Education – Views & Research – The Conversation

A crowd of mourners gathered at Bondi Beach.

A crowd of mourners gathered at Bondi Beach.

How can parents talk to their kids about the Bondi terror attack?

Vanessa Cobham, The University of Queensland

Not sure you picked the right uni or TAFE course? 6 ways to help you think it through

Andrew J. Martin, UNSW Sydney

A young woman in sunglasses and chunky white sneakers sits on a bench

A young woman in sunglasses and chunky white sneakers sits on a bench

Uh oh, my child just discovered the truth about Santa

Cher McGillivray, Bond University

A young child pulls a Santa hat down over their eyes

A young child pulls a Santa hat down over their eyes

Year 12 and beyond

Three young people talk at a skate ramp.

Three young people talk at a skate ramp.

Year 12 results are being released. What if you don’t want to share your ATAR with friends and family?

Penny Van Bergen, Macquarie University; Amy Bird, University of Waikato, and Kellie Buckley-Walker, University of Wollongong

How important is the ATAR? 30% of Year 12s who go to uni don’t use it

Melinda Hildebrandt, Victoria University; Anne Walstab, Victoria University, and Sarah Pilcher, Victoria University

Young people sit with laptops at outdoor benches at Sydney University.

Young people sit with laptops at outdoor benches at Sydney University.

Are you finishing Year 12? Here’s how to avoid a post-school slump

Sarah Jefferson, Edith Cowan University

A young person lies on a bed, staring at the ceiling.

A young person lies on a bed, staring at the ceiling.

Social media ban

Silhouette of kids posing for a photo on a beach.

Silhouette of kids posing for a photo on a beach.

Banning kids from social media doesn’t make online platforms safer. Here’s what will do that

Joel Scanlan, University of Tasmania

Don’t dismiss kids’ sadness or anger. How to minimise family conflict over the social media ban

Catherine Page Jeffery, University of Sydney

A boy looks glum, with his head in his hand.

A boy looks glum, with his head in his hand.

‘The main thing you’ve got is TikTok’: how the social media ban could harm African diaspora youth

Melanie Baak, University of South Australia and Claire Moran, University of South Australia; Monash University

A teenager sits on a bed looking at her phone.

A teenager sits on a bed looking at her phone.

Australia’s social media ban is now in force. Other countries are closely watching what happens

Lisa M. Given, RMIT University

A child laying in bed on their phone.

A child laying in bed on their phone.

Childcare safety

Nappy changes are not just a chore to rush through. You can use them to teach consent

Katherine Bussey, Deakin University and Nicole Downes, Deakin University

A man changes a baby's nappy on a bed.

A man changes a baby's nappy on a bed.

How common is sexually abusive behaviour between children? How should daycare centres respond?

Daryl Higgins, Australian Catholic University and Gabrielle Hunt, Australian Catholic University

Young children play with coloured blocks.

Young children play with coloured blocks.

How to recognise child-on-child sexual abuse – and how to respond appropriately

Gemma McKibbin, The University of Melbourne

Child dressed in yellow sits at the end of a red slide, looking at a soccer ball on the grass

Child dressed in yellow sits at the end of a red slide, looking at a soccer ball on the grass

7 ways to teach little kids about body safety before they can talk

Danielle Arlanda Harris, Griffith University

A woman holds a baby up to a mirror.

A woman holds a baby up to a mirror.

Schools today

Is the focus on NAPLAN’s ‘top’ schools a good idea?

Sally Larsen, University of New England

Students listen to their teacher in a classroom.

Students listen to their teacher in a classroom.

On a typical school day, 11% of students are absent. How can Australia fix this?

Jordana Hunter, Grattan Institute; Amy Haywood, Grattan Institute, and Molly Chapman, Grattan Institute

A group of primary students running in a playground

A group of primary students running in a playground

Adults like to talk about ‘big school’. This can make the change seem scary for some children

Kelly Simpson, Southern Cross University

A young child walking in a back pack and uniform

A young child walking in a back pack and uniform

What makes a healthy and safe boarding school culture?

Paul Kidson, Australian Catholic University

Teenage students in school uniform walk out of a hall.

Teenage students in school uniform walk out of a hall.

Early childhood and parenting

Leave notes, play games, go shopping: how to boost your child’s multilingual skills these holidays

Julie Choi, The University of Melbourne

A young child and a woman at a fruit market.

A young child and a woman at a fruit market.

Active zones and mini retreats – how to build preschools suitable for neurodivergent kids

Fatemeh Aminpour, UNSW Sydney

A woman holds a small child's hand as he walks into a preschool classroom

A woman holds a small child's hand as he walks into a preschool classroom

A cancer specialist explains why parents should not be too worried about coloured sand recalls

Anthony Linton, University of Sydney

Hazard tape and a sign saying 'Hazardous material, school closed' on the door of a school's front office.

Hazard tape and a sign saying 'Hazardous material, school closed' on the door of a school's front office.

Why do kids want to talk about bums and poos all the time?

Catherine E. Wood, Swinburne University of Technology

A young girl sits on grass in pyjamas

A young girl sits on grass in pyjamas

Higher education

Young people walk over a footbridge. A large tree is in the background.

Young people walk over a footbridge. A large tree is in the background.

‘I do get quite anxious’: why so many students are applying for early offers to uni

Ben Edwards, Australian National University; Jessica Arnup, Australian National University, and Kate Doery

How did Australian universities go from free education to $50,000 arts degrees in 50 years?

George Williams, Western Sydney University

How did Australian universities go from free education to $50,000 arts degrees in 50 years?

How did Australian universities go from free education to $50,000 arts degrees in 50 years?

Foreign spies are trying to steal Australian research. We should be doing more to stop them

Brendan Walker-Munro, Southern Cross University

Two people in shadow walk through the old sandstone quadrangle at Sydney University.

Two people in shadow walk through the old sandstone quadrangle at Sydney University.

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