Education – Articles, Analysis, Comment – The Conversation

Language isn’t ‘alive’ – why this metaphor can be misleading

Mario Saraceni, University of Portsmouth

Languages don’t have a beginning that can be compared to the birth of a living being.

The worries parents from ethnic minority backgrounds have about their children’s experiences at school

Seun Bunmi Adebayo, University of Galway

Parents were concerned that their children’s race would affect their school experiences.

Curious Kids: where does our rubbish go?

Ian Williams, University of Southampton

Rubbish can be reused or recycled – or it may end up in a dumpsite.

Poorer pupils do worse at school – here’s how to reduce the attainment gap

Stephen Gorard, Durham University

Measures need to focus on reducing social segregation in schools.

Anglo-Saxon village re-enactment event in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, 2008. Simon Annable/Shutterstock

Curious Kids: who was the first person to speak English?

Ad Putter, University of Bristol

Hundreds of years ago, people spoke Old English – but it is very different to English today.

GCSEs: what to say and what to avoid if you want to help teenagers combat exam anxiety

Laura Nicholson, Edge Hill University

Positive messages and relaxation techniques can help.

Should your summer-born child start school later? Here’s what the research says

Maxime Perrott, University of Bristol; Ioanna Bakopoulou, University of Bristol, and Liz Washbrook, University of Bristol

The advantages and disadvantages of summer-born children entering school outside their peer group.

Students who lack access to computers or a reliable internet connection may not be able to take advantage of digital tools like chatbots. imageBROKER / Alamy

If AI is to become a key tool in education, access has to be equal

Sam Illingworth, Edinburgh Napier University

Digital poverty could put some students at a disadvantage.

Mewnfudwyr ac athrawon yn protestio yn Llundain yn 2015. Paul Davey/Alamy. Paul Davey/Alamy

Esol: pwysigrwydd dosbarthiadau Saesneg i ymfudwyr a'r heriau i'w datrys

Mike Chick, University of South Wales

Er bod Saesneg i siaradwyr ieithoedd eraill (Esol) yn cael ei drin fel unrhyw bwnc arall, gall gynnig llawer mwy i ddysgwyr.

Talking to babies may contribute to brain development – here’s how to do it

John Spencer, University of East Anglia

Here’s how to get babies and toddlers chatting.

Immigrants and teachers of English for speakers of other languages protest at Parliament Square in 2015. Paul Davey/Alamy

Esol English classes are crucial for migrant integration, yet challenges remain unaddressed

Mike Chick, University of South Wales

Although English to speakers of other languages (Esol) is treated like any other subject, it can offer far more to those learners.

Relationships and sex education review: government must remember history of LGBTQ+ discrimination in English schools

Sophie King-Hill, University of Birmingham; Abby Gilsenan, University of Birmingham, and Willem Stander, University of Birmingham

LGBTQ+ education is still recovering from the effects of 1988’s Section 28.

pixelheadphoto digitalskillet/Shutterstock

How to navigate difficult conversations with your teenager

Netta Weinstein, University of Reading

Listen carefully to what your teenager has to say.

How schools and teachers can make refugee children feel welcome

Julie Wharton, University of Winchester

Creating a school environment that is welcoming to everyone is important.

UK students are abandoning language learning, so we’re looking for a more creative approach

Alex Mangold, Aberystwyth University and Sarah Pogoda, Bangor University

The number of students studying languages in UK universities has plummeted in recent years but some creative thinking may help to reverse that trend.

Children have been interacting in the metaverse for years – what parents need to know about keeping them safe

Andy Phippen, Bournemouth University

There are steps parents can take to understand this technology, the risks it may pose, and what they can do to limit them.

The impact of childhood and teenage anxiety disorders on later life – new research

Mara Violato, University of Oxford; Jack Pollard, University of Oxford, and Tessa Reardon, University of Oxford

Children with an anxiety disorder are likely to miss more school and get lower grades than those who do not.

Keeping a diary can improve teachers’ wellbeing – here are some ways it can work for all of us

Lucy Kelly, University of Bristol

Keeping a diary can provide insight into both professional and private lives.

Childism: how discrimination against children plays out in law

Rebecca Adami, Stockholm University

Children face the effects of prejudice over who has and who lacks rationality, logic, and authority.

Empathy can be taught at school – and it can lead to more creative thinking

Helen Demetriou, University of Cambridge

Empathy helps us understand what others are thinking and feeling.

A Department for Education survey suggests more than 80% of state schools in England still have asbestos on their premises. Lucy M Ryan/Shutterstock

The hidden danger of asbestos in UK schools: ‘I don’t think they realise how much risk it poses to students’

Bethany Taylor, University of Sheffield; Angela Tod, University of Sheffield, and Peter Allmark, University of Sheffield

While evidence grows about the impact of asbestos exposure on teachers and other school workers, the risk to schoolchildren remains worryingly under-reported and under-researched.

Ofsted inspections cause teachers stress and aren’t backed up by strong evidence – things could be done differently

Karen Jones, Durham University; Joe O'Hara, Dublin City University, and Martin Brown, Dublin City University

Research found that inspectorates in Sweden, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland did not make inspection reports public.

Teachers are quitting – here’s what could be done to get them to stay

Joshua Fullard, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick

Reducing working hours might encourage teachers to stay.

Drawing pictures is great for children’s development – here’s how parents can help

Richard Jolley, Staffordshire University and Sarah Rose, Staffordshire University

Chat to your child while they draw, or learn about a new artistic style together.

Black Mountain Primary School in Belfast being used as a British Army look out post, 1972. Alain Le Garsmeur "The Troubles" Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

New school resources on the Good Friday Agreement will give pupils valuable understanding – if they are used

Tony Gallagher, Queen's University Belfast

The resources do a good job in explaining that political conflicts rarely end in a moment, but after a long process.