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AUSTRALIAN

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SuperGEMS teams cross the finish line of unique STEM program for Years 9-10

The black and white flags have come down on the inaugural SuperGEMS (Girls Engaged in Motorsport and STEM) program, celebrating the unique ride these passionate high school participants have been on in 2025.

<https://news.griffith.edu.au/2025/11/11/supergems-teams-cross-the-finish-line-of-unique-stem-program-for-years-9-10/>

Engineers Australia calls for shared responsibility and a coordinated response to deliver diversity in STEM

Engineers Australia acknowledges the Australian Government’s response to the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review and welcomes the opportunity to work with government and industry partners to build a more inclusive and innovative STEM workforce.

<https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/news-and-media/2025/11/engineers-australia-calls-shared-responsibility-and-coordinated-response>

Government’s diversity in STEM commitments a positive investment in Australia’s future

The Australian Government’s statement on the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review demonstrates its commitment to building a more equitable STEM workforce.

<https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/governments-diversity-in-stem-commitments-a-positive-investment-in-australias-future/>

Ambitious and strategic action needed to improve diversity in STEM

Australia’s leading tech academy notes the Australian Government’s response to the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review, which has been released today.

<https://www.atse.org.au/news/ambitious-and-strategic-action-needed-to-improve-diversity-in-stem/>

Statement on the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review

Introduction: The Australian Government’s Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review is guiding the government’s actions to build a thriving, skilled and diverse STEM workforce for the future. The government is committed to meaningful reform and is approaching the review’s findings with a focus on long-term impact.

<https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/statement-pathway-diversity-stem-review>

Australian Government has released a statement on the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review

The statement outlines broad actions that are improving opportunities for all Australians to learn, work and engage in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

<https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australian-government-has-released-statement-pathway-diversity-stem-review>

‘One of the most rewarding things I’ve done’ – engaging students in STEM through video game development

Last term, we shared the 2025 winners of the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge. This free, annual video game development challenge invites students in years 3-12 across Australia to design and develop a video game based on a given theme in teams of 1-4. Team mentors (typically a school staff member) support students and their games are judged by teachers and industry experts.

<https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/one-of-the-most-rewarding-things-ive-done-engaging-students-in-stem-through-video-game-development>

Is your child’s school using generative AI? Here are 8 questions to ask

There have been at least three watershed moments in how humans access information. One came with the invention of the printing press in 1440, which revolutionised the spread of knowledge. Another came in 1998, when the launch of Google changed how we search for and retrieve information.

<https://theconversation.com/is-your-childs-school-using-generative-ai-here-are-8-questions-to-ask-268873>

AI could bridge education’s digital divide, or blow it wide open [registration]

When Shakespeare penned Othello, a footy match was probably not the literary muse he had in mind. But ask artificial intelligence to find the parallels, and it obliges before you’ve even laced up your boots.

<https://www.themandarin.com.au/302960-ai-could-bridge-educations-digital-divide-or-blow-it-wide-open/>

AI Chatbots Are Supercharging Bullying In Australian Schools

The tools we trust to help our kids learn are now being weaponised against them. Australian Education Minister Jason Clare has issued a stark warning about artificial intelligence chatbots, stating they’re “super-charging bullying” among young people. In response, the government is developing a targeted anti-bullying initiative specifically designed to address AI-enabled harassment. The announcement comes as data reveals an alarming trend across Australian schools.

<https://educationdaily.au/technology/social-media/ai-chatbots-are-supercharging-bullying-in-australian-schools/>

Everyone Supports This Ban But Nobody Thinks It Will Work

The law passed with thunderous support. Almost no one thinks it will work. That’s the paradox sitting at the heart of Australia’s new social media ban for children under 16. On November 29, 2024, Parliament approved what became the world’s strictest age restriction on social media platforms. The House voted 102 to 13. The Senate followed at 34 to 19. Platforms face fines up to AUD $50 million for systematic failures to prevent underage access. You’d think those numbers signal confidence. They don’t.

<https://educationdaily.au/technology/social-media/everyone-supports-this-ban-but-nobody-thinks-it-will-work/>

Why Australia’s Bold Social Media Ban Won’t Work Alone

Australia just made global headlines with legislation that sounds definitive. Starting December 10, 2025, social media platforms must prevent anyone under 16 from holding accounts. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Reddit, Threads, and Kick all face the same requirement. Failure to comply, and platforms could face fines up to $49.5 million. It’s the world’s first legislation of its kind. It positions Australia as a global leader in child online safety. But here’s what the policy doesn’t address.

<https://educationdaily.au/technology/social-media/why-australias-bold-social-media-ban-wont-work-alone/>

‘Able to discern fantasy from reality’: teens to help design new porn literacy program

A new research project is set to give Australian teenagers a voice in designing porn literacy education that helps them critically interrogate online pornography and any unwanted impacts.

<https://educationhq.com/news/able-to-discern-fantasy-from-reality-teens-to-help-design-new-porn-literacy-program-202071/>

New Roblox Safety Measures Protect Australian Kids Under 16

The game your child loves has a predator problem. Here’s what changed this year. Seventy-nine million users log in daily. Not all of them are children. Some are adults specifically targeting the platform’s youngest users.

<https://educationdaily.au/technology/social-media/new-roblox-safety-measures-protect-australian-kids-under-16/>

eSafety joins forces with the European Commission’s DG CNECT and the UK’s Ofcom to strengthen global cooperation on child online safety

<https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/esafety-joins-forces-with-the-european-commissions-dg-cnect-and-the-uks-ofcom-to-strengthen-global-cooperation-on-child-online-safety>

Copyright Amendment Bill to introduce Australian-first ‘orphan works’ scheme and facilitate online learning

The Albanese Government has today introduced legislation to establish an Australian orphan works scheme and ensure the Copyright Act can apply consistently to support online and hybrid learning. ... The Bill also makes clear that existing rules for copyright materials in the physical classroom apply when lessons are delivered online or in hybrid settings. The changes will clarify that parents and others, such as members of the community and the local police, can assist with these lessons, enhancing the educational experience. This is important for students accessing their education online, or for younger students who may require assistance from a parent or other person. This measure ensures students can take part in diversified learning experiences, while retaining the licensing frameworks that support the creative and media sector’s contribution to education.

<https://ministers.ag.gov.au/media-centre/copyright-amendment-bill-introduce-australian-first-orphan-works-scheme-and-facilitate-online-learning-05-11-2025>

Brain Rot Became Official and Your Students Are Ground Zero

Your child’s attention span has shrunk to 47 seconds. That’s down from two and a half minutes in 2004. The decline isn’t slowing. It’s accelerating. When Oxford named “brain rot” its Word of the Year for 2024, it wasn’t just capturing a cultural moment. It was acknowledging what Australian educators have been reporting for years. Seventy-eight % see students struggling to focus on educational tasks. The digital environment isn’t just distracting your students. It’s rewiring how they think. The question now isn’t whether we have a problem. The question is where this trajectory takes us over the next decade.

<https://educationdaily.au/technology/social-media/brain-rot-became-official-and-your-students-are-ground-zero/>

AI Revolution Threatens to Deepen Education Inequality, Schools Plus Says [Jan]

As artificial intelligence (AI) dominates national headlines this week, discussions about its transformative potential and societal impact are reaching a fever pitch. Amidst this crucial debate, experts warn that the AI revolution poses a significant threat to educational equity, potentially leaving children from rural and remote areas, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds further behind.

<https://www.schoolsplus.org.au/news/ai-revolution-threatens-to-deepen-education-inequality-schools-plus-says/>

WA students explore the future of STEM at Google.org-supported Schools Plus event [Apr]

More than 150 students, educators, and special guests gathered at Southern River College in Gosnells on April 1 for an inspiring and hands-on STEM event presented by national education non-profit, Schools Plus in partnership with Google.org. Designed to spark curiosity and ambition in the next generation of tech leaders, the event is the second in a national five-part series running from 2024 to 2026.

<https://www.schoolsplus.org.au/news/wa-students-explore-the-future-of-stem-at-google-org-supported-schools-plus-event/>

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

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How might AI transform the way we assess and understand learning?

This summary discusses the conversation from a Community of Interest event on Artificial Intelligence for Assessment and Evaluation, a collaboration by the World Bank and EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory and Action Lab, supported by FCDO.

<https://edtechhub.org/2025/10/29/how-might-ai-transform-the-way-we-assess-and-understand-learning/>

AI and learning: A new chapter for students and educators

Throughout history, new technologies — from the printing press to the internet — have reshaped how we learn. Today, through the growth of AI, we’re at the start of the next big step.

<https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-and-learning/>

How AI shapes your feed: An explainable social media simulator for the classroom

Social media can have a powerful impact on the way we see and experience the world. What we see in our feeds is not random: it is determined by AI-driven systems that collect vast amounts of data, build user profiles, analyse engagement, and generate recommendations. But while young people are prolific users of social media, studies show that many have little understanding of what is happening ‘under the hood’

<https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/how-ai-shapes-your-feed-an-explainable-social-media-simulator-for-the-classroom/>

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CODING & ROBOTICS

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Designing for every learner in every classroom

One of the things I love most about my role as Chief Learning Officer at the Raspberry Pi Foundation is hearing from teachers around the world. A teacher in Kenya told me how their students debugged their first programming projects on a shared laptop. In Scotland, another explained how our resources gave them the confidence to teach computing for the very first time. These stories remind me daily why our work matters: every young person, no matter where they live, should have the chance to explore the power of computing.

<https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/designing-for-every-learner-in-every-classroom/>