Australian students’ results on international tests of mathematics (TIMMS) and numeracy (PISA) lag behind many comparable countries and have stagnated or declined compared to previous years. Policy responses to address disappointing educational outcomes have enjoyed limited overall success. The author of this paper argues that this is because a piece of practice and policy has...

International data have repeatedly shown many Australian school students struggle with mathematics. Around 10% of students achieve at a level that requires additional support, or are below international benchmarks. The author of this paper argues that education policymakers should take action to widely implement effective screening and intervention.

The 2023 National Assessment Program – Science Literacy (NAP–SL) report provides results from the NAP Science Literacy Sample assessments undertaken in 2023. This report shows that results in science literacy for students across Australia has remained steady. However, it also highlights that some disparities persist depending on a student’s background.

This paper analyses anonymised National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) data linked to later employment for the recent cohort of primary teachers to better understand what might be driving secondary students’ falling performance in maths and science. The results show that one in four new primary teachers failed NCEA Level 1 maths, and more than...

This paper explores ways to rethink educational approaches in the context of climate change, focusing primarily on school education.