Aussie parents are under pressure to buy their kids academic advantage too
In Australia, and elsewhere, the system doesn’t favour academic merit, but parental wealth. Instead of meritocracy, we see a parentocracy – the actions and wealth of parents act as key determinants of a child’s academic success. More...
We asked five experts: should Australia lower the voting age to 16?
But decisions made by elected governments – especially in areas such as education, health and energy – impact young people too. Legal and political voices have long called for Australia to lower the voting age to 16. After all, people under 18 can leave school, get a job, drive a car and pay taxes. More...
Helping teachers ‘practise what they teach’ could help them stay teaching for longer
Early career teachers are more likely to stay on if they practise what they teach in their own time. We found that practitioner-teachers – such as art teachers practising art and biology teachers observing nature – see themselves as better quality teachers when measured against key principles of learning and teaching. More...
Explainer: what are Confucius Institutes and do they teach Chinese propaganda?
It has been reported the Attorney-General’s Department has written to universities that host Confucius Institutes, asking them to register the institutes under the scheme. Confucius Institutes are Chinese language and culture centres set up through partnerships between an Australian university, a Chinese university and Hanban – an organisation directly under China’s Ministry of Education. More...
7 unexpected things that libraries offer besides books
Local libraries are often thought of as places to check out books or engage in some silent reading. But libraries offer so much more than just what can be found on their shelves or done in hushed tones. More...
Why women in economics have little to celebrate
International Women’s Day is a good time ask two critical questions about economics: do we have enough women in it, and does it matter?
Women are less likely to take it up than they used to be. More...
Beyond the binary: how teaching children about gender could help reduce sexism
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, addressing gender inequality in New Zealand remains a challenge. As the first country to grant women the vote, we have a long way to go to until there’s genuine equality across all genders. More...
Dentists need a licence to practice. Why not economists?
The economics profession requires nothing other than a university degree, and this month in its regular poll of 54 leading economists, the Economic Society of Australia asked whether it should set the bar higher. More...
What the next government needs to do to tackle unfairness in school funding
School funding debates in Australia are complex and messy. Stakeholders routinely complain about being hard done by. But the real unfairness is that state schools get less government funding than governments themselves say the schools need, and will continue to do so. More...
Research shows students are as good as professors in tutorial teaching
Professors and graduate students are at opposite ends of the university hierarchy in terms of experience, qualifications and pay. But at many universities, both do the same job: they teach tutorials offered in parallel with lectures. More...
