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Aussie kids

Is the education system letting your child down?

If the Australian education system received a report card, it would say ‘could do better’. The OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is ranking Australia 14th, behind New Zealand and several third world countries, including Vietnam and Estonia . This drop in rankings is being blamed on a variety of failings, both systematic and cultural. While the government is slowly moving towards resolving these issues, if your child is in the schooling system now, it’s possible they’re falling behind their peers internationally. Education is critically important to ensure the very best opportunities for further education and future success in competitive job markets .

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Child Studying

Make Study Effective

With the recent interest in the brain and how it works, some new suggestions have come forward for better, more effective study. And some of them are in complete opposition to the study advice that has been given for a long time – advice that I have given to many a student over the years.

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Being Opinionated

At this time of year, many parents are wondering how they can help their child to do their best in the upcoming NAPLAN tests. The writing task may be to write a persuasive text. Students have to argue their own opinion in a convincing way.

You can help your child with this by asking them their opinion on any topic that comes up - from the news, events at school, the actions of a character in a story/movie. ‘What do you think about that?’ ‘Do you agree with what he/she did?’ ‘What would you like to happen instead?’

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Is OK good enough?

When we ask parents how their child is doing at school, we are often told – “They are doing ok”. My question is – is ‘OK’ good enough for you as a parent?

Is your child aware of the level expected of them this year? Are they working to their best ability? If they are at high school, are they planning their homework and study time to fit in with their assessments? Assessments are held throughout the year and success is not solely based on the exams at the end.

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Tutoring

Is tutoring right for my child?

With the introduction of achievement standards, continuous assessment and higher entry requirements for tertiary courses, parents are focusing more and more on their child’s academic performance at school. A generation ago most parents just let the school get on with it, but today they’re a lot more involved and naturally concerned about how to bring out the best in their child, whatever that may be.

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