Absent students miss more than just lesson content; they miss the opportunities to build the habits and skills to succeed at school and in life. New OECD research shows ‘school attendance problems are no longer a marginal issue; they have become a challenge affecting classrooms in nearly every country’.

‘If we equip the next generation with the foundational literacies to understand how AI works, the creative confidence to build with it, and the critical judgement to know when and how it should be used, the possibilities are extraordinary.’ In this Q&A, Andrew Sliwinski, Vice President and Head of Product Experience at LEGO® Education, answers questions about computer science and artificial intelligence instruction in the classroom, and what we can do now to empower student agency in a changing world.

Recent data show that improving students’ critical thinking and problem‑solving skills is the most desired professional learning topic for both year 4 and year 8 teachers in Australia. In today’s expert Q&A we speak to Renee Ladner, Education Consultant at the Mathematical Association of Victoria about the PD needs of maths teachers.

The 2026 recipient of the Global Teacher Prize has been announced – Rouble Nagi from India took out the top prize. One Australian teacher was a top 10 finalist this year – Colleen O’Rourke from the Hills Cristian Community School in Adelaide, South Australia. Teacher caught up with her shortly after she was named a finalist to find out about the work she’s been recognised for. 

A pioneering educator and acclaimed artist from India who has transformed neglected walls into hundreds of vibrant, open-air learning centres has won the $1 million 2026 Global Teacher Prize. Rouble Nagi creates large-scale, interactive educational murals teaching literacy, numeracy, science, hygiene, history, environmental awareness, and social responsibility.

The top 50 finalists for the US$1 million Global Teacher Prize have just been announced, bringing together nominees from 38 countries. They include 2 teachers from Australia – Colleen O'Rourke and Jade Bassett. Find out more in today’s article.

Last term, we shared the 2025 winners of the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge. Teacher aide David Jeffery was the mentor for one of the winning student teams. In today’s Q&A, he tells us about the benefits of the challenge for student learning, and shares advice for other schools wanting to have a crack in 2026.

‘Too often, civics and citizenship education is framed about students rather than with them.’ In his latest Teacher column Professor Martin Westwell – Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education – shares details of the first Active Citizenship Convention, which gave prominence to student voice.

The Australian Council for Educational Research’s (ACER’s) Pru Mitchell was named winner of the inaugural Victorian Library and Information Award (VLIA). Teacher editor Jo Earp sat down with her to talk about teaching and teacher librarianship, sharing knowledge and expertise, and the role of AI, technology and digital literacy in the classroom.

‘Staff are integrating AI into their practice in ways that align with their readiness, confidence, and classroom context.’ In today’s article, Georgie Facci from Scotch College Junior School, Adelaide, shares how the school is embedding AI into the teaching and learning across the curriculum, and how staff are building their confidence and capabilities to foster a culture of empowered experimentation.