Lorna Prendergast was 90 years old when she graduated with a master’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2019. She said her message to others was, “You’re never too old to dream.” Nor, obviously, too old to learn. In the same year 94-year-old David Bottomley became the oldest person in Australia to graduate with a PhD from […] … learn more→

Reading fiction is an emotional experience. Feeling emotions – even negative emotions such as sadness – drives reading and helps us enjoy books. Research from the National Literacy Trust, a UK charity, has found that nearly 45% of children and young people said that reading made them feel better. The emotions we feel when reading may even help us […] … learn more→

Learning to read does not begin when a child puzzles over the words in a book for the first time. In the early weeks of their lives and even before birth, babies are skilfully processing important information about the sounds they hear. They are attuning to tones, patterns of language and distinguishing their own familiar adults’ voices. Making […] … learn more→

Stereotypes about what boys and girls supposedly like aren’t hard to find. Toy advertisements send signals that science and electronic toys are intended for boys rather than girls. Computer scientists and engineers on television shows and movies are often white men, like the guys on “The Big Bang Theory.” Policymakers, teachers and parents sometimes subscribe to these stereotypes, too. They […] … learn more→

When students in China returned to classrooms in September 2021, they were provided with a new series of textbooks outlining China’s president Xi Jinping, or “Grandpa Xi’s”, political philosophy. Each textbook on “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era”, as Xi’s political philosophy is officially called, is tailored to students at primary, secondary, […] … learn more→

Scientists have often invited the public to see what they see, using everything from engraved woodblocks to electron microscopes to explore the complexity of the scientific enterprise and the beauty of life. Sharing these visions through illustrations, photography and videos has allowed laypeople to explore a range of discoveries, from new bird species to the inner workings of the human cell. […] … learn more→

Out of all subjects students come across during their studies, chemistry seems to be the most dreadful. Studying the different elements and compounds from the periodic table and their chemical reactions can be challenging, so learners often seek aid from chemistry experts to help them understand this subject better. Generally, chemistry is used by everyone […] … learn more→

Algorithms are becoming commonplace. They can determine employment prospects, financial security and more. The use of algorithms can be controversial – for example, robodebt, as the Australian government’s flawed online welfare compliance system came to be known. Algorithms are increasingly being used to make decisions that have a lasting impact on our current and future lives. Some of […] … learn more→

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority released a proposed revision of the foundation to year 10 national curriculum for public consultation in April. Since then, the draft national curriculum — the final version of which will be released in 2022 – has caused much controversy. Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge has perhaps been its fiercest critic. In September […] … learn more→

In general, differentiated education is understood to be the homogeneous grouping by sex. The differentiation, in this case, is based on the belief that teaching boys and girls separately makes it possible to better meet the needs of each sex. It is about taking into account the different maturation rates, learning forms or different sensitivities in one […] … learn more→