A new VET student loan scheme will aim at putting a stop to rorting by dodgy private colleges. Education Minister Simon Birmingham says the new scheme is being built from the ground up.
A new school funding model being proposed aims to free up funds to help education ministers resolve their differences in state funding, and deliver needs-based funding in full.
Instead of a needs-based model, we ended up with an inconsistent patchwork of approaches across Australian states and territories that protected the vested interests of non-government schools.
Mixed messages from the Coalition government around schools policy are not only confusing, but also raise deeper questions about whether they have a firm position on schooling at all.
Research shows linking teachers’ pay to performance has little impact on student achievement. Similar tests to the ones the government proposes for young children now face a backlash in the UK and US.
So far the budget has given us more education gift cards to use in the stores of the federal government’s choosing - two more tests for children; one when they come into school and one when they leave.
Tuesday’s budget will provide $153.6 million over five years to boost security arrangements for the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission.
Young people are pressured into university and many end up in unsuitable courses. We need to recognise these realities and be clear about the purpose of higher education so it doesn’t lose its value.
Sue Thomson, Australian Council for Educational Research
International education tests reveal Australia has either stagnated or declined in many subject areas, including maths and science, while other countries have made big improvements. Why is this?
It is not a question about whether to invest in bold and meaningful education policy, but how to invest, where it is needed, and in the areas that are proven to have impact.
The prime minister’s proposal to cease federal funding for public schools is a response to a budgetary problem, not a way to improve educational outcomes.