Overview Australia has a relatively large degree of choice between schools, a product of historical private and non-profit sector involvement in the provision of schooling after British colonisation. Analysis of school funding data in this report shows that there are more similarities in how schools are funded than differences. This report aims to challenge the...

Examines the policies and research on charter schools and their equivalents in five countries –USA, Sweden, Chile, England and New Zealand. Summary Charter schools and free schools – publicly-funded, privately-managed schools – have been introduced in several countries around the world as a way of extending school choice, particularly for low income families. This report...

This report analyses school funding growth trends and proposes eight ideas for reducing spending and improving productivity. Summary Government expenditure on schools has more than doubled in real terms in the last 25 years, while student numbers have only grown by 18%. Funding for school education was 3.1% of GDP in 2012–13, and is projected...

This collection of speeches makes the case that students are not being provided with the most effective evidence-based reading instruction in the early years of school. Executive summary: This collection of edited speeches is from a CIS policy forum held on 14 November 2013 to discuss the article ‘Why Jaydon Can’t Read: The Triumph of...

Key findings: The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Maths and Science Study (TIMSS) are driving education policy in Australia. The implication of analyses of international assessments that compare school systems is that Australia could achieve equivalent performance levels if it adopted the policies of more successful countries. This is...