News
The three options being considered to merge WA's universities
3+ hour, 8+ min ago (577+ words) April 13, 2026 " 5: 00am A long-awaited report analysing the benefits of merging three of Western Australia's four public universities has been handed to the state government for consideration. This masthead can reveal that the three options considered by the cost-benefit analysis were combining…...
Every school will offer "gifted" education. But who decides who is gifted?
12+ hour, 38+ min ago (791+ words) April 12, 2026 " 7: 30pm Some children are completing 15-page portfolios of extracurricular activities and submitting psychometric test results, while others are just being asked for their NAPLAN scores, to apply for the state's new gifted education year 7 classes. The state government has made…...
In these Sydney primary schools, therapists observe children behind a one-way mirror
1+ day, 3+ hour ago (801+ words) April 12, 2026 " 5: 00am A familiar sense of dread seized Erin Stevenson as she watched her six-year-old son, Micah, play happily with a giant scorpion they had built together from magnetic tiles in a brightly decorated playroom. For years, Micah had responded to…...
Too focused on money: University ombudsmans verdict after a year in the job
1+ day, 3+ hour ago (632+ words) April 12, 2026 " 5: 00am Cumbersome bureaucracies are getting in the way of wellbeing, safety and satisfaction, the National Student Ombudsman has said, urging universities to listen to students and take the focus off money. Established 12 months ago, its office has been inundated with…...
Hope for delivering cut NDIS supports in schools instead
1+ day, 3+ hour ago (439+ words) April 12, 2026 " 5: 00am As the Herald reported last week, slowing the growth of the $50 million NDIS will be key to the federal government's savings when it delivers its budget next month. A major policy already in train to assist with this is…...
Teachers agree to stage half-day strikes across Victoria in term 2
2+ day, 19+ hour ago (576+ words) April 10, 2026 " 12: 36pm Teachers at Victorian government schools have agreed to embark on half-day strikes during term 2 after the government failed to present a new pay offer to the state's public educators. The further-planned industrial action will include rolling stoppages across the…...
Why is my work repeatedly asking me for a background check?
3+ day, 3+ hour ago (598+ words) April 10, 2026 " 5: 01am As a career contractor, I have to go through background and police checks every six to 12 months, depending on the length of the assignment. As a condition of employment, each time I have to submit the same documents to…...
Maya has a grandmother with dementia. In VCE, she sewed her a sense of solace
3+ day, 11+ hour ago (584+ words) April 9, 2026 " 3: 30pm When Maya Soha's grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a decade ago, Soha learnt sensory toys could play a calming role for people with dementia. But these objects were rarely part of a person's daily life. So when the Star…...
Brisbane's youngest state school fills in, but pressure still on city's south
4+ day, 3+ hour ago (505+ words) April 9, 2026 " 5: 01am In 2025, Ellen Rigbye withdrew her daughter, Charlotte, from a western Brisbane private school in favour of a state school over the river. Charlotte, a competitive AFL player, had successfully secured selective entry to the city's newest state school, Brisbane…...
Not fit for purpose: Two NSW universities called out by inquiry
4+ day, 12+ hour ago (197+ words) April 8, 2026 " 7: 30pm The running of the state's universities is "not fit for purpose" as institutions continue to avoid transparency while using taxpayer funds for complex commercial deals. This is the scathing conclusion of the chair of a NSW parliamentary inquiry into…...