Australianeducation can learn something fromclimatechange. For a long time,people ignoredthe truthabout the climate. We no longer can because the evidence is clear: there is a looming crisis, and we need big structural solutions to enable widespread change and action.

The same can now be said about Australias schools. We find ourselves among the countries showing the greatest gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students. The country that prides itself on its achievement and a fair go is falling behind on both counts.

We know that education is complex, and there are many factors involved. There arediversevoices which are becoming louder and accusing fingers are pointed in every direction. We are at a juncture when we must take stock and come together to tackle the growing inequity.

Tom Greenwell and ChrisBonnorbegan this workwith_Waiting for Gonski_where they analysed what had gone wrong since the Gonski Report.In it, they describe how on aglobal scale our public/private hybrid and competing framework is unique, but in all the wrong ways. We are increasingly creating winners and losers amongst our children and families. Many similar countries have ensured a more equitable education for every student, while allowing a diversity of schools to best meet student needs.

The Australian Learning Lecture hasfor the past decade been working to consider adifferent approach toresolving educations existential crisis. Within schoolsit haslooked at the need for a new definition of successand how wemeasure student achievement. It is seeking ways to assist schools to meet our changing times.

Australian Learning Lecturetook the view that anew conversation about educationwas needed, and one that helped more Australians understand theuniqueness of our situation and the damaging consequences it creates.Wecommissioned the authors to write_Choice and Fairness: A Common Framework for all Australian schools_. It is now launched andavailable.

In_Choice and Fairness_, Greenwell andBonnordraw on the solutions embraced by nations such as Canada and the Netherlands solutions which are yielding positive results for children and increasing the nations productivity.

These countriesfully fund secular and religious schools as part of the states provision of compulsory and free schooling. There are no fees and there are minimal enrolment barriers. Families have a wide range of choice from Montessori to faith-based schooling. In contrast, Australia increasingly (but not fully) funds private schools which, in turn, continue to charge fees.

Their conclusion is that while wesee many proposals for school reform in Australia,mostfocuson changing school practice often essential but not enough.Theoutstanding reason forAustraliasdecline is that we lack a common effectiveframework supporting our schools.They argue that if we dont_also_put in place a new equitable framework of how we fund and regulate our schools these proposals have little chance to improve equality of opportunity and educational achievement for all our young people.

Oneway to turn Australias schools around is to fully fund private schools (we are almost there now) and, like other countries,eliminate fees and other enrolment barriers. This would encourage schools to enrol a range of students, as a condition of funding. And it would increase school choice.

We know schools are facing huge problems and there are plenty of indicators of worse to come. Butbetter decisions and policy choices can only be made after a wider and well-informed conversation.

We hope it isnt too late.