The education crisis facing Australia
Whilst unequal access to education may seem more obvious in other parts of the world, it is important to know that such inequality pervades our own communities. The relatively recent report, ‘Educational Opportunity in Australia 2020: Who succeeds and who misses out?’ highlights the existence of large gaps in educational opportunity in Australia. This landmark study was prepared by the Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES) and is the first major study to assess Australia’s performance against the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration in 2019. The Education Declaration sought to codify educational goals and improve outcomes by promoting equitable practices. It also referenced the need to bring further support to Indigenous Australians and to celebrate learning of Indigenous cultures and traditions.
Whilst all this sounds well and good in theory, we turn now to look at the practical realities of education in Australia.
The report’s key findings:
The report measures the effectiveness of Australia’s education system by evaluating how students progress from school entry, middle and senior years of school, all the way to early adulthood.
- Educational opportunities are heavily linked to location
Unsurprisingly, the report found that students from more disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds were less likely to graduate school and be engaged in tertiary education. These gaps were found to widen as children got older, with more disadvantaged children struggling to catch up with their peers.
- The system is still failing Indigenous Australian children
Indigenous Australian children are less likely than their non-Indigenous counterparts to have graduated year 12 and be pursuing a post-school qualification.
- The tricky transition between high school and adulthood remains unaddressed
This issue has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more young people are not productively engaged in any employment, education or training at the age of 24. This percentage of individuals (15%) is more than double for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and rural areas.
The realities of education today:
The release of this report follows a growing trend of Australia’s declining performance in its education sector. In 2017, a UN report assessing international education standards found that Australia ranked 39 out of 41 high and middle income countries. The report found that only 71.7% of Australian 15 year olds were achieving the minimum standard in three key areas of education.
Whilst the government has adopted a ‘needs-based’ and ‘sector-blind’ approach to the funding of all schools, research has shown that funding for private schools has increased at ‘nearly five times the rate of public school funding over the past 10 years’. The Productivity Commission’s report on government services goes further, detailing that funding for private schools has increased by $3,338 per student, compared to $703 for students attending public schools.
Such figures question the effectiveness of the government procedures in place and highlight the urgent need for change. The sad reality is that education remains an inaccessible privilege to many. Despite its great potential in helping to bridge the gap of inequality within Australia, it is clear that without greater awareness and action, the most vulnerable children will continue to be left behind.
Whilst unequal access to education may seem more obvious in other parts of the world, it is important to know that such inequality pervades our own communities. The relatively recent report, ‘Educational Opportunity in Australia 2020: Who succeeds and who misses out?’ highlights the existence of large gaps in educational opportunity in Australia. This landmark study was prepared by the Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES) and is the first major study to assess Australia’s performance against the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration in 2019. The Education Declaration sought to codify educational goals and improve outcomes by promoting equitable practices. It also referenced the need to bring further support to Indigenous Australians and to celebrate learning of Indigenous cultures and traditions.
Whilst all this sounds well and good in theory, we turn now to look at the practical realities of education in Australia.
The report’s key findings:
The report measures the effectiveness of Australia’s education system by evaluating how students progress from school entry, middle and senior years of school, all the way to early adulthood.
- Educational opportunities are heavily linked to location
Unsurprisingly, the report found that students from more disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds were less likely to graduate school and be engaged in tertiary education. These gaps were found to widen as children got older, with more disadvantaged children struggling to catch up with their peers.
- The system is still failing Indigenous Australian children
Indigenous Australian children are less likely than their non-Indigenous counterparts to have graduated year 12 and be pursuing a post-school qualification.
- The tricky transition between high school and adulthood remains unaddressed
This issue has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more young people are not productively engaged in any employment, education or training at the age of 24. This percentage of individuals (15%) is more than double for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and rural areas.
The realities of education today:
The release of this report follows a growing trend of Australia’s declining performance in its education sector. In 2017, a UN report assessing international education standards found that Australia ranked 39 out of 41 high and middle income countries. The report found that only 71.7% of Australian 15 year olds were achieving the minimum standard in three key areas of education.
Whilst the government has adopted a ‘needs-based’ and ‘sector-blind’ approach to the funding of all schools, research has shown that funding for private schools has increased at ‘nearly five times the rate of public school funding over the past 10 years’. The Productivity Commission’s report on government services goes further, detailing that funding for private schools has increased by $3,338 per student, compared to $703 for students attending public schools.
Such figures question the effectiveness of the government procedures in place and highlight the urgent need for change. The sad reality is that education remains an inaccessible privilege to many. Despite its great potential in helping to bridge the gap of inequality within Australia, it is clear that without greater awareness and action, the most vulnerable children will continue to be left behind.
