cherry tomatoes. </p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-schools-are-starting-to-provide-food-but-we-need-to-think-carefully-before-we-ditch-the-lunchbox-193536">Australian schools are starting to provide food, but we need to think carefully before we 'ditch the lunchbox'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Keep costs down</h2>
<p>There are several ways you can try to keep costs down when buying school lunch supplies: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>follow the <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/guidelines">Australian Dietary Guidelines</a>. A <a href="https://theconversation.com/trying-to-spend-less-on-food-following-the-dietary-guidelines-might-save-you-160-a-fortnight-216749">2023 study</a> suggests maintaining a healthy diet – along the lines of the guidelines – could save A$160 off a family of four’s fortnightly shopping bill</p></li>
<li><p>choose seasonal fruits and vegetables for the freshest items at lowest cost</p></li>
<li><p>take advantage of special deals or bulk purchases, especially for your child’s favourite snacks or things with a long shelf-life like canned or frozen foods </p></li>
<li><p>bake items such as scrolls or muesli bars and freeze in bulk when time allows. The <a href="https://onehandedcooks.com.au">One Handed Cooks</a> have healthy recipes for all ages that are wallet and freezer friendly</p></li>
<li><p>use dinner leftovers as next-day lunches</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pot full of noodles and vegetables." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568165/original/file-20240108-16-issd9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Try to plan dinners that can double as lunches.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/stir-fry-noodles-in-bowl-2347311/%20engin">Engin Akyurt/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li>keep an eye on your child’s lunchbox to see what they eat. They may eat less during lunchtime but need a snack later. Adjust the lunchbox contents based on their hunger level and have a post-school snack prepared to avoid unnecessary food waste.</li>
</ul>
<p>For more ideas on managing lunchboxes, check out the <a href="https://growandgotoolbox.com">Grow&Go Toolbox</a>. Nutrition Australia also has some <a href="https://www.healthylunchboxweek.org.au/lunchbox-ebook">great suggestions</a> for balancing your child’s lunchbox.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219119/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clare Dix receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stella Boyd-Ford receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.</span></em></p>Lunchboxes should have food for concentration, growth and health as well as something to drink.Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of QueenslandStella Boyd-Ford, Research Fellow with the Grow&Go Toolbox, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2201242024-01-16T13:41:20Z2024-01-16T13:41:20ZWhat social robots can teach America’s students<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568716/original/file-20240110-29-vri22q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some researchers predict social robots will become common in K-12 classrooms.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/elementary-schoolboy-touching-robotic-hand-royalty-free-image/1280407754">selimaksan/E+ Collection/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>How would you feel if your child were being tutored by a robot?</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8890(02)00373-1">Social robots</a> – robots that can talk and mimic and respond to human emotion – have been introduced into <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100388">classrooms around the world</a>. Researchers have used them to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBDI6kjj4nI">read stories</a> to <a href="https://www.imda.gov.sg/resources/blog/blog-articles/archived/2016/04/pepper-spices-up-classroom-learning">preschool students in Singapore</a>, help 12-year-olds in Iran <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654318821286">learn English</a>, <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1109/HRI.2016.7451758">improve handwriting</a> among young children in Switzerland and teach students with autism in England <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-014-0250-2">appropriate physical distance</a> during social interactions.</p>
<p>Some experts believe these robots could become <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.aat5954">“as common as paper, whiteboards and computer tablets”</a> in schools. </p>
<p>Because social robots have a body, humans <a href="https://news.stanford.edu/2023/05/15/respond-social-robots/">react to them differently</a> than we do to a computer screen. Studies have shown that little children sometimes accept social robots as peers. For example, in the <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1109/HRI.2016.7451758">handwriting study</a>, a 5-year-old boy continued to send letters to the robot months after the interactions ended. </p>
<p>As a professor of education, I study the different ways that <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=VCt87SkAAAAJ&hl=en">teachers around the world do their jobs</a>. To understand how social robots could affect teaching, graduate student Raisa Gray and I introduced a 4-foot-tall <a href="https://us.softbankrobotics.com/pepper">humanoid robot called “Pepper”</a> into a public elementary and middle school in the U.S. Our research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12872">revealed many problems</a> with the current generation of social robots, making it unlikely that social robots will be running classrooms anytime soon.</p>
<h2>Not ready for prime time</h2>
<p>Much of the research on social robots in schools is done in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12369-010-0069-4">very restricted ways</a>. Children and social robots are not allowed to freely interact with each other without the assistance, or intervention, of researchers. Only a few studies have used social robots in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100388">real-life classroom settings</a>.</p>
<p>Also, robotic researchers often use <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01202-3">“Wizard of Oz” techniques</a> in classroom settings. That means that a person is operating the robot remotely, giving the impression that the robot can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJHyaD1psMc">really talk to humans</a>. </p>
<h2>Limited social skills</h2>
<p>Robots need quiet.</p>
<p>Any kind of background noise – class-change bells, loudspeaker announcements or other conversations – can disrupt the robot’s ability to follow a conversation. This is one of the major problems facing the integration of robots into schools. </p>
<p>It is extremely difficult for programmers to create software and hardware systems that can achieve what humans do unconsciously. For example, the current generation of social robots cannot interact with a small group and, for example, track multiple people’s facial expressions. If a person is talking to two other people about their favorite football team and one of the listeners frowns or rolls their eyes, a human will likely pick up on that.</p>
<p>A robot will not. </p>
<p>Also, unless a bar code or other identification device is used, today’s social robots cannot recognize individuals. This makes it very unlikely for them to have realistic social interactions. Facial recognition software is difficult to use in a room full of moving, shifting people, and also raises serious ethical questions about keeping students’ personal information safe. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568317/original/file-20240108-19-ynwsuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A child stands in front of Pepper the robot" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568317/original/file-20240108-19-ynwsuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568317/original/file-20240108-19-ynwsuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568317/original/file-20240108-19-ynwsuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568317/original/file-20240108-19-ynwsuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568317/original/file-20240108-19-ynwsuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568317/original/file-20240108-19-ynwsuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568317/original/file-20240108-19-ynwsuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students talked to the ‘Pepper’ robot as if it were a person.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/april-2018-hanover-germany-a-girl-speakng-with-the-robot-news-photo/978204290">Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Dialogue is preprogrammed</h2>
<p>To get the robot to perform, our students had to master the tutorials that came with the robot. Some students quickly figured out that the robot could respond only to certain basic routines.</p>
<p>For example, Pepper could respond to “How old are you?” but not “What age are you?” Other students kept trying to interact with the robot as if it were a person and got very frustrated with its nonhuman responses.</p>
<p>When a robot <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.12.030">fails to answer a question</a>, or responds in the wrong way, students realize the robot isn’t really understanding them and that the robot’s dialogue is preprogrammed. The robot can’t really make sense of the social context. </p>
<p>In our study, students learned to adapt to the robot.</p>
<p>One group of girls would stand around the robot while one kept petting its head. This caused the robot to do either its “I feel like a cat” or its “I’m ticklish today” routine. This seemed to delight the girls. They appeared content to have one person interact with the robot while others watched.</p>
<h2>Cannot move around classroom with ease</h2>
<p>Students who have seen YouTube videos of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmNaLtC6vkU">robotic dogs</a> that run and jump may be disappointed to realize that most social robots can’t move around a classroom with ease. The teachers in our study were disappointed that Pepper couldn’t bring them coffee. </p>
<p>These problems aren’t limited to school settings.</p>
<p>Service robots in some health care facilities have been programmed to deliver medicine, but this requires special sensors and programming. And while stores and restaurants are experimenting with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/01/14/giant-food-stores-will-place-robotic-assistants-inside-locations-company-says/">delivery and cleaning robots</a>, when a grocery store in Scotland tried to use Pepper for customer interactions, the robot was <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/pepper-robot-grocery-store">fired after a week</a>.</p>
<h2>What social robots can teach kids</h2>
<p>While the social robots currently used in schools are finicky and limited in functions, they can still provide useful learning experiences. Students can use them to learn more about robotics, artificial intelligence and the complexity of real human behavior. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.actapress.com/PaperInfo.aspx?paperId=43268">As one researcher wrote</a>, “Robots act as a bridge in enabling students to understand humans.”</p>
<p>Struggling with a robot’s limitations gives students real insights into the complicated nature of human social interaction. The opportunity to work hands-on with a social robot shows students how difficult it is to program robots to mimic human behavior.</p>
<p>Social robots can also provide students with important learning opportunities about artificial intelligence. In Japan, Pepper is being used to <a href="https://www.softbankrobotics.com/jp/product/education/">introduce students to generative AI</a>. Students can link ChatGPT with Pepper’s physical presence to see how much AI improves Pepper’s communication and whether that makes it more lifelike. </p>
<p>As AI becomes a bigger part of our work and lives, educators need to prepare students to think critically about what it means to live and work with social machines. And with a real human teacher’s guidance and oversight, students can explore why we want to talk to robots as if they were people.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220124/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gerald K. LeTendre receives funding from Harry L. Batschelet II Endowed Chair within the College of Education, The Pennsylvania State University</span></em></p>Social robots can be useful tools to help students learn about programming, but here’s why they won’t be replacing classroom teachers anytime soon.Gerald K. LeTendre, Professor of Educational Administration, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2159932024-01-08T19:16:50Z2024-01-08T19:16:50ZYear 9 is often seen as the ‘lost year’. Here’s what schools are trying to keep kids engaged<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563129/original/file-20231203-25-esyf9q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C40%2C5472%2C3596&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/blur-abstract-background-examination-room-undergraduate-641504728">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Each year in Victoria, <a href="https://assets.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/assets/Reports/Parliamentary-Reports/1-PDF-Report-Files/Investigation-into-Victorian-government-school-expulsions.pdf">thousands of students</a> disengage from school between the start of Year 9 and the end of Year 12. </p>
<p>Many are <a href="https://assets.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/assets/Reports/Parliamentary-Reports/1-PDF-Report-Files/Investigation-into-Victorian-government-school-expulsions.pdf">expelled or suspended</a>. Others simply <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959475216302754?via%3Dihub">switch off in class</a>, skip lessons, or quit school to seek out different educational and training pathways.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason, many <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41297-023-00198-8">high school teachers</a> say something significant happens to school engagement levels <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03216890">around Year 9</a>. </p>
<p>My <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41297-023-00198-8">research</a>, which involved working with Year 9 teachers in Victorian high schools, seeks to better understand what’s happening with student disengagement in this year level – and what can be done to change it.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/20-of-australian-students-dont-finish-high-school-non-mainstream-schools-have-a-lot-to-teach-us-about-helping-kids-stay-207021">20% of Australian students don't finish high school: non-mainstream schools have a lot to teach us about helping kids stay</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Lost, disengaged and ‘in never-never land’</h2>
<p>Year 9 (when a child typically turns 14 or 15) is a challenging year for a teenager, in part due to the maelstrom of puberty and adolescence. One Year 9 teacher told me students at this age see themselves</p>
<blockquote>
<p>as that in-between stage. ‘Am I a child? Am I an adult? What if I’m neither?’</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Students at this age often strongly feel they no longer fit in. These age appropriate but intense levels of introspection can make some students look at the repetitive and seemingly endless cycles of school tasks, tests and homework and wonder, “what’s the point?” As one research <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03216890">paper</a> puts it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In Australia, Year 9 is widely seen as a problem, a time when young people disengage from school; and when curriculum and student identity often fail to cohere with each other.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Year 9 teachers <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41297-023-00198-8">described</a> this year to me as “the lost year”, where students often drift off to “never-never land”. One even said it was traditionally seen as “a waste of a year”. </p>
<p>This suggests an opportunity for schools to design their Year 9 curriculum to help these students see the relevance of school.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563233/original/file-20231204-17-npgt90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A boy puts his head on a desk." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563233/original/file-20231204-17-npgt90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563233/original/file-20231204-17-npgt90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563233/original/file-20231204-17-npgt90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563233/original/file-20231204-17-npgt90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563233/original/file-20231204-17-npgt90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563233/original/file-20231204-17-npgt90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563233/original/file-20231204-17-npgt90.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Year 9 (when a child typically turns 14 or 15) is a challenging year for a teenager.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-young-high-school-student-bored-200191565">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Specialist Year 9 programs</h2>
<p>Some schools have implemented specialist programs for Year 9. Some have large-scale residential programs, where students live and learn away from home for extended periods. Other programs focus on students learning about and through their local communities.</p>
<p>In Ballarat, where I am based, about half the high schools have a substantial Year 9 program. The structure varies. Sometimes it’s just a one-day-a-week program combining in-school and out-of-school learning experiences. Other programs are conducted entirely offsite over the course of a term.</p>
<p>One case study I <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41297-023-00198-8">explored</a> was a Year 9 program at a school in regional Victoria. About 70% of students at this school fall in the bottom and bottom-middle quartiles of the Australian distribution of socio-economic advantage.</p>
<p>In my paper, I gave this program (which the school developed) the pseudonym “Renewal”. In Renewal, several learning areas (English, health and humanities) are taught together by a single teacher. Students are in the program for six out of 20 periods per week. </p>
<p>Having one teacher assigned to each class for the entire Renewal program allows them to build rapport and connection. As one teacher told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Students have come to me, their Renewal teacher, before they’ve gone to their tutorial teacher, before they’ve gone to their house leader, and said: ‘I’m feeling extremely overwhelmed, I’m having anxiety problems, I don’t know why, it’s freaking me out.’ </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another told me the program allows students “to explore, investigate, ask questions about life issues that they wouldn’t normally ask a teacher.”</p>
<p>This rapport better positions the teacher to handle tricky issues with absenteeism, bullying and self-harm than teachers who see them less frequently.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563230/original/file-20231204-27-nzoi12.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A boy in school uniform writes with a blue pen into an exercise book." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563230/original/file-20231204-27-nzoi12.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563230/original/file-20231204-27-nzoi12.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563230/original/file-20231204-27-nzoi12.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563230/original/file-20231204-27-nzoi12.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563230/original/file-20231204-27-nzoi12.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563230/original/file-20231204-27-nzoi12.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563230/original/file-20231204-27-nzoi12.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some schools are trying a new approach in an effort to keep Year 9 kids engaged.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-student-reading-writing-exam-stress-683610508">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>A different approach</h2>
<p>Renewal combines classroom-based activities with camps, excursions, guest speakers and other specialist programmes. One exercise, for example, involves dropping the students off in the local town centre, where they have to complete a series of tasks on a trail.</p>
<p>In the Renewal program, the careers unit and mock job interviews are done at the start of the year to support students to get part-time employment.</p>
<p>Students are given more agency than a traditional approach would allow. School work might be done, for example, via essay-writing, painting, drawing, in the form of a radio interview or other formats.</p>
<p>As one teacher told me:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The kids have more opportunity in regards to choosing their own destination […] to be able to find their own learning.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>One teacher described a task where students write “a persuasive letter to the council […] about a health issue in the community, that they wanted funding for.”</p>
<p>Another relayed how outdoor tasks “fires up a different part of their brain”, saying:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>One of the teachers created this map where they had to go around and imagine if they were to sleep rough where they could sleep.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Teachers themselves also learn from the Renewal program. One said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’m much more flexible. It’s probably something I should be focusing on, to bring into my other classes. Just allow a bit more time for things.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Resonating with students’ lives</h2>
<p>Schools with specific approaches to Year 9 are hearing positive responses from students via surveys and other feedback. One teacher from the Renewal program even noticed how:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Getting up, in front of the class and presenting is a big deal for a lot of people […] I find with Renewal it’s easier for me to get people up than it is [even] for my Year 11 class.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The success of Year 9 programs hinges on a tailored curriculum that resonates with students’ lives, taught by teachers dedicated to fostering strong connections.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-would-like-to-go-to-university-flexi-school-students-share-their-goals-in-australia-first-survey-193396">'I would like to go to university': flexi school students share their goals in Australia-first survey</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215993/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Josh Ambrosy is on the board of Outdoors Victoria, the state not-for-profit peak body. He runs professional development sessions related to Year 9 programs and other middle years curricula.
</span></em></p>Year 9 teachers say students often drift off to ‘never-never land’. How can we do this tough but crucial year differently?Josh Ambrosy, Lecturer in Education, Federation University AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.