campusreview . com . au
NEWS
Falling short
National education strategy has done ‘ little ’ to improve student outcomes .
By NCA NewsWire
National reading and numeracy results have gradually declined over the last five years , and widening inequality is rampant across the country , a damning report into Australia ’ s education strategies has revealed .
The Productivity Commission has given a scathing assessment of the National School Reform Agreement – agreed to by federal , state and territory governments in 2018 to improve student outcomes – saying nothing has been achieved .
The report revealed each year , almost 90,000 students do not meet minimum standards for reading and numeracy in NAPLAN .
It found Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students , students in rural and remote parts of the country , and poorer students are three times more likely to fall behind other students .
Education Minister Jason Clare said the report was “ damning ” and “ made it clear that serious reform is needed ”.
“ I don ’ t want us to be a country where your chances in life depend on who your parents are , or where you live , or the colour of your skin ,” he told Channel 7 .
“ But … this report tells us that if you ’ re a child from a poor family or you live in the bush , or you ’ re Indigenous , you ’ re three times less likely to meet those minimum standards – and that ’ s getting worse .
“ The plan the previous government put into place hasn ’ t worked … The next agreement will .”
Commissioner Natalie Siegel-Brown recommended each state and territory set a target to reduce the number of students who are falling behind .
She said reforms should focus on addressing the different educational needs of particular cohorts as well as effective teaching , school leadership , and supporting student wellbeing .
“ Effective teaching is the single most influential ‘ in-school ’ factor for creating an effective learning environment ,” she said .
“ Governments have announced reforms to address these issues . The commission is suggesting further reforms that could help these pressures on teacher .
“ We ( also ) recommend the next intergovernmental agreement recognise wellbeing as a priority and governments take steps to support all schools to adopt effective wellbeing strategies .”
The opposition has said it will back any plan that gives students and teachers “ the best possible opportunity ”.
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said there was room for improvement .
“ We have to get this right … We do have to get back to basics with literacy and numeracy ,” she told Channel 7 .
“ Our education standards matter , both nationally and internationally .”
Education ministers from across the country will meet next month to discuss what comes next . ■
5