Hi there Wentyl,

There’s nothing like a good generational spat to get people fired up! Our reporter Mary Papadakis had the scoop on some headspace research showing young people are broke, reluctant to have children, stuck living at home, unable to “hook-up” and worried about future jobs.

She hit the streets to talk to young people, and found many believe Boomers and Generation X are to blame for their financial woes.

Two of the young adults we spoke to told us:

“They didn’t struggle as much when they were younger." ... "There’s more financial stress than I think previous generations experienced, especially around rent and everyday expenses."

Not surprisingly, many of the older guard didn’t agree, with one calling it “absolute rubbish”.

Paul, 59, didn’t hold back:

"Don’t blame me for earning a house. They want a brand new TV, all the latest things. They don’t want nan’s 20-year-old couch – you’ve got to crawl before you can walk."

The debate played out online this week, with two pieces attracting more than 100,000 page views and 2500 comments. 

Hugh Proud had a stroke when he was just seven years old. Four years later and he's been elected vice-captain of his school, with this inspirational message: "One of the main reasons I want to be your leader is to show everyone that even if you face challenges in life, or have a disability, you can still make a difference in the world." READ THE FULL STORY

From generation gap to gender pay gap ... we also analysed figures from more than 700 schools and colleges to see who’s paying women more or men more.

And isn't this interesting ... our exclusive analysis showed boys’ and coed schools led the way in paying women more. One Queensland school is paying its female staff a median total salary 98.5 per cent higher than the blokes! In comparison, some of the country’s leading girls’ schools paid women as much as one-third less than men, according to figures from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. 

Here's a must-read: The utterly bonkers tale of a middle-aged Chinese university professor who spent his week-long Sydney holiday buying uniforms from several of the city’s top private schools and attempting to mingle with students. So too is the powerful and painful story of Jonathan Howe, a loving dad who reveals what daily life is like for a family raising twin boys with profound autism.

Next week we unveil our secret project: the launch of a video panel series called Unpacked: The Neurodivergent Generation. The first episode brings together parents and professionals to discuss diagnosis dilemmas, medication and side-effects, and the thorny topic of whether we should refer to neurodivergence as a "superpower". The second covers schooling issues and assesses mainstream, specialist and home-based options. It’s a must-watch for anyone navigating these issues, or supporting those who are.

Have a wonderful week and keep in touch at education@news.com.au with feedback and story tips.

Cheers, Susie