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...

Education policy can either worsen or offset social disadvantages. It can bridge or widen gaps, and it can drive or impede social mobility. With a focus on equitable, needs-based funding, this report argues for increased investment in public education as the key to reversing Queensland’s declining education outcomes.

Current negotiations between the Commonwealth and state governments risk cementing long-standing underfunding of public schools according to the accepted Schooling Resource Standard (SRS). This will likely exacerbate recent declines in Australian school achievement and completion.

The Victorian government has invested $1.2 billion in the Tutor Learning Initiative. This statewide program funds schools to employ tutors to deliver targeted small group learning support to students who need it most. This audit examines if the initiative has improved learning and engagement outcomes for participating students in government schools.

This paper analyses trends in the funding of public and private schools. The author argues that the bias towards the funding of private schools and the under-funding of public schools is a major factor behind the large achievement gaps between rich and poor in Australia.