This study finds that Australian 15-year-olds are more likely to persevere with challenging problems than some of their peers in high-performing countries. Abstract In every Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey, students from every participating country are assessed in the core domains of mathematics, science and reading literacy. In addition to assessing these literacy...

The kids call it “a shit school,” shorthand for their parents’ opinion of the local secondary school. These kids will go to a private, or a “good,” public school. Anywhere but their local secondary school, the one I call Pariah College. Pariah Colleges can crop up anywhere. They are the schools that miss out in...

Using history as a policy tool, this report looks back at the binary system as well as its demise with the Dawkins reforms of the late 1980s to uncover the lessons learned. Summary: Australia’s education system has undergone many changes over the past 50 years — and it will continue to do so as governments...

Sets out some of the early findings from a pilot project to explore the qualities that future-oriented teachers might need and how those qualities might be developed. Summary

The report looks at whether school characteristics can influence the emotional and cognitive engagement of 15-year-olds with school. It finds that at age 15 school characteristics, such as school sector and demographics, resourcing, competition and academic orientation, school leadership and teacher quality, and overall school climate, have very little impact on engagement levels. School characteristics...