Rebecca Barrett

The inquiry into children in immigration detention has heard evidence alleging a Government cover-up about the scale of mental health issues among child asylum seekers. Psychiatrist Dr Peter Young was the director of mental health services at detention centre service provider International Health and Mental Services (IHMS) for three years until earlier this month. He said figures showed significant mental health problems among child detainees, and the response from the Immigration Department upon being told was "negative". Gasps were heard in the gallery as Dr Young said the department "reacted with alarm and asked us to withdraw the figures from our report".

Lawyers for suspended Sydney University professor Barry Spurr have told the Federal Court he is collateral damage in a political attack on the Federal Government by the New Matilda website over the national curriculum review.

A leading charity has warned that increasing numbers of children are set to fail at school unless more is done to prepare them in the years before they reach school age.

Parents are concerned a plan for Sydney's Catholic schools to dump specialist aides for children with hearing and vision impairments in favour of regular teachers will leave students worse off.

HSC markers in New South Wales have finished marking exams ahead of schedule but year 12 students still have a three-week wait to get their results.

A meeting of education ministers in Canberra has agreed to refer recommendations from the national curriculum review to the body that oversees the curriculum.

Educators argue for creativity to be taken as seriously as literacy and numeracy in the national school curriculum.

A group of university students protesting outside a Sydney building where Education Minister Christopher Pyne delivered a speech were pepper-sprayed by police.

A Gallup poll surveyed 7,300 students across the country and found thousands are not hopeful for the future and are not confident of getting a good job.

A national numeracy program for three and five-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds dramatically improves their maths skills before they start school, an evaluation of the program finds.