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FIVE CHALLENGES
IN AUSTRALIAN
SCHOOL EDUCATION
GEOFF N MASTERS AO
INTRODUCTION 1
REDUCING DISPARITIES
BETWEEN AUSTRALIA’S
SCHOOLS 10
CONCLUSION 26
REFERENCES 27
FIVE CHALLENGES
IN AUSTRALIAN
SCHOOL EDUCATION
GEOFF N MASTERS AO
INTRODUCTION
Over the first 12 years of this century, Most countries recognise that quality
Australian students completed their schooling and high levels of overall educational
compulsory study of mathematics and performance depend on reducing disparities
science with declining levels of ‘literacy’ – that between schools. High-performing systems
is, declining abilities to apply fundamental focus on ensuring that all schools deliver
concepts and principles in real-world contexts. high-quality education, particularly by
In mathematical literacy, the top 10 per cent reducing differences related to socioeconomic
of Australian students now perform at about background. In countries that succeed in
the same level as the top 40 per cent to 50 doing this, the quality of a student’s school
per cent of students in Singapore, South experience is much less dependent on which
Korea and Chinese Taipei (Thomson, De school they attend. For example, in Finland in
Bortoli, & Buckley 2013). And while reading, the period 2000 to 2012, only five per cent to
mathematical and scientific literacy levels nine per cent of the total variance in student
declined in Australia between 2000 and performance in PISA was associated with
2012, levels in a number of other countries differences between schools.
improved. One consequence was that the
average performance gap between Australian In Australia, the percentage was considerably
and South Korean 15 year olds in mathematics greater and increased steadily from 20
widened by the equivalent of about a full year per cent in 2000 to 28 per cent in 2012.
of school over this period (OECD, 2013a). Not only is there evidence that Australia’s
secondary schools became increasingly
At the same time, Australia has seen a long- different from each other over this period,
term decline in the proportion of students but these performance disparities also
choosing to study advanced subjects – became increasingly associated with average
particularly advanced mathematics and science socioeconomic background (Ainley &
subjects – in the senior secondary school. Gebhardt, 2013).
National Year 12 participation rates in physics
and advanced mathematics have been declining
steadily for the past two decades (Kennedy,
Lyons, & Quinn, 2014).
There are several reasons for questioning how Second, we have witnessed a long-term decline
well schools are currently equipping students in the proportion of Year 12 students choosing
for life beyond school. to study advanced subjects – especially
advanced mathematics and science subjects
First, there has been a long-term decline in (Kennedy, Lyons, & Quinn, 2014). For example,
the ability of Australian 15 year olds to apply the national participation rates in physics and
what they are learning to everyday problems. advanced mathematics have been declining
This decline is evident in performances in steadily for the past two decades (see Figure 2).
PISA (see Figure 1). Over the first 12 years of
this century, Australian students completed These declines are occurring at a time when
their compulsory study of mathematics and the economy and an increasing number of
science with declining levels of ‘literacy’ – that occupations are requiring graduates with
is, declining abilities to apply fundamental advanced science, technology, engineering
concepts and principles in real-world contexts and mathematics (STEM) skills. Long-term
(Thomson, et al., 2013). trends in participation rates raise questions
about the future supply of STEM specialists
These declines are occurring at a time when (including mathematics and science teachers)
literacy levels in a number of other countries and about the implications for Australia’s ability
are improving and when Australia requires a to compete and contribute to international
more literate citizenry. As a nation we require research and advances in these fields.
Figure 1 Average performance of Australian 15 year olds in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy (2000–2012)
20
Participation rate (%)
Advanced Maths
10
0
1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
Figure 2 National participation rates in Year 12 physics and advanced mathematics (1992–2012)
There are other reasons for questioning how [[ assessment processes – especially in
well we are preparing students for life and senior secondary school – tend to provide
work in the 21st century: information about subject achievement
[[ current curricula are often dominated by only, at a time when employers are
substantial bodies of factual and procedural seeking better information about students’
knowledge, at a time when it is increasingly abilities to work in teams, use technology,
important that students can apply deep communicate, solve problems and learn on
understandings of key disciplinary concepts the job
and principles to real-world problems [[ students – especially in senior secondary
[[ school subjects tend to be taught in school – often learn in isolation and
isolation from each other, at a time when in competition with each other, at a
solutions to societal challenges and the time when workplaces are increasingly
nature of work are becoming increasingly being organised around teamwork and
cross-disciplinary are requiring good interpersonal and
[[ school curricula often emphasise passive, communication skills
reproductive learning and the solution of [[ school curricula tend to be designed for
standard problem types, at a time when delivery in traditional classroom settings,
there is a growing need to promote at a time when new technologies are
creativity and the ability to develop transforming how courses are delivered
innovative solutions to entirely new and learning takes place.
problems
Mathematical
0 -9 -13 -19 -29
literacy
Germany
Reading
0 +7 +11 +13 +24
literacy
The second challenge is to reduce current The opposite has been true in some other
disparities in the schooling experiences countries. A number of countries have
of students in Australia’s most and least achieved significant improvements in national
advantaged schools. The general challenge is to literacy and numeracy levels since 2000,
ensure that all students receive a high-quality and some countries – including Germany,
education regardless of where they happen to Mexico and Turkey – have succeeded both in
live or the school that they happen to attend. improving overall literacy and numeracy levels
and in reducing disparities between schools
This is important because the evidence from related to socioeconomic background.
PISA is not only that Australian literacy and
numeracy levels at 15 years of age have been In Australia, evidence from a range of
on a steady decline since the year 2000, assessment programs reveals significant
but also that disparities between Australian between-school disparities in student
secondary schools have been increasing over performance. These differences tend to be
this time (Ainley & Gebhardt, 2013). Schools’ related to the socioeconomic contexts in
performances in PISA in Australia have which schools operate. For example, Figure 4
become increasingly different. Associated with shows average National Assessment Program
this increasing disparity have been increasing – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Year 9
differences in the performances of low- and reading results for schools grouped according
high-socioeconomic-status schools. to the Index of Community Socio-educational
700
650 >1150
600
NAPLAN Year 9 Reading
950–1050
550
500
<750
450
400
350
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 4 Average Year 9 reading results for schools in three ICSEA groups (2009–2013)
Finland 8% 5% 9% 8%
Figure 5 Between-school variance in PISA as a percentage of total variance (Australia and Finland)
The third challenge we face in school Students who perform below expectation
education is to find better ways to meet the at 15 years of age generally have performed
learning needs of the many students who fall below year-level expectations for much, if not
behind in our schools, fail to meet year-level all, of their schooling. They tend to start each
expectations (often year after year) and, as a school year behind most of their age group
consequence, become increasingly disengaged. and are poorly equipped for the material they
are about to be taught. Most struggle, and this
The OECD estimates that approximately is reflected in their poor performance on the
40 000 Australian 15 year olds (that is, one in year-level curriculum. Many receive low grades
seven students) fail to achieve an international year after year, reinforcing the message that
baseline proficiency level in reading. After 10 they are not succeeding at school – or worse,
or more years of school, these students lack that they are inherently poor learners.
the reading skills that the OECD believes
are required to participate adequately in the In Australia, as in many other countries, part
workforce and to contribute as productive of the policy response to underachievement
citizens. has been to set higher standards and to hold
students, teachers and schools accountable for
The situation is worse in mathematics, where achieving those standards. Curricula have been
an estimated 57 000 Australian 15 year olds developed that make explicit the standards
(that is, one in five students) fail to achieve the that all students in each year of school are
international baseline level. At the completion expected to meet. And we have made it a
of their compulsory study of mathematics, national requirement that teachers judge and
these students lack the mathematical grade students (using A to E or equivalent) on
knowledge and skills the OECD judges to be how well they achieve year-level curriculum
adequate for life beyond school. expectations.
By international standards, Australia does In other words, the policy response has been
not have an unusually large percentage of 15 to confirm existing practice – to set clear
year olds performing below the international curriculum expectations for each year of
baseline. Some countries have significantly school and to judge and grade all students on
higher percentages. Nevertheless, it is of how well they achieve those expectations. The
concern that so many Australian 15 year olds difference is that these expectations have been
are failing to achieve minimally adequate levels redeveloped and agreed nationally, and there
of reading and mathematical literacy. And it is has been some strengthening of accountability
instructive that a few countries have less than arrangements.
half Australia’s percentage of underperformers.
Australia 14 20 13
Shanghai 3 4 2
Hong Kong–China 6 9 5
Korea 7 9 6
Figure 6 Percentage of 15 year olds performing below the international baseline proficiency level in PISA (2012)
Figure 7 Percentage of children in their first year of full-time school judged to be developmentally
vulnerable in one or more AEDC domains (2009–2015)
At a finer level of detail, the AEDC allows the In reality, children are born ready to learn.
monitoring of national progress in reducing the They enter school ready to learn. The problem
percentages of ‘developmentally vulnerable’ is not that some children enter school not yet
children within particular population groups. ready to learn, but that some children enter
school not yet ready to learn what schools are
about to teach them or to function effectively
STRATEGIES? in a school environment. Any ‘deficit’ is a
gap between where individual children are
The challenge of addressing the learning needs in their learning and development and the
of children who begin school well behind standardised curriculum and expectations of
the majority of their age peers is sometimes the first year of school.
described as the problem of children who
‘enter school not yet ready to learn’. These Children who lag behind their age peers on
children are considered ‘unready’ for school entry to school often become locked into
because of early cognitive and/or non-cognitive trajectories of long-term low achievement.
‘deficits’. The implication is that more needs to Some fall further behind with each year of
be done by parents, preschool teachers and school and ultimately have poorer long-term
other professionals to ensure that all children outcomes in areas such as employment,
are ‘school ready’. teenage pregnancy, mental health and crime
Seamless transitions from early childhood to Finally, the transition to school is facilitated by
school often are complicated by differences in planned programs of support and targeted
approaches, teaching styles and structures in interventions from the moment children
primary schools and early childhood settings. start school. The aim should be to ensure
The greater the gap, the more difficult the a seamless transition by providing optimal
transition (UNICEF, 2012). Ideally, there learning environments and ongoing close
would be close collaboration across this monitoring of progress, especially for children
transition, with educators meeting and sharing at risk of falling further behind in their learning
information about learning materials and and development.
activities, and assessment approaches and
outcomes.
One of the biggest challenges we face in school of personal literacy and numeracy ‘broadly
education is to raise the status of teaching as equivalent to those of the top 30 per cent
a career choice, to attract more able people of the population’ (Australian Institute for
into teaching and to develop teaching as a Teaching and School Leadership, 2011).
knowledge-based profession.
The extent to which this is occurring currently
High-performing countries such as Singapore, can be gauged from the graph in Figure 9,
Hong Kong, South Korea and Finland have which shows the percentage of education
achieved their high-performing status in part offers made to school leavers in each band
by raising the status of teaching as a profession of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
and by ensuring that future teachers are drawn (ATAR). The ATAR, despite its limitations
from among their most able school leavers. In as a selection device, is the best indicator
Australia, there appears to be an intention on we have of overall performance in Year 12.
the part of governments that school leavers Figure 9 shows that, while the vast majority
entering teaching also should be drawn from of Year 12 offers to science and engineering
our most able school leavers. The Accreditation courses are made to students with ATARs
of Initial Teacher Education Programs in Australia: above 70, fewer than half of education offers
Standards and procedures specifies that entrants are made to students with ATARs above 70
to initial teacher education should have levels (Commonwealth of Australia, 2015).
45
Top 30%
40
35
30
25
%
Science
20
Engineering
Education
15
10
0
<50 50 to 60 60 to 70 70 to 80 80 to 90 >90
ATAR band
Figure 9 Percentage of Year 12 offers in each ATAR band: science, engineering and education (2015)
Figure 10 Percentage of Year 12 offers to students with ATARs above 70 (2013–2015)
Issue 2:
The teacher workforce
in Australia: Supply,
demand and data issues
by Paul R Weldon
Issue 3:
Australian students in
a digital world
by Sue Thomson
Issue 4: FOLLOW US
Indigenous school
Policy Insights
attendance: Creating acer.edu.au
INDIGENOUS SCHOOL ATTENDANCE:
expectations that are
‘really high’ and ‘highly real’
CREATING EXPECTATIONS THAT ARE
‘REALLY HIGH’ AND ‘HIGHLY REAL’
www.acer.edu.au
ISSN 2204-6631