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Christopher Harris

Christopher Harris

Christopher Harris is education editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.

Emilia Crino in an Italian lesson.

Instant offers and $20,000 sweeteners: The battle to keep these subjects in NSW schools

Research consistently points to broader cognitive benefits of learning a foreign language but last year just over 250 public school students were in Japanese beginners.

  • Christopher Harris

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Dr Kim Jaggar has been at the school for over 25 years.

The question smart parents ask at Sydney Boys High open day

The principal of one of the state’s top schools says the selective entry test does not measure the things it needs to.

  • Christopher Harris
The study covered 59 schools, most of which were primary schools.

Air quality study finds elevated carbon dioxide levels in some NSW classrooms

The University of NSW report which measured air quality at 59 schools found 17 classrooms experienced carbon dioxide levels not considered optimal for learning.

  • Christopher Harris
ACARA chief executive Stephen Gniel says further analysis will assess the results’ longitudinal value.

After exam chaos, parents to get NAPLAN ‘caveat’ but no mark adjustments

The head of the agency which oversees NAPLAN said there would be no mark adjustments.

  • Christopher Harris
Private schools look carefully at their HSC results.

When things go wrong inside Sydney’s most expensive schools

The HSC might not be a race, but among schools it is definitely a competition.

  • Christopher Harris
Anthony Leo Parissis’s short story was among the best in the state.

‘You have some explaining to do’: The taboo story that earned Anthony HSC top marks

The work of the state’s top HSC English students has been released. You can read their stories here.

  • Christopher Harris
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Resilience programs have made no difference to teens.

NSW students were taught ‘resilience’. It didn’t help

Resilience has become common parlance in schools as they increasingly attempt to cater to parental anxieties around adolescent mental health.

  • Christopher Harris
Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College says it plans to offer years 5 and 6 from 2028.

This 151-year-old Sydney private school is changing. Not everyone is happy

It will be back to the 1970s for Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College following its decision to offer some primary places in 2028.

  • Christopher Harris
Students from Thomas Hassall Anglican College.

The HSC convention that might be past its use-by date

Education bosses have urged a rethink of the 180-minute HSC exam, saying an hour could be cut. Some students approve – but some do not.

  • Christopher Harris
The report calls for an urgent review of the use of take-home assignments in year 12, in a bid to identify cheating and ensure the integrity of qualifications such as the HSC.

AI poses ‘urgent threat’ to student learning and the HSC

A major report says the new tech is endangering learning with cheating so rife it’s undermining the credibility of the education system.

  • Christopher Harris