The Turnbull government is seeking to seize the political initiative on schools, with a big funding injection and the appointment of David Gonski to chair a ‘Gonski 2.0’ review.
Cuba used three major methods to revolutionise its education system from the 1960s. The hard work has paid off and the system holds many lessons for other countries.
You could be forgiven for thinking that education was left largely untouched in Tuesday’s federal budget. But the tinkerings to last year’s education budget still mean a “fail” for education funding.
The government’s attempt to engage the States on one hand while whipping them with the other does not augur well for tackling growing health and education costs – or for lasting federal reform.
Chair of the Review of Funding for Schooling David Gonski has spoken out on his role in the controversial funding plan, released in 2011. In a speech to the Australian College of Educators at The University…
The government has unveiled a higher education deregulation agenda in Tuesday’s budget, including continuation of the demand driven system in public universities. In a major shake-up, universities, TAFEs…
Tonight’s budget will produce few surprises for education funding. The deregulation of university fees, increased support for independent public schools, re-prioritised research funding and a commitment…
The government’s free school policy, which allows local communities to set up new schools that are funded by the state, has come under attack in recent days by MPs and sparked a row within the coalition…
“The OECD says that we are a high equity nation in terms of our students… I don’t believe there is an equity problem in Australia.” – Education Minister Christopher Pyne, Lateline interview, 26 November…
It seems we’re in Gonski groundhog day. The repeated backflips and policy position switches from the Abbott government – only three months into its term – have been astounding. After announcing last week…
Losing A$200 a student doesn’t sound like a major cut for a multi-billion-dollar industry - so will the new university funding cuts really affect the quality of Australian higher education? Over the weekend…
The Gillard government has two immediate problems with the politics of its A$14.5 billion education funding plan. First, and most seriously, the six-year blueprint, which requires the states to pay one…
In the lead up to negotiations with the states on schools funding reform, the government has armed itself by labelling the reforms as a moral issue. It’s easy, of course, for a politician to bring an issue…
It might come as a surprise to most Australians that our religious education system is not only out-moded but is doing damage to students, families and teachers. Special Religious Instruction (SRI) is…
The results of international literacy, numeracy and science tests released this week should be cause for alarm. In what the minister for education Peter Garrett called “disappointing” results, the Progress…
Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford