Education
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Election 2022: no education minister and an opposition without a school funding policy
Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek taunt Scott Morrison, calling on him to identify who is actually education minister – the disgraced Alan Tudge or the disgraceful Stuart Robert – but Labor has questions of its own to answer. Continue reading »
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If I were the Minister responsible for Higher Education in the next government these would be my priorities
What should be the top priorities of any incoming Federal Government concerning tertiary education in Australia after decades of cost-cutting, restructuring and corporatisation? Continue reading »
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If I were the Minister for Education, these are the three priority things I would do for schools
If any serious policy issues are aired during this election, it’s unlikely school education will feature. Yet our framework of schools is an evolving disaster. And while there are critical differences between the parties, none of the policy offerings address the root causes of our educational malaise. Continue reading »
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Morrison government to over-fund NSW private schools by nearly $1 billion
NSW private schools are massively over-funded by the Commonwealth Government. Estimates based on official figures presented to Senate Estimate show that the NSW Catholic education system and nearly 40% of Independent schools will be over-funded by $865 million by the Commonwealth Government from 2022 to 2028. Continue reading »
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We still have a chaotic VET system
The Federal Budget has identified the need for increased skilled workers as a critical area. In analysing some of the Budget’s promises and what commentators had to say, it appears there is a lot more to be done. Continue reading »
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Children overboard
Despite accumulated evidence published in this journal and more broadly of gross and growing inequality in Australia’s schools funding arrangements, this did not rate a mention in the Coalition’s Budget nor feature in responses to it from Labor. Continue reading »
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Dud minister blames dud teachers
Federal ministers often reveal their inability to deal with complexities in their portfolios, none moreso than Coalition education ministers. Acting minister Stuart Robert has just demonstrated how things can easily unravel. Continue reading »
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NSW public schools face a funding crisis while private schools are over funded
Public schools in NSW face a funding crisis. Combined Commonwealth and NSW Government funding for private schools has increased by three times that for public schools since 2009-10. Projected funding estimates show that private schools will be over-funded by $2 billion for the rest of the decade while public schools will be under-funded by $21 Continue reading »
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What is the point of taxpayer funding of private schools?
The growth in private schooling has long been accompanied by declining overall levels of student achievement, hence the ‘why’ question is long overdue. Continue reading »
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Going to private school won’t make a difference to your kid’s academic scores
Research shows parents believe private schools will provide a better education for their children, and better set them up for success in life. But the evidence on whether this perception is correct is not conclusive. Continue reading »
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We need to get Gonski back on track
The Gonski Report on School Funding was published 10 years ago this month. It promised much to increase equity in education. However, its promise was undermined by fundamental flaws in Labor’s new model and trashed by Coalition governments. Continue reading »
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An unholy mess: discrimination tangles up schools as well as everyone else
Faith-based schools demand respect for their religious sensitivities, but turn those sensitivities on or off depending on their best interests. Continue reading »
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Will schools now get back to normal? We have to do better than that
It is critical that we don’t just return to normal but take advantage of Covid disruption to address structural flaws in Australia’s education system. Continue reading »
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New funding figures pressure Labor to offer fair deal to public schools
Unless there is a dramatic change in school funding policies the vast inequity in school outcomes will continue for the rest of the decade. Continue reading »
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Back to class: public school Covid protocols ‘full of holes’
Teachers and students returning to school in NSW won’t find themselves in Covid-safe conditions, John Frew writes. Continue reading »
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Can Australian universities come back from the dead?
Academic freedom has been slowly and steadily eroded, with academics turned into service providers and students into consumers. Continue reading »
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Greed or need? Privileged schools top the class in avarice
Highly profitable private schools raked in millions from JobKeeper, underlining the deep flaws and inequality in Australia’s school funding system. Continue reading »
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Don’t mind if we do: Victorian private schools deep in JobKeeper trough
A scheme designed to save Australia from long unemployment queues has been a gravy train for the private schools serving the most advantaged families. Continue reading »
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Made in Australia: will Labor get the job done with free TAFE?
Vocational education needs investment and reforms to ensure Australia’s prosperity: Anthony Albanese has revealed how Labor will meet the challenge. Continue reading »
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Kids and teachers deserve better than this crisis in the public school system
The first strike in a decade by public school teachers in NSW demands an answer to the question of how much a teacher is worth Continue reading »
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Education left behind in the corporatisation of our universities
The rise of middle management and the non-democratic nature of university governance are undermining Australia’s higher education system. Continue reading »
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In education we are now measuring motivation rather than learning
The international education juggernaut is under scrutiny for reliability as figures show some students make scant effort — and there are implications for NAPLAN. Continue reading »
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School curriculum overhaul needed for Australia to find its place in Asia
The failure to properly resource Asian studies in Australian schools and universities is a problem for Australia’s long-term security. Continue reading »
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Universities’ wage theft as a business model must be stamped out
Wage theft is widespread at Australian universities. Independent prudential oversight and democratic reform of Australia’s public universities is long overdue. Continue reading »
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Nobel Prize reveals how much money matters in education — and carries a lesson for Australia
Research by a Nobel Prize for Economics winner shows the impact of education funding on the future success of students is greater than previously believed. Continue reading »
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Teaching ‘both sides’ of the Holocaust in Texas schools
In Texas, the ‘Critical Race Theory Bill’ will edit important stories from American history and produce schools that dare not take a position on the Holocaust. Continue reading »
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Wealthy schools pocket millions in JobKeeper funds despite profits
Blessed are the rich! The payments to elite schools despite their healthy bottom lines and vast assets highlight the pressing need for education funding reform. Continue reading »
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The further hollowing out of ethics and education in Australia’s universities
Employment issues have now joined many other pathologies and are plaguing the higher education sector — according to recent accounts, 40,000 jobs in the university sector have been lost in a year. Continue reading »
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The overseas student and immigration nexus: Where to now?
As the government faces pressure to bring overseas students back into the country, if it wants a high-quality education sector it should be wary of those only interested in maximising student numbers and short-term profits. Continue reading »
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A fearful university in Adelaide abandons academic freedom in attempts to better understand China
It wasn’t foreign interference and influence legislation that got in the way of a recent university event, but the universities themselves, fearful of standing up for academic freedom. Continue reading »
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