To lift student outcomes the Commonwealth and States and Territories need to forge a new agreement focused on driving effective change in our schools and classrooms.
Releasing its interim report reviewing the National School Reform Agreement (NSRA), the Productivity Commission said the next agreement should place greater weight on overall student wellbeing, improving equity and quality teaching.
“The NSRA was a promising start and shows the commitment of jurisdictions to work together. It has put in place some important foundational elements, such as establishing the Australian Education Research Organisation, but more still needs to be done to deliver on the ambition of the agreement,” Commissioner Natalie Siegel-Brown said.
“Our interim report proposes governments concentrate on three areas where we believe their working together will make the greatest difference.”
“While a student’s wellbeing is often influenced by what is happening outside the school gates, poor wellbeing can be exacerbated by a lack of awareness on the part of teachers and school leaders,” Ms Siegel-Brown said. “Research shows wellbeing influences a student’s ability to engage and learn.
“We must do more to prevent students from falling behind and help those who are struggling to catch up with their peers. Unfortunately, we persistently fall short of the ideal of an equitable education for all students. Every year, between 5 and 9 per cent of Australian students do not meet year-level expectations in either literacy or numeracy. Low educational performance needs a different approach.
“Despite commitment to addressing the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with disability and students from regional, rural and remote areas, governments are yet to demonstrate results in improving equity.
“Students’ learning needs and educational aspirations are diverse, reflecting differences in their life experiences, the education outcomes they value, their learning and wellbeing outcomes, and the nature of adjustment and supports they may require. The barriers these students encounter in engagement and inclusion must be addressed to make real progress. This extends to some cohorts of students not recognised by the Agreement, such as students in Out of Home Care.
“The most influential in-school factor that impacts student outcomes is teacher effectiveness.
“Ideas we are testing to improve teaching quality include giving teachers more time to teach. At the moment our teachers are overly burdened with low-value tasks and they spend less time teaching than their international counterparts,” Ms Siegel-Brown explained. “Reducing teacher workload would also increase the time they have to prepare for lessons and undertake professional development.
“School leaders are second only to teachers in fostering a positive learning environment. Australia needs to ensure it has a sustainable pipeline of future school leaders.
“We have an opportunity with the next agreement to drive real improvements on the ground. Getting our education system up to an A-grade will require a long-term coordinated approach while allowing for local solutions.”
The Commission is now seeking input to inform its final report. Submissions close on 21 October 2022.
To provide comment or for a full copy of Review of the National School Reform Agreement, please visit the Commission’s website: www.pc.gov.au
