Is Your Child's School Curriculum Actually Designed for Future Success?
As the new school year approaches, parents and educators across Australia are gearing up for another academic cycle. While students may groan at the thought of returning to the classroom, this period offers a crucial opportunity for reflection. The question on many minds is whether the time, money, and effort invested in schooling are being utilised as effectively as possible for both students and teachers.
Australia's future prosperity hinges on getting education right in 2026 and beyond. The challenges facing the broader economy, including low productivity growth and stubborn inflation, may seem distant from the classroom. However, the link between education and national productivity is undeniable. Teachers grappling with excessive workloads understand that working smarter to achieve better outcomes is fundamental to their profession.
The Productivity Puzzle in Education
First, consider the education system's own productivity metrics—the relationship between inputs and student results. Alarmingly, Australia is trending in the wrong direction. For years, taxpayers have contributed increasing funds to schools under initiatives like the Gonski plan. The recent national funding deal, negotiated by Education Minister Jason Clare, promises even more resources.
This agreement stands out because it includes measurable targets aimed at improving student learning. Such action is desperately needed. Approximately one in three Australian students fails to meet proficiency standards in NAPLAN assessments. For regional and remote students, this figure climbs to nearly one in two. Among First Nations students or those from families where parents did not complete high school, only one in three achieve proficiency.
According to the OECD's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), today's 15-year-old Australian students have regressed compared to their peers from a generation ago. This decline is steeper than in almost any other developed nation.
The Broader Economic Impact
Second, education's contribution to national productivity cannot be overstated. OECD research indicates that about one-sixth of the slowdown in productivity across advanced economies is due to declining human capital quality. Australia is no exception, as evidenced by national and international test results.
The consequences are tangible in the Australian economy. Students lacking foundational skills face constrained future opportunities, often without fully grasping the implications. Employers bear the brunt of this issue, with as many as 88 percent of businesses reporting poor literacy and numeracy skills among workers, which inevitably undermines productivity.
Pathways to Reform
The solution begins in the classroom. To address the education and productivity slump, policymakers must ensure all students learn more each year through higher-quality teaching and improved curriculum resources. This requires a relentless focus on reforms that enhance learning. Several key measures are already in motion but demand political courage for full implementation.
The new funding agreement's targets are a critical first step. Governments have committed to lifting the overall percentage of students proficient in literacy and numeracy, as measured by NAPLAN, and halving learning gaps for disadvantaged groups by 2031. However, true targets must be backed by accountability. Performance should be tracked transparently, publicly reported, and directly linked to future funding decisions. There must be clear consequences if states and territories fail to use additional funds to measurably improve results.
Teacher training and practice require urgent attention. Minister Clare initiated positive changes in his first term through the "Strong Beginnings" review, which introduced new content requirements for teaching degrees. The review emphasises practical experience during training and reforms that ensure new teachers understand the science of learning. Universities that do not comply could be disqualified from providing teacher education.
The real challenge lies in enforcement. If holding university providers to new standards proves too difficult, Australia should consider allowing more non-university providers to enter the field, a strategy that has succeeded in England.
Federal agencies must leverage reforms across the education landscape. The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers should be revised to reflect the same evidence-based approach to learning and teaching that underpins the Strong Beginnings reforms. Currently, these standards fail to specify the knowledge and practices needed for effective teaching or differentiate between teachers of varying skill levels.
Curriculum adjustments, such as the "keyhole surgery" on the mathematics curriculum for early school years, are promising. This review should draw on international examples and the hierarchical nature of maths to outline what students must master before moving into middle primary. Evidence on number sense and fluency should guide this process, ensuring maths facts and number knowledge are deliberately targeted and sequentially built into the curriculum. A clear written curriculum provides teachers with the guidance needed to give students strong foundations for future learning.
Education is often viewed as a social policy issue separate from economic growth engines, but this is a misconception. Australia's prosperity and that of future generations depend on getting education right in 2026. By focusing on measurable outcomes, enhancing teacher training, and refining curricula, the nation can pave the way for a more productive and successful future.
