Education
Exclusive
Sydney’s top-ranked school has an HSC average subject score of 89.4. How does your school fare?
By band sixes or averages, North Sydney Boys is the state’s top school. A new analysis of HSC scores has shaken up the top five.
- by Lucy Carroll and Nigel Gladstone
Latest
Michele Bullock played down her intelligence at school. In year 9, something changed
Bullock was in the choir, played hockey and was unashamed about her flair with numbers. But she worries high school economics is “slipping off the radar”.
- by Christopher Harris
Sydney University’s sexual assault, harassment reports more than double in a year
There were close to 250 sexual assault and harassment reports at the University of Sydney, but most victims didn’t want their cases investigated.
- by Kayla Olaya
Exclusive
Labor’s international student caps ignite recession fears
Australia could be pushed into a recession if universities are forced to slash their international student numbers under Labor’s migration crackdown.
- by Daniella White
Opinion
The most deplorable thing unis copied from big business, aside from vice-chancellor pay
Successive federal governments have engineered a kind of backdoor privatisation of our universities. It’s a race to the bottom.
- by Ross Gittins
Updated
Universities say 14,000 jobs face axe as Labor’s ‘poll-driven’ crackdown bites
Australian universities claim the government’s migration crackdown is already costing the sector dearly, even before proposed caps are implemented.
- by Daniella White
Eton mandated basic Nokias. These NSW private schools are watching
Mounting evidence suggests excessive smartphone use is associated with depression, anxiety and poor sleep quality and now some schools are taking steps to protect students from digital addiction.
- by Christopher Harris
Opinion
Group assignments prepare you for life, just not in the way you think
Here are some of the lessons I’ve learnt from the dreaded endeavours.
- by Bella Westaway
Alarm from within as colleges face collapse under Labor’s foreign student crackdown
Local students could be left out of pocket and unable to finish their courses in the event of college closures, the Australian Skills Quality Authority has warned.
- by Daniella White
Exclusive
Hundreds of jobs under threat at TAFE amid sector overhaul
The government is revamping the tertiary education provider after an independent review found the organisation’s impact was declining.
- by Kayla Olaya
Exclusive
More Sydney schools targeted for co-education by Minns government
Options include making Balgowlah Boys co-ed, doing the same with Mackellar Girls, or allowing local students to enrol at Manly Selective until year 9.
- by Christopher Harris
Labor facing growing resistance to international student caps
The Albanese government is planning sweeping reforms to cap foreign enrolments for 2025 – but universities and students are rallying in opposition.
- by Noel Towell
Editorial
New tune needed for music education
The days of class sets of recorders or xylophones have gone, with music now expected to be taught by general classroom teachers.
- The Herald's View
‘When I was at school we all had a recorder’: Calls to mandate music lessons
Thousands of children are leaving primary school with no formal music education as band programs close and teachers struggle to include the arts in classroom lessons.
- by Mary Ward
Digital divide: Students filing assignments on phones or using public computers
Students from poorer families are resorting to using phones and public libraries to get homework done, leaving many falling behind.
- by Caroline Schelle
Editorial
A co-ed rebellion by Newington old boys is out of step and now over
A group aiming to stop girls being enrolled at Newington College has suffered a massive rejection and failed to win a seat on the alumni board.
- The Herald's View
Bid to keep out girls from Newington College suffers major blow
A breakaway faction has failed in its bid to stop plans by Newington College to admit girls to the historic private school.
- by Lucy Carroll
NSW schools face missing out on billions in clash over funding
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has given the states a deadline of the end of September to indicate if they will accept a new 10-year school funding deal.
- by Lucy Carroll and Christopher Harris
Exclusive
‘Debt until death’: Vice chancellor attacks soaring fees as degrees hit $50,000
The cost of every degree for 2025 has been revealed. A university boss says young people are being priced out of their dreams.
- by Daniella White
Exclusive
Private, public or selective? Where the people ruling NSW went to school
If you want a job on one side of politics, one type of education background appears to pay dividends.
- by Christopher Harris
Exclusive
The secret probe into university facing foreign student allegations
The higher education regulator is reviewing allegations a university is poaching students and has low English standards for foreign students, documents reveal.
- by Daniella White
Exclusive
‘Concerns have been raised’: $40m contract to upgrade schools axed, referred to the ICAC
More than 30 new and upgraded school projects and 100 new public preschools are at risk after the NSW government terminated the contract.
- by Chris O'Keefe
Opinion
A great leap forward for school children (as long as we don’t forget their teachers)
The overhaul of the NSW primary school syllabus should benefit 800,000 students, but we must teach their teachers how to implement it.
- by Jordana Hunter and Nick Parkinson
James Ruse principal leaves top-performing selective for rival all-girls school
The outgoing head of James Ruse Agricultural High Rachel Powell said she believes in parents having “school choice” between single-sex and co-ed options.
- by Lucy Carroll
‘Biggest change in decades’: New science, history syllabuses in NSW schools
A radical overhaul of the state’s school syllabuses marks a dramatic shift away from inquiry and student-led learning to a knowledge-rich curriculum.
- by Lucy Carroll
Scots College and the donation from alleged Chinese money launderer
Zhaohua Ma, allegedly part of a $10 billion money laundering syndicate smashed by the AFP last year, donated more than $100,000 to the Bellevue Hill school.
- by Kishor Napier-Raman and David Estcourt
Technology and designs on a fabulous future
Realising your calling early is a blessing but so can not getting the mark for the uni course you wanted – just ask celebrity chef Justine Schofield.
Dancer’s star turn in business studies
Tips and advice from a top-ranked student and HSC exam marker.
A Japanese odyssey for big dreaming Lilliana
Lilliana Davis’s passion for the Japanese culture gave her the drive to master the language and excel in the HSC.
Ballerina’s pointed pathway led to San Francisco
A typical day for Amelia Soh is ballet from 8.30am until 4.30pm. Then school begins usually via Zoom meetings from Sydney.
Can you answer these 50 HSC questions?
From physics to mathematics and business studies - take the 2024 HSC quiz.
The pre-teen whiz kids tackling the HSC
Jakob Lal, 11, could do algebra when he was four years old. Josefine Pisano and Charles Fawcett are equally gifted. They’re among the youngest candidates in the year 12 exams.
- by Megan Gorrey
Grace Losco, who gave the Business Studies graduate tips
‘‘You’ll never look back and think you put in too much work, or you studied too hard. The hard work, pays off."
Words of advice from Bump star Safia Arain
Keep studying smart, not hard and don't overload yourself.
2022 HSC student Lilliana Davis reflects on her year
"It's just a big achievement to even finish the HSC".
Justine Schofield sends best wishes to HSC students of 2024
The celebrity chef's advice: make time for yourself and eat well.
Harvey Abrahams on his award-winning short film and his HSC year
Harvey Abrahams says to make a habit out of doing some work every day.
Harrison Crisp on HSC disability provisions.
A spinal cord injury during high school permanently changed my life and the way I had to complete my HSC.
Not even floods could stop Mya’s calculated plan
Tips from a top student and a HSC marker on how to achieve your best mathematics mark.
The essentials for tackling the HSC
This guide offers valuable information, stories, tools and other resources designed to motivate and inspire this year’s HSC students.
Huge rewards for new-found love of literature
Jordan Ho came first in English Advanced last year: his top tips are to find your own voice and dream big just as Bump star Safia Arain did.
Creative spin: Drama kid’s film makes global mark
Harvey Abrahams major HSC work was a big hit while RecipeTin Eats mastermind Nagi Maehashi turned her passion into a global business.
Traffic light approach brings science success
This school dux used a clever, strategic approach to excel in her two science courses.
Kicking goals through preparation and practice
NRL star James Tedesco was on the PDHPE HSC honour roll 14 years ago. Here are his and another star performer’s tips for HSC success.
Victoria wants special treatment over foreign student caps
The state says it should be treated differently to NSW and others because of the damage done to its economy by the pandemic.
- by Angus Thompson
How a 17-year-old Eurovision star studies for her HSC
One day she followed a Greek music producer on Instagram. It didn’t take long before she was singing at Eurovision. Now she’s doing the HSC.
- by Christopher Harris
He’s captained Australia. But how did he perform in the HSC?
Sitting still for long periods of time didn’t come naturally to the rugby league star, but a few clever tactics helped him push through to the final whistle.
- by Christopher Harris
Newington College does not like being asked about corporate governance
The $40,000-a-year private school, facing an Old Boy revolt over a plan to admit girls, is very sensitive about how its school council is run.
- by Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
Opinion
How do children tell if online news is fake? Here’s a slip, slop, slap-up idea
Prevention is better than cure when it comes to saving our children from the impact of prolonged scrolling on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
- by Bryce Corbett
The Scots College ‘cut-price Hogwarts’ castle is still not open
After years of blown deadlines and millions in additional costs, Scots College still won’t tell us when it will open its new castle-shaped library.
- by Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook