Media Centre for Education Research Australia

22/08/2024

Students who are suspended at least once from high school are more likely to experience poor post-school outcomes, a new study from the UK shows.

MCERA gathered expert comments from Australian education researchers on this topic....

Dr Jamie Manolev, University of South Australia: “We know from research conducted in Australia that school suspensions increase the risk of student disengagement from school, including dropping out early, which coincides with findings from the UK report."

Dr Manolev spoke with 6PR Perth about the Australian research, conducted by the Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion- CRESI, UniSA:

"I'm currently involved in a study called the School Exclusion Study ... our view is that exclusions should be reduced significantly and only reserved for the most extreme of cases. We really do think that there are alternatives to suspension and exclusion ... and these should be used wherever possible. We can think about providing improved supports for students ... about the better resourcing at schools for students ... these things are evident because we often see that the most marginalised and disadvantaged in our schools, in particular students with a disability ... are over-represented and disproportionately impacted by school exclusions. And if we can provide these students with better supports, there can be a significant reduction in the amount of schooling that they're missing through exclusions."

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Dr Erin Leif, Monash University, said suspensions often exacerbate existing inequities, particularly for marginalised students, and may increase their risk of involvement with the justice system.

"To address this, schools must understand why students display behaviours that put them at risk for suspension and implement proactive and preventative behaviour support practices within a multi-tiered system of support,” Dr Leif said.

Dr Cindy Ann Smith, former Special Education teacher and a researcher at Curtin University, added: "Students on suspension return to school more disillusioned and angry at being excluded. There is ample research which shows that suspension of children from school is ineffective, and often has the opposite to the desired effect.

Expert comments from these education researchers were facilitated by MCERA and published here:-

The Educator, 'Suspending Students Doing More Harm Than Good'
👉 https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/suspending-students-doing-more-harm-than-good-study-finds/285426

Education Today, 'Suspensions Doing Harm'
👉 https://www.educationtoday.com.au/news-detail/Suspensions-Doing-Ha-6314

Suspended students more likely to experience poor post-school outcomes, new research from the UK shows

15/08/2024

Expert comments from Dr Fiona Longmuir from Monash University's School of Education to results released on Wednesday...

"Monash University researcher, Dr Fiona Longmuir, said the results were a 'limited and arguably damaging view of the success of our students in schools,' and called out schooling systems for failing both students and teachers. 'Concerning numbers of students are disenfranchised by their education,' Longmuir told MCERA."

👉 reported in EducationHQ today: https://educationhq.com/news/a-nation-of-two-student-populations-this-should-be-a-wake-up-call-178960/ #

👉 Fiona also spoke with 6PR Perth on Wednesday afternoon:

"We've just done some research in Victoria and that indicated from a survey of over 8000 Victorian teachers that on average they're working over twelve hours unpaid work a week. So that's why it's so disheartening when we have teacher blaming ... they are working so hard and they're giving so much. And for many of them, that sense that they're failing their students is actually part of what really ends up burning them out and making them give up on the profession because they're there, because they want to care and they want to do their best."

Dr Longmuir is referring to a survey of 8000 Victorian teachers, principals and school support workers that confirmed other studies consistently showing that only 30% of teachers planned to stay in the profession until retirement and that most were overwhelmed by intense and excessive workloads.

The survey is part of an ongoing research project led by Dr Longmuir and her colleagues Professor Jo Lampert & Professor Jane Wilkinson at Monash's Education Workforce For The Future Impact Lab 👉 https://www.monash.edu/education/research/projects/what-the-teaching-profession-needs-now-for-the-future

Image credit: EducationHQ 👉 https://educationhq.com/news/a-nation-of-two-student-populations-this-should-be-a-wake-up-call-178960/

14/08/2024

Following our special Science Week webinar on Monday

💡 FROM FEAR TO CURIOSITY: UNDERSTANDING & TACKLING MATHS ANXIETY 💡ft. Dr Florence Gabriel (University of South Australia) & Dr Lisa Bailey (.)...

Lisa spoke with Nikolai Beilharz today on ABC listen ABC Radio Adelaide: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/adelaide-afternoons

"At the University of South Australia, there's been research that's shown that children as early as year three are expressing mathematics anxiety. And it's some thing that often affects girls more than boys."

"Having maths anxiety is not an indicator of how good or bad you are at maths. It's not an indicator of intelligence, but because you're feeling this nervousness and anxiousness and fear, it can impact your ability to perform at maths."

"Thinking mathematically is about being able to detect patterns and solve problems ... it's a really important skill to develop and to be able to apply in lots of situations in life ... people often say, where am I ever going to use this from my maths lesson? And the idea is that you're building this ability to think through complex problems."

13/08/2024

Will an increase to wages in be enough to help workers and parents?

A/Professor Gillian Kirk from Edith Cowan University (ECU) spoke to ABC Radio National's Life Matters program yesterday 👉 https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lifematters/childcare-wages/104213040?utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared

"I think it's a wonderful start. I think it will make a huge difference. I think they [the government] should be commended on their efforts in attracting educators ... whether it will attract and retain past that two years is something that's yet to be seen."

"It's more than a wage increase. We really need to look at valuing what those early years educators are doing and putting that in public perception. Because they really are our unsung heroes."

The Federal government has announced a 15% increase to wages in early childhood education, over 2 years. The extra money will be funded entirely by the government, and will be available to childcare centres that keep their fee increases at or below 4.4% over the next year. Associate Professor Gillia...

10/08/2024

What do we do at the Media Centre for Education Research Australia?

One of our activities is to facilitate the dissemination of expert commentary and rapid responses from education researchers to journalists on current and important

For example...

It was recently reported that cases of violent incidents in SA public schools increased by 50% in 2023, as well as rising rates of e-crime and significant jumps in incidents involving weapons, property damage and sexual behaviour.

We reached out Dr Ben Lohmeyer, expert in youth violence from Flinders University for his commentary, which we distributed and has been reported here:-

👉 'Critical incidents of anti-social behaviour leap in SA schools'
Today 👉 https://www.educationtoday.com.au/news-detail/Crises-Converge-to-F-6298

👉 'SA schools see big jump in violent incidents'
Educator 👉 https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/sa-schools-see-big-jump-in-violent-incidents/285314

By serving as a conduit between the media and education researchers, MCERA assists public understanding of education issues and informs policy and practice.

We believe that by empowering the public with accurate knowledge of education issues, we contribute to better policy-making, greater understanding between students, parents and educators, and a brighter future for all Australians.

Image credit: The Educator 6 Aug 2024

08/08/2024

Reported cases of violent incidents in South Australian public schools increased by 50% in 2023, as well as rising rates of e-crime and significant jumps in incidents involving weapons, property damage and sexual behaviour.

Reported incidents (from the SA Department of Education) decreased in the first half of 2024 compared to 2023 – a welcome development SA Education Minister Blair Boyer attributed to the banning of mobile phones in the state’s public schools.

However, some experts say the issue of violent incidents in schools is part of a broader social issue that needs addressing at a more fundamental level.

Dr Ben Lohmeyer, expert in youth violence from Flinders University, says these incidents form part of a broader social issue that requires a "whole of education community approach".

"Any reports of violence, bullying, and intimidation in school are a concern. Schools are an important hub in our communities and should be a safe place for students, parents and teachers,” he says.

"The South Australian Government policy 'Connected: A Community Approach To Bullying Prevention Within The School Gates And Beyond' recognises what research shows, that violence and bullying in our schools are part of a broader social issue.

"A whole of educational community approach looks at individual factors, social dynamics, and social and cultural factors that contribute to violence and bullying in schools.

"It has been widely reported that in South Australia we are in a cost-of-living crisis, a housing crisis, a ramping crisis, and are still in the shadow of a pandemic and a climate emergency.

"This social context, and the strain it places on families, puts pressure on children and young people and reduces the support available to them. It is therefore unsurprising that we might see young people acting aggressively or see a rise in other issues like loneliness.

"Rather than focusing solely on bad behaviour or access to social media, solving the problem of violence and bullying in schools will need to address the social factors putting pressure on children, young people, families and schools."

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Media coverage facilitated by MCERA:

'Critical incidents of anti-social behaviour leap in SA schools' – Education Today 👉 https://www.educationtoday.com.au/news-detail/Crises-Converge-to-F-6298

'SA schools see big jump in violent incidents' – The Educator 👉
https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/sa-schools-see-big-jump-in-violent-incidents/285314

The South Australian Department for Education has found that reported cases of violent incidents in public schools increased by 50 per cent in 2023.