Equal education

New research shows children and young people with disability in Australia are experiencing exclusion and bullying in school settings. In this episode, we’re joined by a lead investigator of the research, Dr Catherine Smith, to find out more about the experience of children with disability in schools, and their recommendations for educators.

Our guest for today’s School Improvement episode is Ruth Rogers, Principal of Karonga School in New South Wales. Ruth joins us today to talk about her school’s immersive classroom, and how it allows students – all of whom have an intellectual disability – to access a world beyond the classroom and practice skills that they can take with them when they are out in the community.

‘Addressing the gender imbalance in digital technologies education and careers is an important goal. The research highlighted several areas where educators can contribute.’ Research from ACER for CSIRO has identified several factors that could support greater engagement of young women in digital technologies education. Find out more in this article.

In this episode I’m joined by Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report Director Manos Antoninis to discuss the 6 key messages in the major international study Technology in Education: A tool on whose terms?, including what governments, systems and schools should be thinking about when planning to bring technology into the classroom.

Our latest Teacher’s Bookshelf features Building a World-Class Learning System: Insights from some top-performing school systems, by Professor Geoff Masters. It explores what British Columbia, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong and South Korea have in common, the strategies they employ, and the decisions they are making to support students now and in the future.

In today’s article we share an update on the Pathways, Engagement and Transitions study, which explores the post-school pathways of young people experiencing disadvantage and how this information can be used to create better support systems, including in school settings.

What does it mean to be a totally inclusive school? In today’s episode of Teacher Staffroom, we discuss a Teacher’s Bookshelf article that delves into this question, as well as a School Improvement podcast episode which explores the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion in greater detail.

In this episode of School Improvement, we’re joined by Angeline Aow and Sadie Hollins, 2 of the authors of Becoming a Totally Inclusive School: A Guide for Teachers and School Leaders. We’ll be talking about what we mean by Total Inclusivity, and exploring the Continuum on Becoming a Totally Inclusive School – a 6 stage framework to help schools and educators move from theory to practice.

‘It is essential [teachers] have the training and resources needed to ensure that all students can access quality education.’ In this expert Q&A, we speak with ACER Research Fellow Kashfee Ahmed about a new resource kit on disability-inclusive education.

All children deserve a healthy foundation for their development and growth, and schools play a crucial role in making this a reality. A new discussion paper suggests shifting the core purpose of schools and shares 5 key principles to enhance student wellbeing, learning and happiness.