Schools have traditionally been responsible for imparting knowledge and skills necessary for a good education and a prosperous life to children and young people. Not long ago, schools were the primary places where youngsters acquired the knowledge required to succeed in the future. During that era, parents played a crucial role in their children's overall education, including instilling values, shaping behaviour, promoting health,…
read more"If we don't fix inequities in our schools soon, we'll pay a high price for that later." This is what I heard from a primary school principal during my recent visit to her regional school. "But schools alone can't do that. It takes the whole village," she said. She is right. Family background is far more important in explaining what students learn at school than people think. This has remained a solid empirical-research finding for…
read moreDear Minister, As a frequent visitor to your country and an admirer of its cultural richness, I was delighted to read of your recent appointment as minister of education. In your previous job, you often voiced your concerns about the state of education in your country. I have also read your writings where you call into question old ways of thinking about education and are highly critical of how education policy has been put…
read moreA decade ago paediatricians noticed a worrying trend: children's mental health was beginning to decline. Anxiety disorders, depression and loneliness had suddenly become more common among teenagers around the world. Health experts and researchers didn't know exactly why that happened. Some said that these were simply statistical variations without any particular cause. Others believed there must be something new in children's…
read moreWith Sharon Goldfeld The cold fact is that despite continuous reforms and growing investments over the past two decades, educational performance – and especially equitable performance – of Australia’s schools isn’t improving. Indeed, in many ways it is getting worse. Consider these statistics. Since 2000 Australia’s PISA scores have dropped 33 – 24 points in maths, reading, and science. Students’ performance in…
read moreOriginally published in ABC Education on 24 April 2023 When I ask my own children what they would like to change in Australian primary schools, they say, "We want more play!" My children are like yours: they tell the truth about things that matter to them. That is why I have been so curious to learn what other parents and their children think about their schools. My anecdotal evidence suggests that more time to play would make…
read more“What do you think about Australian school education?” Ever since I came to Australia with my wife and two school-aged children five years ago, this is the question I have been asked more often than any other. Before that I worked as schoolteacher and senior education policymaker in Finland. It seems like people think that Finnish education is a good benchmark to check how school education here compares to the best of class.…
read moreWolves live in extended families called packs. That helps wolves to defend their territories and ensure the protection of, and food for, the young. Cooperation is why wolves survive in harsh conditions in wilderness. Sometimes a wolf leaves the pack and becomes a lone wolf. A lone wolf is often stronger than the others in the pack. In the wolf kingdom a lone wolf can also be a curious young adult that wants to explore new territories…
read moreEver since students’ performance in school has been measured by standardised assessments, one question has trumped all others: What explains variability in these tests? The question really is, why some students are more successful in school than other students. Some parents think that their children don’t work hard enough for success in school. There are authorities who think that students’ success in school depends directly…
read moreLast week, the Productivity Commission released a major report on how to improve Australia’s school and university sectors. “Education is ripe for disruption”, deputy chair Alex Robson said. The commission suggests longer schooldays, online classes taught by qualified teachers, and streaming students into ability groups to improve Australia’s educational performance. But while these ideas may work well for some students,…
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