“They’re struggling.” “What can we do? We aren’t teachers.” High school teacher Alfio Raiti has heard plenty of despair from his students’ parents during remote learning. Mr Raiti, along with many other Victorian teachers, understands how hard the impact of covid-19 has been on the state’s almost 60,000 VCE students. As a parent himself, he hopes he can help parents motivate and guide their children through remote learning. Here are his five top tips to help parents dur

It’s peak hour and you’re pedalling down Exhibition St in a narrow bike lane in the CBD that belongs to the cyclists for only 60 minutes at a time. A thin white line is the only barrier between you and the dense steel of rush hour traffic. A truck swerves in your way, narrowly grazing your front tyre. Are you strong enough to wrestle back control? This is just one of the horror stories that keep Melbourne City Cr Rohan Leppert up at night. The number of near misses on Exhib

Long days at a home desk can be a real pain – literally. Warren Smith, who is working from home as a radio engineer during the Covid-19 lockdown, says his work-from-home environment is far from ideal. “I’ve been noticing my lower back aching after long days at work. I’m not sure if it’s the way I’m sitting or something else entirely.” The average Australian spends eight to 10 hours sitting every day – and even more under current circumstances, most in conditions that are n

“I’ve never felt this good,” says Emma Poupè, a recent vegan convert. “Once you feel the benefits of going vegan, you almost can’t understand why everyone isn’t doing it,” the Launceston mum says. “I have so much more energy and no more brain fog.” She’s not the only person making the switch. Nearly 2.5 million Australians have switched to predominantly plant-based meals – just over 12 per cent of the population, a 2019 Roy Morgan Research study showed . A number of the worl

When Baby Lewi was born last New Year’s Eve, first-time parents Wade and Miranda Jackson thought the year ahead was going to be “amazing”. They were right. Horrific fires gave way to COVID-19 and lockdown, and with it the removal of many of the support networks new parents rely on – from mothers’ groups to extended family. The fear of smoke inhalation issues came early in the year. “We were more concerned about his lungs and getting fresh air. COVID kind of snuck up behind u

J, a non-binary person, vividly remembers the day their Lit teacher said transgender people “are mentally ill”. “And if they identified as a cow, he wouldn’t moo, so why would he use their preferred pronouns?” they said. While this happened three years ago, J still feels as though they don’t fit in or belong to society. According to the national LGBTI Health alliance, 48.1 per cent of transgender and gender diverse people aged 14 to 25 have attempted suicide. “It makes me ve

While Sydney University students are on their way back to physical classrooms, those in Victoria are bunkered down for a long semester of home learning. With university studies being a critical time in many students’ lives, the adjustment of learning from home adds another level of stress to an already stressful time. Kayla Nichols, a full-time student at the University of Technology in Sydney, says it’s a relief to get back to uni. “There were a lot more distractions at ho

Budding actor Callum Rigg, a year 12 drama student, knows there is something special about being able to captivate an audience. Whether it’s singing, dancing, acting or all three, this is where Rigg feels most at home. “I love theatre, getting onstage and performing,” he says. However, under lockdown, Rigg must make his final curtain call early and do it via the internet. Practical subjects like drama have suffered most in the switch to online learning. “I’m a kinesthetic

“Trying to be productive and exercise has definitely been tricky. I miss the social interaction of team sports,” says Fiona Harris, one of millions of Melburnians stuck in lockdown. With exercise limited to one hour a day and group activities banned, team sports like netball and football, as well as outdoor exercise classes, are just a memory. And switching the couch for one hour of limited outdoor exercise can be harder than it seems. “It’s the same thing every day and th

As they saw the scale of the disaster the nation faced, Australia’s Sikh community committed to staying as long as they were needed. “We realised, we were not going home until this is over,” says Jaswinder Singh, acting secretary for Sikh Volunteers Australia. Then their task was feeding hundreds of people displaced by the bushfires that ravaged Australia’s east coast in summer, and the emergency services who were helping them. Many months later they’re still flat out, onl