Almost Half of All Aussie School Kids Are Bored or Struggling

Researchers reckon the education system needs a huge overhaul to boost student engagement.

According to a new Grattan Institute report, about 40 per cent of Australian school students are regularly unproductive, bored and struggling to keep up with their peers. Authors say “passively disengaged” students can fall one to two years behind the cohort.

Pete Goss, Grattan Institute’s school education program director, warned there’s a risk of a downward spiral when students switch off: “If the teacher responds badly, more students can become distracted and the momentum of the class can be lost.”

The report found some of the most common disruptions were: talking out of turn, avoiding work, being late for class, moving around in class and being rowdy. (I think we’ve all been guilty of doing one, or two—or all—of those things at some point.)

Researchers found teachers who overwhelmingly responded negatively to disruptive student behaviour only seemed to make matters worse. Telling students off, being sarcastic and humiliating only escalated classroom disruption.

It seems kids and teens simply aren’t responding to “old-fashion discipline” anymore. The report suggests encouragement and praise for student’s behaviour is the most responsive approach to maintaining engagement.

Teachers are encouraged to have higher expectations for students and create relationships based on mutual respect, with the understanding that “the goal is learning, not silence”.