Life Matters - Full program podcast
Life Matters - Full program podcast
ABC Australia
The decline of male teachers and how to protect your backyard chooks from bird flu
55 minutes Posted Jun 23, 2026 at 11:00 pm.
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According to the latest statistics, men make up less than a third of Australian school teachers. In primary schools, the figures are even lower, and have been declining for decades. High school maths teacher Eddie Woo and sociologist Nicholas Hookway explore what's behind the trend and why it matters.
The RSPCA estimates Australians keep about 2 million domestic chickens. While they may seem like low maintenance pets, the recent arrival of a new strain of bird flu has some backyard chook keepers in a flap. So if you've got a flock of your own, how do you keep them safe?
There are more than 250 Indigenous languages across Australia, including 800 dialects. They carry culture, history and knowledge through generations, and communities are doing everything they can to keep them alive. Researcher Rachel Nordlinger shares how the 50 Words Project has been collecting and preserving audio recordings from some of Australia's oldest languages.