Education news | schools

Unis fail the test to disclose 'slush' ties

Yuko Narushima Higher Education ACADEMICS must declare commercial interests online or risk an erosion of public trust in scholarly independence, University of Sydney researchers say.

Parent action forces school principal out of teaching

Andrew Stevenson THE principal of a Sydney primary school has been moved to a ''non-classroom'' position after the parent group moved a motion of no confidence in her.

$47 million tick for NSW effort in English and maths

Dan Harrison NSW will get $47 million from the Federal Government as a reward for its efforts to boost literacy and numeracy.

Arabic-speaking children have the smarts but shun selective system

Anna Patty, Andrew Stevenson ONLY a handful of the 2311 children of non-English-speaking migrants who enter the state's selective schools each year come from Arabic-speaking households, despite forming the second-largest migrant group in the public school system.

Arabic-speaking students 'being left behind'

Few are making it to top selective high schools, write Andrew Stevenson and Anna Patty.

Standards need calculated revision

Allan White Quality is being left out of the equation in mathematics education throughout the nation's schools, writes Allan White.

Union canes NAB over school funding position

Dan Harrison THE National Australia Bank has entered the highly charged debate about school funding with a submission insisting private school funding be maintained in real terms and claiming that non-government schools save taxpayers money.

Uni elections hit by claims of spending cap breaches

Anna Patty AUSTRALIA'S aspiring leaders of the future are embroiled in dirty politics at the University of Sydney, where allegations of forged receipts and breaches of spending caps for student election campaigns have surfaced.

Boston takes charge of school standards team

Anna Patty A FORMER chief of England's school curriculum authority will head a review of programs used to help children improve poor literacy and numeracy standards.

Students swap Play-Doh for Plato

Andrew Taylor GREAT philosophers cannot agree on whether stealing is ever justified so it's little wonder year 1 and year 2 students at Bondi Public School are engaged in lively, but civilised debate on the question.

Primary pupils snap up technology

Andrew Stevenson CHILDREN as young as eight are joining online social networking sites, and primary school pupils are increasingly exposed to cyberbullying, a senior officer at the Australian Communications and Media Authority has warned.

Teacher sackings: more about sex than inefficiency

Andrew Stevenson MORE NSW public teachers were dismissed last year for sexual misconduct with students, possession of child pornography or having sex with their own children than were sacked for inefficiency.

Universities look for benefactors to close funding gap

Yuko Narushima Higher Education PHILANTHROPY is becoming big business for Australian universities as they seek to prop up income from government and student fees.

Recipe for study success

Melinda Ham Achieving your best during exams requires adequate nutrition, exercise and sleep, writes Melinda Ham.

Turning to tutors

Margie Sheedy More students are seeking outside help to give them the academic edge, writes Margie Sheedy.

A student's work is never done

The cash and skills are useful, but juggling a part-time job with study takes discipline, writes Melinda Ham.

Kirby urges greater justice for public education

Dan Harrison THE former High Court judge Michael Kirby has urged a review of federal school funding to recommend cutting the amount for private schools, provide more money for public education and eject chaplains from government schools.

Hells bells, it can't be playtime already?

Kim Arlington YEAR 6 students are so engrossed in their lesson that no one notices the bell ringing for recess at Hampden Park Public School in Lakemba.

Quality teachers are key for the disadvantaged

Kim Arlington THE GILLARD government plans to reward Australia's best teachers with bonuses, but what makes an outstanding teacher?

Engagement must not stop at the gate

A bad experience in their own school days can sometimes prevent parents from being involved in their child's education, writes Peter Garrigan.

How to speak Mandarin in just two days

More than a little dubious, Tom Meltzer fronts up for a crash course in a notoriously difficult language before road testing his skills in a Chinese restaurant.

Coalition pushes to keep 'professional' students shackled

Dan Harrison THE Coalition will fight to retain a Howard-era rule designed to discourage ''professional students'' by limiting access to publicly-subsidised university study.

A boy saved by education turns to help his homeland

Kim Arlington AS A schoolboy in Afghanistan, Ali Reza Yunespour's classes were held in tents and mosques. For half the year, during the harsh winter months, they were not held at all.

Pictures along the pathway to text

Sarah Whyte PICTURE and photo cards are important visual cues for students with autism.

TAFEs challenged to compete

Anna Patty TAFE institutes would be forced to compete with private colleges for all public funding under radical reforms to be considered by the NSW government.

Just shut up and listen, expert tells teachers

Andrew Stevenson JOHN HATTIE has spent his life studying the studies to find out what works in education. His advice to teachers? Just shut up.

Controversial school heaters to last another winter

Anna Patty MOST schools with unflued gas heaters will have to see through at least another winter before they are replaced.

National arts plan 'too heavy on feelings, too light on skills'

Anna Patty STUDENTS of music, dance, drama and fine arts would find their subjects swamped by generic concepts in a proposed national arts curriculum that focuses on feeling and experimenting instead of learning how to play, dance and draw.

Time for exam to go digital

Phil Dye IN LESS than four months, teenagers will sit for their first HSC exam. After 13 years of formal education, they will raise their pens and begin the frantic, anxious scrawl that, for 44 years, has epitomised this rite of passage.

Universities 'should trade in morals, not profits'

Yuko Narushima UNIVERSITIES need to reclaim a moral purpose to distinguish themselves from other businesses, the vice-chancellor of Macquarie University says.