Victoria and New South Wales are in a scramble to plan for end-of-school exams. Vaccination targets may not be hit in time (for students or teachers), and there are other issues too — such as kids having missed weeks of face-to-face schooling. NSW has postponed its HSC (Higher School Certificate) exams until November. And while Victoria postponed […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
COVID gives us a chance to rethink traditional end-of-school exams, and move into the 21 century
How to design a public play space where kids practice reading and STEM skills
A park bench can be so much more than just a place to sit and wait. Perhaps it has a puzzle built into it, or weights that allow children to make measurements. As researchers who study the connections between play and development, we are interested in how reimagining public spaces can infuse playful learning opportunities into children’s time […] … learn more→
How to rethink international comparisons in education?
How to know the level of the pupils of a country in mathematics or in reading, in problem solving? Is the level of the little English people going down? Does he go up? Everyone today has the benchmarks necessary to get a fairly accurate idea of the performance of education systems: the international comparison reports drawn up by […] … learn more→
What young kids say worked – and didn’t work – for them during virtual learning
On Aug. 30, 2021, my kid joined millions of children in walking through school doors as he began first grade. Despite the ongoing pandemic, school buildings are almost universally open. While there are many voices expressing health and safety concerns, policymakers have decided that the best choice for children’s well-being is for them to be in school, in person […] … learn more→
Self-esteem and academic difficulties, a vicious circle?
Research shows that we all have a strong and perennial need for self – esteem – that is, to think that we are valuable, that we are loved and approved. Students are not immune to this need. Because of the importance given by society, parents or teachers to academic success, students who face academic difficulties and failures see their self-esteem threatened. […] … learn more→
In debates about opening schools, we’re neglecting an important voice: our children’s
European countries have been asked to focus on “ensuring the right of children to be involved in all decisions that affect them”, in a newly released report ahead of the school year in Europe. The report — from the “High-level meeting on schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic” held in July — states “very few governments” have made […] … learn more→
5 reasons video games should be more widely used in school
In an effort to curtail how much time young people spend playing video games, China has banned students from playing them during the school week and limits them to just one hour per day on Fridays, weekends and holidays. The new rule took effect Sept. 1, 2021. From my standpoint as a video game designer and scholar […] … learn more→
Education debates are rife with references to war – but have they gone too far?
As President Joe Biden oversaw the transfer of the remains of the U.S. soldiers killed in a suicide bomb attack at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport on Aug. 26, 2021, former Education Secretary Arne Duncan took to Twitter. Appearing to weigh in on the controversy over mask mandates in public schools, Duncan compared “anti-mask and anti-vax people” with “the suicide bombers at […] … learn more→
A good induction is important for all new jobs. So why are teachers being left behind?
Australian schools are struggling to recruit and keep teachers. Low wages, overwork, difficult student behaviour, lack of support and stress are some of the reasons teachers leave the profession or have periods of sick leave. More than half of teachers with a current teaching qualification are not working in education. States such as New South Wales are facing major difficulties in […] … learn more→
A day in the life of a Gordonstoun pupil
Find out what makes a Gordonstoun education so special. Pupils from around the world enjoy an unrivalled education at Gordonstoun, the co-independent school that was famously home to Prince Philip and several other members of the royal family. It’s no wonder that young people travel from all corners of the globe to study here; each […] … learn more→
