The current approaches to school improvement more centralised targets, more testing, more ranking, more culture wars - clearly aren’t working. So what will?
   The answer lies in a school-by-school effort to make education more contemporary, creative and innovative. It will make education more interesting, relevant and engaging for students right across the socioeconomic spectrum. How do I know this will work? Read more

Theories about improving education abound, class sizes, amounts of homework, school hours, or co-ed vs single sex education have all been advanced as ways to improve education, but these factors have relatively little impact on learning outcomes.
   What matters most is the mindset of engaged teachers who can give their students a clear purpose for their learning journey according John Hattie's most recent research. Read more

Managing relationships and stakeholder influence would weigh heavily on me as the principal. It would wear on my energy and resources to engage positively and productively with all the groups in each of my schools.
   Just like a community leader in a small town or village, you are associated with the life of your community: on weekends, attending school events and functions, and making social connections. Read more

There are many ways you can seek the truth in the sea of information available, all it takes is knowing how to vet a news story by digging deeper. Check the source of information; look for typos, grammatical errors, the website layout, fake URLs, and other indicators of poor quality journalism.
   Read beyond the headline for important facts that could tip you off, and don’t be too quick to trust images and videos.
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The move toward net zero will require infrastructure, lots of it, and the trades will be central to making that happen.
   Welding skills will be at a premium, to achieve the Federal Government’s 43% emissions reductions target by 2030 and net zero by 2050, Australia will need 70,000 welders by 2030.
   And welding is just one trade: similar skills shortfall can be found in just about every trade you can conceive of. Read more

There is incredible diversity in Australia flora and the task of photographing it all is still far from done.
   There is some urgency as well, almost 4000 Australian plant species have not been photographed before in the wild, which may lead to their extinction.
   UNSW Science Associate Professor Will Cornwell says a lack of detailed photos might mean many plant species that are difficult to identify in the wild may be lost. Read more

A visit to Puffing Billy Railway in the Dandenongs is part of a childhood in Melbourne and with the launch of new programs, both in person and virtual, students can discover the charms of one of the country’s last fully functioning steam trains, and dive into STEM concepts.
   Puffing Billy Railway’s curriculum aligned Education Program, Endless Discovery, launched in 2021 aimed at students from Foundation to Year 8. Read more