Search Results

An enduring view of Australia is of a fair and egalitarian place in which opportunities exist for all to get ahead and succeed in building secure futures. Education is viewed as one of the main vehicles through which this happens. But to what extent is this true of modern Australia? To what extent are the benefits of success available to all? This study draws together information on the opportunities being provided to young Australians as they negotiate the various stages of education and training and attempt to establish themselves in the workforce during their transition to adulthood. The findings are presented as an index of educational opportunity which measures how many students are on track and missing out at important developmental milestones, as well as who catches up and slips behind.

Four milestones are used, constructed as an index of opportunity. For the early years the milestone is the proportion of children who are developmentally ready at the point of entry to school, as measured across five domains: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, and communication skills. For the middle years it is the proportion of Year 7 students who meet or exceed international proficiency standards in academic skills. For the senior school years it is the proportion of young people who have completed school and attained a Year 12 certificate or equivalent. For early adulthood it is the percentage of 24-year-olds who are fully engaged in education, training or work. At each milestone most young people are succeeding but some are missing out - insufficiently prepared to take on the challenges of the following stages of their lives. For those missing out at any one milestone, some make up ground and move back on track, while others succeeding at some points fall behind at others, for various reasons.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website. Show less

This report comes at a time when the Australian economy is reeling under the impact of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 crisis. More than at any other time, young Australians need to be prepared to face an uncertain economic and social future. The uncertainty they face increases the importance for education and training in Australia to foster the development of a broad range of knowledge and skills. To meet the challenges of the future, Australians must grow up resilient, adaptable and well-informed. This is the first major study to assess Australia's performance against the comprehensive educational goals in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Declaration [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 139.160]. The Declaration, signed by all Australian education ministers, aspires to an education system that achieves excellence and equity. It commits to supporting all young Australians to become confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners, and active and informed citizens. This report looks at how students are progressing in these areas at four milestones: school entry, the middle years, the senior years of school and early adulthood.

The information is reported as a set of key indicators which provide a framework for measuring how well Australia's education and training systems are achieving the national goals for education. The indicators cover the various stages of learning and development from early childhood through to early adulthood. The report shows large gaps in educational opportunity from early childhood through to adulthood. Students' postcode and their family's resources are consistently linked to success on key indicators. It shows gaps in a wide range of critical skills and capabilities from school entry, with Indigenous children, children from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and children in very remote areas at least twice as likely as their peers to have a developmental vulnerability. Too often these gaps grow as students get older, with students not receiving the support they need to catch up to their peers. The results show that our systems are working well for a number of young Australians and teaching the skills needed for contributing effectively to modern workplaces and communities. However, about one-fifth to one-third of young people are behind or missing out on most indicators, that is, not acquiring the lifelong learning skills and not mastering the knowledge and skills needed to become creative and confident individuals and active and informed citizens. It shows that Australia must do better not only to lift academic learning at all stages of the education system, but also to develop the broader skills that young Australians need.

Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website. Show less

The Melbourne Declaration (2008) [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 95.50] set out aspirational goals for educating young Australians a decade ago. All states and territories signed up to the declaration at the time, pledging to address inequality in Australia's education system. This paper argues that, since then, few have made substantial progress to deliver the declaration's aims. Growth in Year 12 retention rates has levelled out. Students from Indigenous backgrounds, those with disabilities, students in low socioeconomic status areas and those in rural and remote communities complete school at much lower rates, leading to poorer outcomes in work and tertiary education.

This paper comes as the Melbourne Declaration is under review, arguing that, as Australia's future success depends on the ability of the education system to support every child and young person to realise their full learning potential, and to thrive in a competitive and innovative economy and a socially cohesive society, there is an opportunity to deliver a roadmap for delivery. Although the declaration includes broad areas for action it does not get to the heart of how the school system can be designed to deliver equal opportunity for all. The paper argues that if the declaration can become the foundation of decision-making at all levels of educational policy and practice it stands a better chance of driving the transformational changes to which it aspires.

Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website. Show less

This study describes various aspects of socio-economic diversity in the Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, and considers their implications for educators' practice. Its main hypothesis is that educators' qualifications are likely to be associated with other aspects of social advantage, and that this association may contribute to the relationship between educators' qualifications and quality of practice that underpins ECEC workforce development policy in Australia. Drawing on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, the study conceptualises social advantage as comprising different levels of cultural, economic and social capital, which influence practice through the mechanism of habitus. The study uses existing data from three large-scale surveys to identify indicators that relate to capital and its effects for the Australian ECEC workforce, and describe their relationship with educators' qualifications. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing is used to describe educators' position in Australian society; the National ECEC Workforce Census to describe educators' subjective experience of their work; and the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth to describe educators' school and family backgrounds, and transitions. The results indicate that the effects of cultural capital (especially achievement at school) are associated with educators' qualifications as Bourdieu's theory predicts, as is educators' access to economic capital. The study also identifies various strengths and challenges associated with social advantage for educators with different qualifications, which may have bearing on the quality of their practice. The study concludes with discussion of how these findings might inform support for educators' professional growth, including by informing educators' own collaborative professional reflection. The study aims to guide more inclusive approaches to ECEC workforce development, by looking beyond qualifications to the dynamics of social advantage that complicate ECEC workforce reform.

Author's abstract. Show less

This report aims to establish a strong evidence base for planning a validation study of professional standards for teachers. It presents findings from a rapid 'snapshot' review of relevant research literature, to identify previous examples of validation studies, and extract lessons from these about worthwhile methods and considerations in research design. This review was originally conducted to inform the design of a validation study of the draft Myanmar Teacher Competency Standards Framework, but may also have wider relevance to other education systems pursuing similar standards-based reforms. This report presents findings from the literature review. It is divided into four sections: (1) What does 'validity' mean?; (2) How can validity be demonstrated?; (3) Validity and reliability; (4) Policy considerations. The report also includes two recent detailed case studies, from Vietnam and the Philippines.

Published abstract. Show less

This study investigated an innovation in higher education that has achieved demonstrable results for equity students: the Block Model at Victoria University (VU). The study looked inside the 'black box' of the Block Model, interviewing VU leaders, academics and students about why it has improved retention and learning. In the Block Model at VU, subjects are delivered one at a time in intensive four-week Blocks, instead of concurrently in semesters. VU introduced the Block Model for all first-year subjects in 2018, and is now expanding it across all higher education courses. Student retention and outcomes in first year have improved significantly since the Block Model was introduced, with the greatest gains in pass rates and learning achieved by equity students. VU enrols one of the highest proportions of equity students of all Australian universities.

The study focused on the impact of the Block Model on retention and outcomes for equity students in first-year science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. STEM subjects face particular equity challenges, including under-representation of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. STEM subjects also have high potential for student-centred, inquiry-based learning, which is a feature of the Block Model design. The findings show that the Block's impact comes not only from the Model itself, but from the complex context surrounding it. The study can help other universities recognise and manage complexity in equity-focused innovations.

Edited excerpt from publication. Show less

This resource has been compiled specifically for production staff at Nestle Confectionary undertaking the Hygiene and Sanitation Module A of the Certificate of Food Processing. It is based on the policies and practices of the Nestle plant at Campbellfield. The course is arranged around classroom activities and workplace investigations. The material has been written for groups with a range of competency in English language and literacy and is organised into a core course delivery to the whole group with extension activities and support activities available to participants according to their needs. Show less

The current scrutiny of senior secondary schooling across Australia clearly signals that something needs to change. Major reviews at national and jurisdictional level are examining various aspects of senior secondary education, and must be drawn together into a coherent vision for reform. This paper draws on the Mitchell Institute's insights from across the education system to inform a set of proposals for the future direction of senior secondary school in Australia. It draws on Australian and international research, as well as promising examples of current policy and practice. The report is structured around five themes: (1) Define success for each individual learner; (2) Prepare for the journey, not the destination; (3) Address factors distorting student choice; (4) Start early, and sustain support; (5) Connect students and their communities. These five themes constitute principles to guide future reform, rather than concrete policy proposals. By adopting these principles, governments and other stakeholders can work together to ensure that short-term incremental changes are well-aligned with a long-term vision, and work towards systemic transformation through manageable steps. This report sets out some suggestions for the next steps along this incremental trajectory, aimed at bringing Australian senior secondary schooling closer to a truly student-centred model.

Excerpts from publication. Show less

The early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce is essential to Australia's economic and social prosperity. The day-to-day work of early childhood educators enhances young children's learning and development, and supports the productivity and wellbeing of Australian families. In Australia, close to 200,000 early childhood educators work in preschool, long day care, family day care, and school age care - and every educator has a valuable part to play in delivering quality ECEC services. The [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasised the importance of the ECEC workforce in the lives of Australian children and their families. In December 2019, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Education Council agreed to develop a new national workforce strategy for ECEC. Many of Australia's state and territory governments are also implementing strategies to respond to the need for workforce reform. These efforts have been given renewed urgency by COVID-19, as it has reportedly caused many educators to consider leaving the sector, placing ongoing workforce supply at risk. A coherent national approach to ECEC workforce development is necessary, to ensure that every Australian child and family has access to quality early learning. This paper draws on contemporary Australian research, to set out policy proposals for Australian governments to consider in developing and implementing the new national ECEC workforce strategy.

Excerpt from publication. Show less