school health and safety

Professor Jenna Gillett-Swan and team secure ARC Linkage funding

Congratulations to Professor Jenna Gillett-Swan and team who have secured an ARC Linkage Project titled “Investigating Unconventional Spaces for Student Wellbeing Self-Management”. This project will investigate with students how and where they already self-manage their wellbeing at school, with a focus on unconventional spaces. The mixed…

researchers and teachers involved in the project stand in a group and smile

Amplifying Expertise: Accessible Assessment for Learning in English and Mathematics

Last Friday, C4IE hosted our valued partners from the Department of Education, ETAQ, QAMT, Atherton State High School and Toowoomba State High School to share insights about the value of interdisciplinary and interschool dialogue around Accessible Assessment for Learning in English and Mathematics, a project led by Dr Julie Arnold, Dr

screenshot of the DAHA website

Website chronicles five decades of Disability Arts in Australia

The Disability Arts History Australia (DAHA) online resource provides an unprecedented opportunity to understand the cultural impact of d/Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent artists over the past 50 years, documenting the evolution of Disability Arts from the 1970s to today. This is a fantastic outcome from the Evolution of Disability…

Elementary school kids raising their hands in class to answer a teacher's question.

Professor Kristin Laurens on ABC Radio: Are we over-reliant on suspensions in schools?

This week, Professor Kristin Laurens was featured on ABC Radio National Life Matters speaking in a panel discussion on the complexities of suspensions, whether it’s ever an appropriate response, and what alternatives exist to manage student behaviour.   Listen to the full segment or access the transcript.   Read the C4IE led study…

Happy teacher and joyful school kids celebrate together successful completion of collective school work in a light classroom

Inclusive education: What will it take?

In this C4IE blog, QUT’s Professor Suzanne Carrington and Dr Glenys Mann warn against segregating children with disability. The recent announcement that six more special schools are to be built in Queensland reminds us that progress on inclusive education can never be taken for granted. International conventions on the right to an…

A student sits on the curb of a road with arms crossed and resting on his knees, looking away.

Professor Kristin Laurens on ABC Radio: Impacts of Disciplinary Exclusion

Listen to C4IE Health and Wellbeing Program Co-lead, Professor Kristin Laurens, on ABC NSW Drive discussing the negative impacts of suspension and the need to support students to develop skills for participating and engaging in the school environment. Access the interview on ABC Listen [segment begins at 1.10.29] Access the transcript

Professor Linda Graham on ABC Radio: School Suspensions in NSW Public Schools

C4IE Director, Professor Linda Graham, recently spoke on ABC New England North West Breakfast about our latest study which revealed the alarming rates of school suspensions in NSW public schools. Listen to the research explaining why suspensions are problematic, the specific challenges faced by regional and remote schools, and…

Four researchers stand side by side indoors in front of a large window with greenery visible outside. They are dressed in formal attire, and the mood is solemn.

C4IE leads first longitudinal study tracking individual students’ disciplinary exclusions over a decade

Findings from a new study led by C4IE researchers has been featured in the media, tracking NSW public school students for over a decade. The study revealed repeated suspensions for many students, with disadvantaged students more likely to be suspended or expelled. In an article on The Conversation, C4IE Health and Wellbeing Program…

Illustration of woman in black holding a surreal mirror among clouds, surreal abstract concept

Debt relief is a start but Indigenous research students need other support now

By Thu Pham, Peter Anderson, C4IE member Angela Baeza Pena and Levon Blue “Debt relief is welcome, but it won’t keep students in programs where they feel unsafe, unsupported, or invisible.” The Albanese Government’s recent move to wipe out 20% of student HECS-HELP debt is a welcome financial reprieve, a symbolic and practical gesture…

deliberate extreme blur of student walking uniform in a real school yard.

We tracked 72,000 NSW public school students over a decade and found 19% had been suspended or expelled

By C4IE Health and Wellbeing Program Co-lead Professor Kristin Laurens, HDR Student Lauren Piltz, and Director Professor Linda Graham Suspending or expelling a student is the most serious disciplinary measure available to schools. Research tells us it can have a negative impact on a students’ learning, their connection to school and