• Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Read the full text

Report cover: Realising potential / Ben King Photography

29 August 2011Business has a powerful opportunity to contribute to shaping and supporting school communities as they face the future, according to this report.

"Our education system has embarked on a bold transformation to ensure that all our young people have access to a high quality 21st century education, regardless of where they live, their gender, cultural background or socio-economic status. In combination with the development of a national curriculum, physical infrastructure, new technology and other reforms, school-based partnerships—with business and the wider community—promise to deliver effective outcomes for our young people.

Such partnerships have flourished over the past two decades. In many cases, business involvement in education has seen marked increases in the quality and extent of engagement of students, parents and whole communities in their schools. Nevertheless, there is much to be done to ensure that all schools can benefit from business connections.

The Roundtable has seen this as a call to business to demonstrate that it is willing and able to be an active partner in ensuring that all young Australians achieve their potential. This is reflected in the strategy and recommendations in this report, many of which focus on how business can take leadership and drive future initiatives."

Image: Ben King Photography