Fighting for Equity in Education
//For decades politicians and researchers have argued about whether money makes a difference in education. The funding increases recommended by the Gonski review of school funding brought these arguments to the fore again. Continue reading “The Debate is Over: Money Matters in Education”
//Chile has one of the oldest large scale universal school voucher programs in the world. It was established under the Pinochet dictatorship during the 1980s as part of a policy to create a free market in education through decentralization and privatization of the education system. Continue reading “Chile’s Failed Free Market Education System Faces Overhaul”
//One of the strongest criticisms of the Gonski funding plan is that it failed to provide sound evidence that increased funding would lead to better student outcomes. It was widely claimed that research evidence shows that the relationship between per-student spending and student performance is weak [National Commission of Audit 2014a, 2014b, Ergas 2014, Justmann & Ryan 2013, Prasser & Tracey 2013, Public Policy Institute 2012, Sloan 2012].
Continue reading “Money Matters in Education”//According to a study of school autonomy in Austria, it has resulted in more competition between schools, created greater opportunities for student selection by favoured schools and led to more social differentiation between schools. This finding is similar to many previous studies of the impact of more school autonomy. Continue reading “School Autonomy in Austria Has Developed a Status Hierarchy of Schools”
//There is a large gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students in financial literacy according to a report published by the Australian Council for Educational Research last week. It shows that student performance in financial literacy is strongly associated with a student’s socio-economic background. Continue reading “Large Gaps in Financial Literacy Between Rich and Poor”
//Despite working longer hours and facing more challenging circumstances than teachers in many other countries, Australian teachers report high job satisfaction and strong self-belief about their ability to help students learn. However, they need to be better supported by the community in the challenging job they do on behalf of society.
These results come from the Teaching and Learning International Survey, recently published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It provides a detailed picture of the experiences of lower secondary teachers across 34 countries, including 24 OECD countries. Continue reading “Australian Teachers Work Longer Hours and Face More Challenges Than Teachers in Many Countries”
//Ken Boston, a member of the Gonski panel on school funding, recently addressed the Annual Conference of the NSW Teachers’ Federation. The following are highlights of the address.
Boston told the conference that the neo-conservative right that has taken control of the Federal Cabinet is totally opposed to the Gonski funding model because “the two key Gonski objectives are both anathema to a neo-conservative agenda”. Continue reading “Gonski Panel Member Outlines a Future Agenda for Gonksi Funding”