The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma is a standardised two-year university preparation course undertaken in years 11 and 12 as an alternative to the HSC. Established in Switzerland in 1968, the IB stresses critical reasoning and breadth of knowledge over specialisation and rote learning. Its raison d’etre is to prepare students for success in a globalised […]
Australia has one of the highest rates of private schooling in the OECD. Approximately 35 per cent of students attend a non-government school, either a Catholic systemic institution — 20 per cent — or an independent school — 15 per cent. In NSW, the figure is slightly higher. More than 16 per cent of students […]
For all the gains feminism has brought women, true equality, particularly in the workplace, remains elusive. Women make up almost half of university graduates and enter the workforce in equal numbers to men yet they earn less and climb the corporate ladder much more slowly, if at all. On the bright side, things are changing […]
That’s the silver lining on the grey cloud of data contained in the 2016 PISA report. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a global education benchmark conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Every three years, 15-year-olds throughout the OECD and partner countries are tested on their skills and knowledge […]
If you didn’t attend a boarding school yourself, your impressions of residential schools have probably been formed, at least in part, by Hollywood. It seems that every decade produces an era-defining tale set in a boarding school. From the 60s counter-culture touchstone, If, to Australia’s own haunting 70s classic, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dead Poets Society […]
“If you get involved in debating and public speaking you will definitely go on to rule the world. Guaranteed.” — Craig Reucassel, comedian and NSW Department of Education Ambassador for Speaking Competitions Last week, Joe Nimmo of the BBC, asked, “Why have so many Prime Ministers gone to Oxford University?” Of Britain’s 54 elected heads of […]
What do you think of when you hear the words “good school”? The first images that spring to mind might be of tidy grounds; well-maintained buildings; exuberant but courteous students; enthusiastic, knowledgeable teachers; and an overall air of diligence and positivity. Most of us would agree that good schools are happy schools where staff and […]
Disruptive behaviour, talking back, schoolwork avoidance. These are some of the telltale signs of a disengaged student. Media headlines tend to highlight extreme misbehaviour in schools but low-intensity resistance to learning is far more common — and equally problematic. A recent Grattan Institute report found that up to 40 per cent of Australian students are […]
Independent schools recognise that gifted and talented students need to be nurtured to realise their full potential. Many students have the gift of natural ability but require specialised support to convert their gifts into the talent necessary for outstanding performance. Whatever a student’s gift, intellectual, athletic or artistic, the school environment is instrumental in its […]