Despite billions of additional experts and concerted efforts at reforming several pillars of the Australian education ecosystem, students’ results continue to plateau. The author of this report argues that Australian education needs to position the science of learning as the foundation for policy and practice.

The research outlined in this report suggest that the better performance achieved by private schools over public ones is not necessarily linked to a better quality of education in private schools, but rather to an over-representation of privileged groups, and often a school climate more conducive to learning.

To support the Review to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System, the Expert Panel engaged Nous Group in 2023 to deliver this report on policy levers used internationally to increase socio-economic diversity in schools.

The recommendations identified in this report set out reforms that when implemented with fidelity, will help support all Australian students to reach their full potential.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a key part of Australia’s National Assessment Program. This report presents the results for Australia as a whole, for the Australian states and territories and for the other groups in PISA 2022.