This report sets out the mounting financial pressures facing Australia’s universities and the implications for national education, research and productivity. It shows how nearly a decade of policy change, declining real per-student funding, tighter international student settings and rising research costs have eroded operating surpluses and constrained investment in infrastructure and innovation.

This report reveals a deep and growing divide in school infrastructure funding in Australia. Over the past decade private schools have outspent public schools on capital works by $38 billion. The report finds this inequity is fuelled by the lack of federal funding for capital investment in public schools. It provides six recommendations for the...

This report presents the findings of the 2025 State of our TAFE survey. It finds excessive workloads, insecure employment and uncompetitive pay are driving skilled teachers out of the sector. The report sets out an agenda for governments to secure TAFE’s future and match investment in TAFE students with investments in the TAFE workforce and...

Australia has one of the world’s most privatised high school systems. This paper reveals that Australia is the most expensive place in the developed world for families to send a child to high school. It finds there is no evidence that the significant expense of privatised school education has boosted Australia’s education performance.

This policy brief analysed 40 years of Australian census data to determine the changing value of a university degree. It recommends replacing the Job Ready Graduates funding regime and diversifying post-secondary school pathways.