The future of our students

The Federal Government continues to debate higher education reforms. Charles Sturt University Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann wonders how competing globally will help students complete their studies, ensure graduates find work and provide communities with qualified professionals to sustain them.

Better educational outcomes: Start early

In recent years there has been a welcome national debate about how we can improve educational outcomes for Australian children. At the recent Global Access Partners Summit on Education Professor Frank Oberklaid said that learning is as a continuum from birth, and policy and services should reflect this.

How do we future proof access to quality education for everyone?

The Gonski review in 2011 negotiated funding agreements for six years in five states, which the current Government reduced to four years. High School Principal Lila Mularczyk says that students, communities and the nation need the clarity and certainty of the full Gonski reform.

Factors in school success: policy and practice

Suzette Young, Principal Emeritus at Willoughby Girls High School, spoke at the Global Access Partners Annual Growth Summit on Education on 19 September 2014. She shares elements for school improvement and ponders how this could be applied on the policy front.

A new approach to educational disadvantage

June McLoughlin, Director of Family and Children's Services at Doveton College, delivered a speech at the Global Access Partners Annual Growth Summit on Education on Friday 19 September 2014. She says that to better engage families, schools needs to fundamentally change the way they interact with young people, parents and the broader community.

On being a teacher

Teaching requires dedicated professionals who promote the significance of investing in equity and excellence in education. Paul Grover, who has won the national teacher educator of the year award, describes the responsibility and privilege of being in this profession.

Australian education: an OECD perspective

Australia fares well in terms of youth and adult skills compared to other OECD countries. Dr Sergio Arzeni says the tasks ahead are tackling disparities and ensuring that education leads on to good employment opportunities for all.

How I designed my own self-study program to become a global business leader

Learning is going through disruptive changes with the unbundling of higher education. Ankit Khandelwal explains how he created an alternative way to educate himself with a program of self-directed learning.

Community services for children or commercial economic services for GDP?

The Government has asked the Productivity Commission for a public inquiry into future options for childcare and early childhood learning. Social and political researcher Eva Cox explains why she is critical of the recommendations in the draft report.

NAPLAN: it shouldn’t be a testing time

If you have school-age children in Year 3, 5, 7 or 9, you'd be aware that they took the NAPLAN tests (the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) in May this year. Robert Randall, CEO of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), has some words of advice for parents.

NAPLAN: a rigorous process for developing and trialling tasks

This year’s NAPLAN results showed a slight downward trend in persuasive writing. Robert Randall, CEO of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), puts these results into perspective and looks to the future of NAPLAN.

Engaging with Asia in higher education

Australia’s higher education system is a major export market in particular in Asia. James Guthrie argues that we need to protect this important source of revenue by maintaining and improving the quality of higher education in Australia.