Sir Fred Joyce Schonell (3 August 1900 – 22 February 1969) was an Australian educationist, and vice-chancellor of the University of Queensland from 1960 to 1969.
Schonell graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1925, at the same time as his wife-to-be, Florence Eleanor de Bracey Waterman; the couple married the next year.
His research interests focused on reading difficulties, primarily but not exclusively in primary school children.
[4] The Schonell Reading Tests are criticised by scholars for being "antiquated", "frequently misapplied [to] adults",[5][4] "inadequate", and "out-of-date".
[3] In an episode of More or Less, Tim Harford and Kathy Rastle (University of London) referred to the tests as "very old" and "not necessarily representative" for use on adults in the 21st century.
St Lucia Road, which leads to the university campus, was renamed in his honour as Sir Fred Schonell Drive.