Education
Opinion
Allow students to use this ‘sneaky drug’, just not at assessment time
We should welcome AI into all aspects of learning, but we’re already playing catch-up when it comes to restricting it from all forms of assessment.
- by Ed Cavanough
Latest
Public schools signal ‘cultural’ Palestinian scarf can be worn following accusations of racism
Jad wore his family’s keffiyeh to graduation but that got him banned from his formal.
- by Kate Aubusson and Matthew Knott
Sarah thought she had years to pick a high school. By year 3, kids were already leaving
As public education in NSW recorded 7000 fewer students last year, can anything be done to stop the parent rush to private schools?
- by Christopher Harris
Exclusive
Major childcare company exits Sydney centres after repeated breaches
One of Australia’s largest childcare providers has been almost entirely shut down, after 12 of its centres recorded almost 500 confirmed breaches since they first opened.
- by Emily Kowal
Eight-year-olds taping stomachs flat: Alarm raised over eating disorders in children
Eating disorders are soaring in Australian playgrounds with experts and teachers noting increased prevalence, particularly among younger age groups.
- by Emily Kowal
Exclusive
Inside the mission to rescue Sydney students from a war zone
In the dead of night in a Dubai hotel, 14 Barker College students found themselves in the crossfire of a rapidly escalating conflict. This is how they escaped.
- by Emily Kowal
Exclusive
Adults required to prove age to watch porn, video games in major crackdown
Australians will be unable to access porn, R-rated video games and explicit AI chatbots unless they prove their age, under a landmark crackdown by the eSafety Commissioner.
- by Emily Kowal
Girls lead exodus from state’s public schools
Private school enrolments have hit a record high after public schools enrolment numbers dropped by almost 7000 pupils last year.
- by Christopher Harris and Nigel Gladstone
Exclusive
CCTV, texts to parents: How one Sydney private school is tracking students’ toilet use
A north shore private school is watching students enter and exit the bathroom and alerting parents when their child relieves themselves during class.
- by Emily Kowal
‘Accidental academic’ became scholar of criminology
David Brown was one of the “Four Davids” whose book revolutionised how criminal law was conceived and taught within universities.
- by Luke McNamara
‘Bit of an image problem’: The early maths plan for Australia’s primary schools
A third of Australian students in year 3 had failed to reach numeracy standards, but the SMH School Summit has heard ideas about fixing it.
- by Emily Kowal and Christopher Harris
SMH Schools Summit 2026 as it happened: Prue Car, Sydney university academics, principals speak at annual conference
The state’s top education leaders, principals, and teachers are gathered at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth for an annual summit.
- by Cindy Yin and David Barwell
Opinion
Inspiring students to excel is an idea worth pursuing
The state government is promising to offer more choices for gifted students beyond selective schools.
- by The Herald's View
Exclusive
Every public student granted access to ‘gifted’ education programs
Schools are now offering a range of education options, ranging from enrichment streams, extension classes and STEM programs.
- by Christopher Harris
This beloved sports facility was ‘upgraded’. Now locals are angry ... with a private school
A high-fee independent school struck a lease agreement with a community sports facility. Now locals aren’t happy.
- by Christopher Harris
Karl marched in the first Mardi Gras. News this week took him back to that night
Amid reports of violent hate crimes against LGBTQ people, the parade defiantly – and fabulously – turns 48 on Saturday.
- by Kayla Olaya and Cindy Yin
What do migration debates and bushfires have in common? They both scare off foreign students
Government messaging must be consistent and disciplined because would-be students – and their governments – are reading.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
‘Free flow of people’: China’s ambassador makes rare intervention in student visa debate
Both countries would benefit from more visas for international students and scholars, Beijing’s envoy says, as numbers rebound towards pre-pandemic levels.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
Western Sydney University students and staff get unlimited access to the Herald
Vice Chancellor George Williams said the partnership would enable students and staff to access reliable, trusted news.
‘Quite basic’: Why more parents are rejecting public education
An analysis of enrolment data shows Catholic and other private schools are enrolling the highest share of students in history.
- by Christopher Harris
Exclusive
Revealed: Hundreds of school-leavers with ATARs of less than 50 offered teaching spots
A leading education academic says the ‘downward trend’ is ‘concerning’.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
A Sydney school, a paddock, and a $123 million question
A plan to build on a block of undeveloped land has ignited debate about education and limits of infrastructure.
- by David Barwell
‘Not a school for everyone’: Scots principal warns parents over WhatsApp group chat
Scots College principal Ian Lambert has promised the school will get more microwaves as he defends parent criticism of the lack of facilities and results at the almost $55,000 a year school.
- by Christopher Harris
Opinion
We have an antibiotics problem. They kill more Australians than road accidents
Resistant infections kill about 1600 people in Australia every year, yet we’re barely talking about it.
- by Mark Blaskovich
The public and private Sydney high schools most popular with parents
While enrolments in public high schools are down, others have recorded astronomical growth. Search the full list.
- by Christopher Harris and Craig Butt
‘Significant hostility’: Scale of racism on university campuses revealed
Racism is “pervasive” across the country’s 43 universities and has worsened with “external events”.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
Exclusive
Sydney, Hong Kong, Kenya: How criminal syndicates make millions off university cheating
The revelations come as the university regulator issues an urgent warning about contract cheaters on Australian campuses.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
‘We’ve got an equity problem’: HSC overhaul for thousands of students
Sophie Geeves had a battle on her hands to prove she had cerebral palsy. Now her advocacy has made it easier for all students.
- by Christopher Harris
Editorial
Creating a culture of kindness in our schools
“Zero tolerance” to bullying has been harmful, and schools must swing behind a new framework to boost learning, save money and support people to be the best versions of themselves.
- The Herald's View
This Sydney school has eliminated bullying. Now there’s a plan for every classroom
Teachers will stop labelling students as bullies or victims, kids can have safe spaces and schools face deregistration in an ambitious crackdown on bullying.
- by Emily Kowal
Opinion
History teachers are terrified by new hate speech laws, with good reason
Could explaining historical antisemitism be perceived as vilifying Jewish people? Newly enacted NSW laws could lead to silence.
- by Claire Golledge
One dead, 800 missing: The truth about NSW childcare revealed
New data sheds light on the besieged sector, revealing the number of serious incidents in NSW childcare centres continued to increase year-on-year.
- by Emily Kowal
Exclusive
‘Relax a bit’: New Sydney Grammar head’s warning on coaching colleges
Almost half of Sydney Grammar’s 2025 cohort got an ATAR above 98 – because it does things very differently from other selective schools, its new headmaster reveals.
- by Christopher Harris
The Sydney suburbs running out of kindergarten students
Search our table for enrolment changes at every school.
- by Christopher Harris and Nigel Gladstone
University of NSW students and staff get unlimited access to the Herald
A new premium subscription licensing deal will make independent and award-winning journalism available to younger readers.
Exclusive
Laura’s studies will help fix the health skills shortage. But she can’t afford the unpaid work her degree requires
Modelling has shown it would cost less than $300 million over four years to support allied health students doing mandatory practical placements.
- by Nick Newling
Did AI kill the contract cheater?
As the use of the new tech becomes increasingly palatable to universities, the ways in which students cheat is changing.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
Opinion
My scholarship taught me a valuable lesson – about my privilege
Most people who receive the generous Tuckwell Scholarship don’t need it because they’re well-off. Really, it should go to underprivileged students.
- by Will Cassell
Exclusive
Student test results and parent data caught in series of Sydney school cyberleaks
Cyberattacks on four state departments have raised alarms about the data held by the government.
- by Max Maddison
‘We have short-changed parents for years’: The plan to fix school reports
Sydney Catholic Schools introduces new ways of measuring student success beyond measures such as NAPLAN.
- by Christopher Harris
What Cranbrook boys said to Cranbrook girls before their first day at the school
Girls at Cranbrook will make up about a quarter of students in year 7 and 11 in its first co-education intake.
- by Christopher Harris
The public school with ocean views catching the eye of parents
Students will walk in for the first time on Monday morning, marking the beginning of a new era for secondary education on the northern beaches.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
Editorial
Parents need better guidance on when to send kids to kindy
With the potential age range of a NSW kindergarten classroom the largest in the country, the state government should seriously consider reviewing current policy.
- The Herald's View
The 10 signs a child is ready to start kindergarten
More parents are delaying when their child starts school, as trends show thousands of students start kindergarten closer to their sixth birthday than their fifth.
- by Cindy Yin
‘Simply poor management’: The truth about our universities’ finances
Amid job losses, chronic wage theft, course cutting and fee hikes, the post-COVID financial picture for universities appears grim. But the sector is in surplus.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
New shoes, old debates and the great kindergarten gamble
From education to politics and the NRL, there’s plenty to talk about as Sydney heads back to school and work.
- by Nick Ralston
Late start to traditional lessons for King’s students on Wednesdays
Sleep experts are overjoyed at the move – but the school says it’s not a sleep-in.
- by Christopher Harris
After the culture wars, Ruby and 51 other girls start at Newington
Newington College has welcomed 52 girls this year as it embarks on its transition to co-education.
- by Christopher Harris
Opinion
School for my bright son has been heartbreaking. Too many teachers think kids need to ‘try harder’
The challenges for kids who don’t fit the mould are big enough. Too many teachers aren’t helping, and are actually making things worse.
- by Clare Traub