Capital districts and territories

Online schooling is not just for lockdowns. Could it work for your child?

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone away. What are online schools doing now? What does the research say? And how do you know if they might be a good fit for your child? Online learning in AustraliaWhile learning in COVID lockdowns was extremely tough, it also showed schools, students and parents the potential benefits of online learning for a wider range of students.

Key Points:

During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone away. What are online schools doing now? What does the research say? And how do you know if they might be a good fit for your child?

Online learning in Australia

While learning in COVID lockdowns was extremely tough, it also showed schools, students and parents the potential benefits of online learning for a wider range of students.
This can include greater accessibility (learning from any location) and flexibility (personalised, self-paced learning).
This has prompted an expansion of online learning options in Australia.

Primary and high school options

For example, Monash University has a free virtual school with revision sessions for Year 12 students.
Read more:
Australia has a new online-only private school: what are the options if the mainstream system doesn't suit your child?

What about academic outcomes?

Research on the academic outcomes of distance education students is inconclusive.
A 2017 study of primary and high school students in Ohio found reduced academic progress in reading, maths, history and science.
Another 2017 US study also found online students had lower graduation rates than their in-person peers.

What about wellbeing?

This includes access to specialists such as psychologists, nurses and social workers.
Some research has noted concerns about online student engagement, social isolation, sense of belonging and social and emotional development.

Is online learning a good fit for your child?

However, if certain subjects are unavailable, or health, elite sport and distance to school make in-person learning difficult, learning online could be a viable option to consider.
Because online learning tends to be a mix of live lessons and self-paced learning, online students need to be independent, motivated and organised to succeed.

Brendon Hyndman is Senior Manager - Research, Innovation and Impact with Brisbane Catholic Education. Vaughan Cruickshank does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Businesswoman and women’s advocate Samantha Mostyn to be Australia’s next governor-general

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Announcing Mostyn’s appointment on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Mostyn was a “modern and optimistic leader for our modern and optimistic nation”.

Key Points:

Announcing Mostyn’s appointment on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Mostyn was a “modern and optimistic leader for our modern and optimistic nation”.
Mostyn is the second woman to hold the post, following Quentin Bryce who was appointed by the Rudd Labor government.
Trained as a lawyer, Mostyn has had extensive experience in business, especially in telecommunications and insurance locally and globally.
She presently is chair of AWARE Super and Alberts Music Group and is on the Mirvac board.
Mostyn has been a strong advocate on climate change and on women’s issues and has long had strong Labor connections.
I spent time listening carefully to single mothers and domestic violence survivors, and shared coffees and stories in men’s sheds.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Up to 5 billion people to be hit by rainfall changes this century if CO₂ emissions are not curbed, research shows

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Capital districts and territories, Technology, Research, Temperature, Rain, Atmosphere, Climate change, Territory, Climate, Time, Agriculture

To date, the effects of climate change on global rainfall has been uncertain.

Key Points:

To date, the effects of climate change on global rainfall has been uncertain.
Our findings have deep implications for a large proportion of the world’s population – including millions of Australians.

Navigating the uncertainty of rain projections

For future projections, climate models are driven by emissions scenarios representing various possible emissions trajectories.
This means different climate models often produce different rainfall projections, especially at a regional level.
We wanted to investigate the extent to which climate models “agree”, or produce similar projections, about how CO₂ emissions may affect future rainfall around the globe.
Read more:
Yes, a few climate models give unexpected predictions – but the technology remains a powerful tool

The global hotspots

In contrast, for Finland, North Korea, Russia, Canada and Norway, more than 90% of models agreed on a trend towards increasing annual rainfall.
All up, the regions getting wetter or drier under global warming cover a vast proportion of the globe.
If we experience very high emissions instead, 66% of the world’s population – or five billion people – would be affected.
Many of these regions are already experiencing the wetting and drying effects of climate change.

A spotlight on Australia

Our analysis for Australia found climate models agree on a significant drying hotspot over the Indian Ocean, engulfing Australia’s southwestern and south coasts. Spring was the season with the greatest rainfall reduction over this region.

Under a very high emissions scenario, half of models indicate future drier conditions for Victoria.
Other states and territories with agreement for a drier future winter, also under a high emissions scenario, include the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia.
Under very high emissions, as the impacted region expands fourfold towards western Victoria, around 8 million Australians could be affected.

Looking ahead

As climate change accelerates, it’s essential to understand the potential changes in global rainfall and the consequences on human populations. My colleagues and I hope our findings reduce uncertainty about how rainfall patterns will shift around the world, and help governments and communities to design effective ways to adapt.
Ralph Trancoso leads the Queensland Future Climate Science Program - a collaborative program between the University of Queensland and Queensland's Department of Environment and Science undertaking applied climate science to support climate adaptation and natural disaster preparedness.

Only 1.5% of students swapped fields due to the 'Job-ready Graduates' fee changes

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

The idea was to steer students into courses that would lead to “the jobs of the future”.

Key Points:

The idea was to steer students into courses that would lead to “the jobs of the future”.
Fees rose by as much as 117% for some fields and dropped by as much as 59% for others.
Our research
Our study looked at student’s preferences when applying for degrees and final enrolments (what they ended up studying).
Using various statistical models, we analysed whether students increased their preferences for fields that became cheaper and reduced preferences for fields that became more expensive.

Fire authorities are better prepared for this summer. The question now is – are you?

Retrieved on:

Monday, October 2, 2023

Over Victoria’s long weekend, campers and residents in Gippsland had to flee fast-moving fires, driven by high winds.

Key Points:

Over Victoria’s long weekend, campers and residents in Gippsland had to flee fast-moving fires, driven by high winds.
“Australia is much better prepared for this season than we were heading into Black Summer,” he said, speaking after a national summit on disaster preparedness.
Far too often, Australians think it’s the job of the authorities to be ready, which breeds a false sense of security.

This fire season may pack a punch

Around 20% of all of our forests went up in flame.
But 2023 may break that record, as climate records topple around the world and extreme weather events multiply.
This year is likely to be the hottest on record globally, and next year the record may well fall again.

Climate cycles do give us time to prepare

Australia’s wet-dry climate cycles have one benefit – during wet years, fire authorities get a reprieve.
That lets governments, emergency services and the community coordinate, plan and prepare for bushfire seasons ahead.
That’s why Minister Watt can accurately claim Australia is better prepared.
The capacity and capability of our emergency services to predict the spread of fires and issue timely warnings to communities is better than it has ever been.

For Australia to be ready, you need to be ready

If you’re faced with a bushfire threat, you have only two options.
Every community has a different risk profile and people and communities vary considerably in their levels of preparedness and planning.
To be clear, this is arguably the largest gap in Australia’s fire preparedness.

Planning is easy – if done ahead

Read more:
Australia's Black Summer of fire was not normal – and we can prove it
John Schauble contributed significantly to this article.
He has worked extensively in bushfire policy and research at state level and has volunteered for over 40 years as a firefighter.

'The boss of Country', not wild dogs to kill: living with dingoes can unite communities

Retrieved on:

Monday, October 2, 2023

They are arguably our most maligned, misunderstood, and mismanaged native species.

Key Points:

They are arguably our most maligned, misunderstood, and mismanaged native species.
Since colonisation, Australian governments and land managers have trapped, shot, poisoned and excluded dingoes from large parts of their Country.
By collaborating and drawing from both Indigenous and Western knowledge, we can find ways to live in harmony with our apex predator.

How are dingoes currently treated?

In the Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria, dingoes are managed as protected wildlife in National Parks and conservation areas but they’re unprotected on private land.
In Western Australia, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, dingoes are unprotected wildlife.
This is based on the mistaken belief that interbreeding between dingoes and dogs was widespread across Australia.
Read more:
New DNA testing shatters 'wild dog' myth: most dingoes are pure

Stark contrasts in dingo management

Stretching more than 5,600km across Australia, the dingo barrier fence is the longest continuous artificial environmental barrier in the world.
In South Australia, dingoes south of the “dingo fence” are declared “wild dogs” and subject to an eradication policy.
The existence of an isolated and threatened “Big Desert” wilkerr (dingo) population on the border between these two states highlights their differing approaches.

What do dingoes mean to First Nations peoples?

Despite the harms of colonisation on dingoes and First Nations, Indigenous people continue to feel and nurture this connection to dingoes.
Maintaining their culture means fulfilling the general cultural obligation and rights of First Nations peoples to protect this sacred animal.
The national dingo declaration is clear: First Nations peoples want an immediate end to the “genocide” (deliberate killing) of dingoes on Country.
The recent Victorian decision to maintain lethal control of dingo populations against the wishes of First Nations peoples is extremely disappointing.

Non-lethal ways to protect livestock

While lethal methods have historically been used to protect livestock from dingoes, there is growing awareness of their limitations.
Firstly, these methods have not been consistently effective in eliminating livestock losses.
It may also alter how successful they are at hunting kangaroos, causing more attacks on livestock.
These guardian animals establish protective bonds with livestock and effectively deter dingoes from approaching, reducing livestock losses for graziers.

Working and walking together

We would like to acknowledge retired graziers Angus and Karen Emmott and family from far North Queensland.
Bradley Smith is an unpaid director of the Australian Dingo Foundation, a non-profit environmental charity that advocates for dingo conservation.
He also serves as a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) dingo working group, which is part of their Species Survival Commission (Canids Specialist Group).

As many states weigh legalising cannabis, here's what they can learn from the struggles of growers in Canberra

Retrieved on:

Monday, September 4, 2023

Germany has recently become the latest country to move towards legalising recreational cannabis, following in the footsteps of Uruguay, Malta, Canada and parts of the United States.

Key Points:

Germany has recently become the latest country to move towards legalising recreational cannabis, following in the footsteps of Uruguay, Malta, Canada and parts of the United States.
Even Thailand has begun distributing one million cannabis plants to households after dropping it from the official list of prohibited substances.
In the last couple months, Legalise Cannabis Party members in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia have tabled bills to legalise recreational cannabis use.

Our research on cannabis growing in the ACT

In 2020, ACT passed a law to allow people to possess, use and grow cannabis.
We have been studying the experiences of these cannabis growers in the ACT.
We conducted in-depth interviews with 10 people who grow cannabis, exploring their growing techniques, what works well and what challenges they’ve faced.

Challenges aplenty

The people we interviewed are really interested in sharing their knowledge with others, but social barriers prevent many from doing so.
Gardening Australia hasn’t produced a feature on the preferred soil and nutritional needs of cannabis plants.
As one grower told us,
The climate is really tough in Canberra for the type of plant that cannabis is.
It doesn’t do well over 30 degrees and it doesn’t do well under like 20-18 [degrees], maybe.
Lastly, we found that growing your own cannabis at home also requires an environment that supports it.
Passing laws to allow for cannabis community gardens or other open growing areas would address this problem.

What other states can learn

ACT growers have a lot to offer other Australian jurisdictions about how policies can better support home cannabis gardeners.
It’s important to learn from their experiences so states and territories can get their policies right.
Alison Ritter receives funding from the NHMRC, the ARC, state and federal governments, and non-government bodies.

A divided Australia will soon vote on the most significant referendum on Indigenous rights in 50 years

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Today, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced an October 14 date for a national referendum on whether to amend the Constitution to establish a new advisory body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Key Points:

Today, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced an October 14 date for a national referendum on whether to amend the Constitution to establish a new advisory body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Voice to Parliament has been toted as a vital step toward redressing Australia’s painful history of discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
This is why a referendum is needed – and why this particular one has been so fiercely debated for years.

Decades of efforts toward equality

Only eight out of 44 previous referendums have passed in the country’s history.
The last time Australia voted on a referendum dealing with Indigenous affairs was in 1967.
But what it can tell us about 2023 is complicated
The referendum passed by a huge margin.
This act prohibits discrimination in employment, housing and access to public facilities, such as swimming pools, cinemas and shops.

The “yes” and “no” campaigns

The “yes” campaign has declared it’s time for change, emphasising how governments have consistently failed First Nations communities across the country.
They say better policy decisions result from local communities being heard on matters that affect them.
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe, a DjabWurrung, Gunnai and Gunditjmara woman, has argued the Voice is a powerless advisory body.

The significance of the vote

Internationally, other countries have attempted to create improved political participation and government accountability for Indigenous peoples.
In New Zealand, for example, there is designated Māori representation in the parliament.
In Canada, First Nations people have both “first-contact” treaties that were negotiated upon European arrival, as well as modern treaties.

How can I tell if my child is ready to start school next year?

Retrieved on:

Monday, August 28, 2023

At this time of year many parents and carers are asking a familiar set of questions. Should I send my child to school next year? Are they ready? Would it be better to hold them back? These are complex questions. Here are some factors for parents to consider. You need to be at school by the age 6For example, children in NSW can start school the year they turn five if their birthday is before July 31, and must be enrolled before they turn six.

Key Points:

At this time of year many parents and carers are asking a familiar set of questions. Should I send my child to school next year? Are they ready? Would it be better to hold them back? These are complex questions. Here are some factors for parents to consider.

You need to be at school by the age 6

For example, children in NSW can start school the year they turn five if their birthday is before July 31, and must be enrolled before they turn six.
Read more:
A push to raise the school starting age to 6 sounds like good news for parents, but there's a catch

The cost-of-living question

Some parents cannot wait to send their children to school because it means they will no longer need to pay childcare fees.
However for some, the July 2023 boost to the childcare subsidy may mean school is no longer a radically cheaper option.

Is it better to ‘hold them back?’

Certainly there is no shortage of news reports featuring parents who decide to “hold them back” in the belief it is beneficial.
But research only shows a slight benefit in academic and socio-behavioural outcomes in the early years of school.
Nevertheless, the option to delay starting school is particularly important for children who may need more time to develop.

The focus of school has changed

The education system and the way childhood is viewed by schools has also changed in recent decades.
This means specific subject knowledge – such as children knowing letters and sounds – is now considered just one of the skills children learn.

Think about these questions

Transitions matter more than the age

It can seem like there is huge pressure on parents to “get it right” over school starting age.
But it is worth remembering starting school is just one of the transitions children will make in their lives.
She is a member of Early Childhood Australia, and the Head of Discipline (Early Childhood Education) at Australian Catholic University.