Education – Views & Research – The Conversation

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Teenage school students type at a row of computers.

Teenage school students type at a row of computers.

Only 37% of Year 10 students meet our national standards for digital skills

Kate Highfield, University of Canberra; Holly Tootell, University of Canberra, and Katie Wilson, Australian Catholic University

Year 12 and beyond

A young person wearing a lab coat looks in a microscope in a lab.

A young person wearing a lab coat looks in a microscope in a lab.

You don’t need an ATAR to go to uni. You can do an ‘enabling’ or ‘bridging’ course instead

Susan Hopkins, University of the Sunshine Coast and Gregory Nash, University of the Sunshine Coast

So your Year 12 student hasn’t decided what’s next. Here’s what to say – and what not to – about career planning

Brendon Hyndman, Charles Sturt University and Vaughan Cruickshank, University of Tasmania

A young person works at a desk under a lamp.

A young person works at a desk under a lamp.

Help! I’m almost finished school but don’t know what I want to do next

Emma L Bradshaw, Australian Catholic University

A young person faces a cloudy sky. Their back is to the camera.

A young person faces a cloudy sky. Their back is to the camera.

Schools today

Small children in school uniform learn over a railing in a playground.

Small children in school uniform learn over a railing in a playground.

27% of Australian students now have an adjustment for disability at school. Why are we seeing this growth?

Linda J. Graham, Queensland University of Technology and Callula Killingly, Queensland University of Technology

Getting the kids out the door for school drives me bananas. How can we make mornings calmer?

Fiona Boylan, Edith Cowan University and Amelia Ruscoe, Edith Cowan University

A woman, holding a piece of toast, opens the front door for two children dressed in school uniform.

A woman, holding a piece of toast, opens the front door for two children dressed in school uniform.

The government wants to save $463m by tightening disability support to school students. What’s going on?

Catherine Smith, The University of Melbourne

A high school student sits at a desk in a classroom and looks over her shoulder.

A high school student sits at a desk in a classroom and looks over her shoulder.

Choosing a high school can seem enormous. How do you know if one is right for your child?

Tania Leach, University of Southern Queensland

A teenage girl in school uniform and backpack holds a folder and smiles.

A teenage girl in school uniform and backpack holds a folder and smiles.

You don’t get long in parent-teacher interviews. Here’s how to use the time well

Ben Zunica, University of Sydney and Bronwyn Reid O'Connor, University of Sydney

Two women sit on chairs and speak in a hall

Two women sit on chairs and speak in a hall

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Early childhood and parenting

Three children sit on the floor and play with blocks.

Three children sit on the floor and play with blocks.

Governments keep trying to make childcare safer. Could a new ‘national commission’ make a difference?

Erin Harper, University of Sydney and Marianne Fenech, University of Sydney

‘I don’t believe no screens is possible’: how parents manage devices and little kids

Stephanie Milford, Edith Cowan University; Curtin University; Federation University Australia

A curious baby sits in a high chair. Two adults with their backs turned work in a kitchen.

A curious baby sits in a high chair. Two adults with their backs turned work in a kitchen.

We studied the bacteria on kids’ sports mouthguards. The results were eye-opening

Huseyin Sumer, Swinburne University of Technology; Bita Zaferanloo, Swinburne University of Technology, and Vito Butardo Jr, Swinburne University of Technology

A young boy contemplates putting a mouthguard in his mouth.

A young boy contemplates putting a mouthguard in his mouth.

Pretend play is a magical part of childhood. New research suggests it can also help mental health

Fotini Vasilopoulos, University of Sydney

Two young children in furry costumes sit on a couch.

Two young children in furry costumes sit on a couch.

I hate it when other adults ‘parent’ my kids. What can I do?

Christiane Kehoe, The University of Melbourne and Elizabeth Westrupp, Deakin University

A family group sits at a table having a meal. A young child stands a man wears a serious expression.

A family group sits at a table having a meal. A young child stands a man wears a serious expression.

Higher education

The shadowed outlines of two police officers in front of the Parliament House flag in Canberra.

The shadowed outlines of two police officers in front of the Parliament House flag in Canberra.

The government has blocked funding to 13 research projects for security reasons. What happens now?

Brendan Walker-Munro, Southern Cross University

Hackers just stole data from 9,000 schools and unis around the world. How can we protect student privacy?

Abu Barkat ullah (Barkat), University of Canberra and Mohiuddin Ahmed, Adelaide University

Two young people on a university campus look at a phone.

Two young people on a university campus look at a phone.

‘What do you want to be?’ The spark that helps Indigenous people go to uni

Melissa Fong-Emmerson, Edith Cowan University; Braden Hill, Edith Cowan University, and Claire Lambert, Edith Cowan University

A group of people sit around an outside table talking and laughing.

A group of people sit around an outside table talking and laughing.

$50,000 arts degrees look set to stay, despite a new bill trying to slash uni fees

Andrew Norton, Monash University

Three young people walk on university campus, heading towards the doors of a building.

Three young people walk on university campus, heading towards the doors of a building.

Most read

Working with First Nations: Delivering on the Priority Reforms

Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG)

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