Low ATARS into teaching are no secret

By Greg Cudmore
Community contribution / September 20, 2018

Apparently, the worst-kept secret in Australian education has been unsuccessfully suppressed by the University of Sydney.

Retired professor John Mack leaked his report to the ABC which amongst other things revealed that universities are accepting students ...

Deputy Principal - Pendle Hill High School

Pendle Hill High School Wentworthville

Teaching - Secondary / Jul 15, 2026

Teacher Technology and Applied Studies - Gledswood Hills High School

NSW Department of Education Sydney NSW

Teaching - Secondary / Jul 15, 2026

Head Teacher Administration - Cronulla High School

Cronulla High School Cronulla

School Management / Jul 15, 2026

By Greg Cudmore

Community

Greg Cudmore is a retired teacher with 45 years experience working in Australian Schools. He recently published 'Even More Elephants in our Classrooms (2026) ' (amazon.com), the third in his 'Elephants in the Classroom' trilogy, which critiques contemporary Australian education, a primer for aspiring and practising teachers and for those, like Mark Twain, who never let schooling interfere with their education.

Latest comments

Unsurprisingly Trevor Cobbold has populated his table-thumping with mistruths, misdirection and omissions. To be clea...

— Dbuley on ‘Private Schools Want To Keep Billion Dollar Slush Fund’: Opinion

Top events

School news / Scary Qld spate: boy’s attack state’s second high school stabbing in as many days

A school has defended its handling of a stabbing that left a teenage boy fighting for life, after parents raised concerns over communication during the emergency.

Opinion / From Breaking Point to Turning Point? Why 2026 is a watershed year for Vic teachers

For years, Victorian teachers have been sounding the alarm on an education system running on the smell of an oily rag.

Community / How the art of circus engaged my Year 7 French students

It is often tricky to find new classroom activities which are fun, engaging and that also develop students’ acquisition of the French language. Sometimes, you need to think out of the box.

School news / Culture Dose: program uses specialised arts sessions to address mild anxiety in kids

Engaging with art is a well-known means of transforming the way that we see the world, but a wonderful collaborative initiative involving creative activities and guided art sessions, is now helping NSW children express themselves, connect with oth...

School news / Less ‘purposeful movement’ and hands-on learning behind boys’ educational decline: principals

A peak association for Australian primary principals has criticised what it calls a “back to basics” approach in education, instead calling for a focus on ‘movement-rich’ and ‘agency-rich’ pedagogy in schools to improve outcomes for all learners.

Feature / Outstanding results: Aboriginal-led week of action encourages teens to Flip the Vape

New results released during NAIDOC Week show the first national Aboriginal-led week of action (during June) in response to youth vaping reached young people nationally on a major scale and, importantly, made a big impression.

Opinion / Younger Australians show greater interest in Indigenous histories, but know less about them: new research

Opinion / ‘Private schools want to keep billion dollar slush fund’: opinion

Private schools have opened a campaign to have the $1.2 billion Choice and Affordability (CAF) slush fund extended beyond 2029 when it is due to end.

School news / ‘Nearly $3 million this year on CRTs’: principals go to extreme lengths amid staffing shortfall

One school principal spent nearly $3 million on hiring casual relief teachers in a single year just to keep classes running, while another operated for multiple terms with a staffing capacity down by nearly a quarter, new research that probes the ...

School news / ‘The Great Gatsby Curve’: study exposes the power of educational mobility across generations

People realise their potential more fully when their educational success does not depend as strongly on their social background, new research suggests.

Low ATARS into teaching are no secret

Comments

EducationID

Our services

Ad centre