The purpose of this report is to explore how the Department of Education is approaching the issues facing the Victorian education system, and give voice to the first‑hand accounts of stakeholders who experience the policies and initiatives in practice, including the ways in which this existing work falls short or could be improved. 

The report makes recommendation for the state education system regarding learning outcomes, targeted supports, the teaching workforce, student wellbeing, and funding. 

Key recommendations

• The Victorian Government ensure that practical life skills such as personal budgeting and banking, taxation and civic engagement are taught in schools at pre‑VCE levels.
• The Department of Education review provision of resources to schools to ensure that exclusionary practices of students with disabilities are phased out, in addition to providing further professional development for school staff to prevent further instances of exclusion practices from occurring in the future.
• The Department of Education look to other states that have mandated phonics testing and structured literacy pedagogies and ensure it offers the same level of support to Victorian teachers, with a view to implementing these updated teaching methods within the next two years.
• The Department of Education review its policy on teacher housing, with a view to considering group housing in regional areas to address housing shortages in areas with high demand for teaching staff but few accommodation options.
• The Victorian Government provide additional resources related to the delivery of the Mental Health Menu, so that all schools, particularly those in rural and regional areas or with complex communities and students, can access programs that meet the needs of their students.
• The Victorian Government significantly increase its investment in school capital infrastructure funding in government schools and advocate to the Commonwealth Government for significantly increased capital investment in government school infrastructure.