A new report released today by the (ACER) has confirmed that Australia faces significant challenges in boosting participation in science and mathematics studies in school education, university studies and in the teaching workforce. It provides updated figures on: • the performance of Australian school students in science and mathematics; • participation in science, mathematics, and...

The first surveyed the views of principals; the second examined the relative levels of funding of primary and secondary schools from the nineteenth century to the present; and the third presented intensive case studies of the level and use of resources in 30 primary schools. This study builds on the earlier studies and examines the...

A greater focus on developing technical skills in secondary schools is required to draw more young Australians into apprenticeships, according to John Ainley and Matthew Corrigan. Their study examined the characteristics and completion rates of participants in New Apprenticeships drawing on the experiences of a group of young Australians who were in Year 9 in...

Siek Toon Khoo and John Ainley examine how attitudes influence decisions to continue with school and education beyond school. Using data from 13,600 young people who were sampled when they were in Year 9 of school in 1995 and whose educational and occupational activities have since been followed annually, they found a strong relationship between...