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Basil Zempilas and Tony Buti.

EducationPremiumThe case so far: Battle lines drawn in WA’s uni merger wars

The Cook Government has faced a growing backlash since it revealed details of a controversial proposal to force three of the State’s universities to merge into one giant institution.

Bethany Hiatt

Next year 10 WA public schools will trial restrictions on unnecessary screen use from Kindergarten to Year 2.

opinion
opinion
OpinionPremium
opinion
Leaving kids to their own devices was never a good idea

The WA government’s ban on iPad’s in primary schools couldn’t have come about soon enough but it’s not going far enough to keep children safe in the classroom, writes Lanna Hill.

Lanna Hill

Staff at Murdoch University are being warned to brace for budget cuts.

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EducationPremium
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‘Squeezed on both sides’: Murdoch Uni braces for budget cuts

Staff at Murdoch University are being warned to brace for cuts because a massive drop in international student numbers has blown a hole in budget forecasts.

Bethany Hiatt

Former High Court chief justice Robert French has thrown his backing behind the Cook Government’s controversial plan to merge three WA universities.

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EducationPremium
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Top WA legal mind backs merger as unis face performance lag

Former High Court Chief Justice Robert French has backed a plan to merge three WA universities, arguing a decision should be based on what best serves the public interest, not the universities’ interests.

Bethany Hiatt

Premier Roger Cook.

EducationPremiumLabor’s confusing plan for religious schools cops backlash

Some faith-based school groups have claimed a sweeping overhaul of the State’s Equal Opportunity Act goes too far, while gay rights lobbyists argue it doesn’t go far enough.

Bethany Hiatt

There are warnings after-hours workloads could prompt more teachers to exit the education system. (Paul Miller/AAP PHOTOS)

EducationPremiumWarning teacher shortages loom without more prep time

Unpaid work is pushing one state's educators to the brink, new findings suggest, as a government is pressured to reduce their teaching hours.

Max Aldred

The way complaints were handled by UTS alienated Jewish students, an ombudsman's report says. (AAP PHOTOS)

EducationPremiumUni 'let Jewish students down' after pro-Palestine demo

A university failed in its handling of complaints from Jewish students over comments made during a pro-Palestine demo, the National Student Ombudsman says.

Staff Writers

Many smart people are having their say about the proposal, and Ben Harvey doesn’t think there’s much that he can add to the debate other than to question whether bigger really is better.

opinion
opinion
OpinionVideoPremium
opinion
Size doesn’t matter in WA university merger barney

Many smart people are having their say about the proposal, and Ben Harvey doesn’t think there’s much that he can add to the debate other than to question whether bigger really is better.

Ben Harvey

Ben Harvey

ECU Vice-Chancellor Professor Clare Pollock in front of the sign.

EducationPremiumWhy ‘unique’ WA university left out of merger mayhem

The only public university left out of merger discussions says it’s on an upward trajectory after out-performing other WA institutions on research quality.

Bethany Hiatt

Navitas group chief executive Scott Jones.

EducationPremiumGlobal provider warns uni reforms could unsettle students

Global education provider Navitas has warned that a proposal to merge three of WA’s public universities could spook the lucrative international student market and reduce choices for local students.

Bethany Hiatt

Deloitte is in strife over another government report.

opinion
opinion
AccountingPremium
opinion
Let’s call Deloitte uni report what it is — lazy & insulting

Ask bosses to front up and take some personal responsibility for treating government, taxpayers and educators like mugs, and they’re running for the hills.

Sean Smith

WA’s renowned pioneering burns specialist Fiona Wood has slammed ‘destructive’ critics of a plan to merge three universities into one giant institution.

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EducationPremium
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WA medical pioneer backs uni merger, pans ‘negative’ critics

WA’s renowned pioneering burns specialist Fiona Wood has slammed ‘destructive’ critics of a plan to merge three universities into one giant institution.

Bethany Hiatt

Deloitte is in the firing line over the use of AI to prepare a taxpayer-funded report.

AccountingPremiumUniversity merger report AI errors only ‘minor’: Deloitte

Education bodies and critics of the suggested merger between the University of WA and Murdoch and Curtin universities have expressed alarm that AI would be used to inform such an important decision.

Sean Smith

Narrogin family da care educator Girlie Joy Vicedo receives a 2026 Excellence in Family Day Care Award.

Day care awardPremiumGirlie Joy Vicedo earns top gong in 2026 childcare awards

A love of helping children learn and grow has earned Narrogin family day care educator Girlie Joy Vicedo the 2026 Excellence in Family Day Care Award. 

Amy Towers

The WA Government is exploring a three-way university merger.

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Artificial intelligencePremium
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Deloitte’s WA uni merger report littered with AI errors

The document, which supports a WA Government push for a merger of three universities, includes references with incorrectly titled research papers and wrong publication dates.

Sean Smith

The State Government has promised that regional and remote students will benefit from a university merger.

EDUCATIONPremiumPromises for regional students to benefit from merger

A potential merger between three of WA’s public universities is promising to further assist with regional student support.

Hayley Primmer

Murdoch Vice Chancellor Andrew Deeks has slammed the ‘nonsense’ merger proposal.

EducationPremium‘Nonsense’: Murdoch Uni chief dismisses merger proposal

Murdoch University Vice Chancellor Andrew Deeks has dismissed a report on the potential amalgamation of three of WA’s public universities as ‘nonsense’ relying on flimsy and flawed evidence.

Bethany Hiatt

Independent member for Wentworth Allegra Spender is getting support for the bill amendment. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

EducationPremiumLabor urged to axe faith school bill exemption

Advocates have welcomed an independent MP's bill to amend laws that allow religious schools to sack teachers or expel students over marital status or sexuality.

Emily Woods

Ex-students Edward Garth and Emma Hughes have described their experiences at Redeemer Baptist. (Susie Dodds/AAP PHOTOS)

EducationPremiumNaked principal, shared beds: religious school probed

Teenagers at an insular church school regularly shared beds with teachers as conventional boundaries were broken, former students say.

Max Aldred

Every day missed of school is another day of learning a child may never get back.

EDITORIALPremiumYou’ve got to be in it to win it: A truism of truancy

Every day missed of school is another day of learning a child may never get back.

Classroom screen time will be slashed for some of WA’s youngest students under a Cook Government push to improve kids’ learning by limiting their exposure to digital devices.

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EducationPremium
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Ten WA schools to trial screen time ban in junior classrooms

Classroom screen time will be slashed for some of WA’s youngest students under a Cook Government push to improve kids’ learning by limiting their exposure to digital devices.

Bethany Hiatt

Amelia aged 9, with brother Hugh aged 7 from Karrinyup are excited to head back to school.

EducationWA kids counting down to summer with final term of 2026

Heading back to school on Monday is an exciting time for Hugh Rosagro, who can’t wait to catch up with friends he hasn’t seen for two weeks and check that his class axolotls got fed over the holidays.

Matt Zis

Curtin’s vice-chancellor, Professor Harlene Hayne, has slammed the Cook Government’s plans for a uni merger.

STATE POLITICSPremium‘Mega-university’ proposal slammed by Curtin

Curtin’s vice-chancellor is putting up a fight against the State Government’s controversial plan to merge three WA public universities into a mega institution.

Caleb Runciman

Student Alicia Coutts is following her mum Brigid into maths teaching.

Do the mathPremiumAlbany student on track to be third-generation maths teacher

The numbers all added up for Alicia Coutts, who is training to become her family’s third generation of maths teachers.

Claire Middleton