Trends in Australian Education Policy

 

Trends in Australian Education Policy

Policy synopsis

Title of policy: Funding the Australian school system: In light of the Gonski Review

Date it came to effect:  Not yet. Planned implementation in 2014.

Web address: (http://foi.deewr.gov.au/node/30439/)

The Australian government has a duty to review the education policies regularly to ensure that overall education performance is improved (Gonski et al, 2011, p.14). Such reviews take into account the challenges facing the education system such as access to quality education for the diverse populations that inhabit the country, especially the indigenous populations.

History/Background

The Gonski review was commissioned by federal government of Australia to look into the funding systems of schools. The mandate of the taskforce was to come up with a report on Australian funding that could accommodate all Australian children irrespective of colour, race, religion or disability, by providing solutions to the current funding system and its challenges (Ricci, 2013, para.2). Current funding system has led to inefficiency, inequity, and lack of access to quality education. As such, the review was to recommend changes that would address these issues and provide a sustainable means of funding the system.

Aims of the Review

In Australia, education should be accessed by all groups of people whether poor, rich or disabled. By enhancing access to quality education, the country can attain equity in access to opportunities, not restricting opportunities such as attending universities to the richest in society. The aims of the review were thus:

  • To improve the overall performance of education in Australian schools
  • To bridge the gap that exists between the disadvantaged learners and those from wealthy backgrounds. For example, improve the quality of education of children with disabilities, students with low English proficiency and children from poor economic status.
  • To provide a system that produces confident and creative citizens who will foster the nation’s prosperity
  • To encourage accountability, transparency, and sustainability in the funding system.

Funding Arrangement

After several months of research, Gonski and his team concluded that a restructuring of the current funding system was necessary. The analysis revealed that the current system could not allow a fair distribution of funds. Some areas were funded in excess whereas others lacked the funding needed to enhance the quality of education. In addition, some groups of children were neglected in the funding process based on the perception that they were less competitive in regard to their development potential. Schools in cities got the best teachers and better teaching resources, while schools in the remote areas never got enough funds to sustain their academic programs ( Lingard & Ozga, 2007, p.4).

The current funding arrangement was found to be complex and lacked transparency. Some duplication of funding were detected in certain areas, the implication being that some schools received double funding that created an imbalance by depriving deserving cases from accessing such funds. In addition, the economic status of such societies could not allow the corresponding states to compensate for failure in the Federal funding system (Ball, 2008, p.37). Therefore, the review noted the need to restructure the system to eliminate such inefficiencies and inequity and suggested various ways through which this could be achieved.

Firstly, a need for the federal government to identify their specific roles in terms of funding was highlighted. This would make it easier to know the sectors that do not follow the policies of funding as stipulated. For example, were an audit to determine how funds were allocated performed, the people doing the audit would know roles played by the federal government, state/ territory government and schooling systems. Where malpractice is identified, the officers responsible would be made accountable for their actions or omissions.

Secondly, a need to pursue the policy of equity rather than equality was advanced. n this respect, government schools where there are large numbers of disadvantaged students would receive more funding to redress historical disadvantages they have experienced. In addition, the funding would be based on a new schooling and management resource standard. To carry out a fair funding framework, collaboration between the federal government, state government and school representatives to give an estimate of the number of pupils and students per school would be required. Such collaboration, as argued by Ball (2008), would aid the state to adopt a system that would allocate funds depending on school size, thus enhance the resources available per student (p.20).

Implementation Process

The implementation process is envisaged to take place after proper infrastructural development is done. The government needs to look for more funding through levies to meet the initial demands of the new funding system.

Target Audience

The target audience for this policy are the key funding stakeholders. That is, the federal government of Australia and the state or territory governments. These groups need to collaborate with the different schools to establish benchmarks that determine the initial funds distribution and subsequent funding disbursements. In the end, the groups will create a system with clear demarcation of the role that each level of the government plays in the funding process.

Relationship to other key Policies

Considering the recommendations of the review, implementation would enhance opportunities for all Australian children to have equal chances of accessing quality education. In the end, the nation will have citizens who are experts in their fields and who can compete effectively in the global labour market.

Practitioner Reflection

As a professional primary school teacher, I support the Gonski review. The panellists evaluated several situations that may affect students’ performance. The issue of funding affects not only the students, but also teachers who must work with minimal resources. The funding should not only include financial resources in terms of school fees and teacher salary, but should also include other learning resources like proper infrastructure to improve learning environments. For example, for students who may not manage to walk to school, and whose parents may not have the means to take them to school, having arranged transportation to school may enhance attendance.

The education policy in Australia has motivated me to advocate for better access to quality education. Gonski and colleagues highlighted the uncertain future that the country could face if access to quality of education does not improve. As a teacher,better funding system will allow me to undertake further training sponsored by the school  to improve my instructional methods. For example, students need to learn about HIV and AIDs in early stages of schooling to enable them take control of their lives. Teachers should have a background on such concepts to help them disseminate information that students can refer to make informed life decisions.

According to Ball (2008), the education policy in the twenty first century should incorporate advanced technology in all schools irrespective of the location of the school. All students whether in government or private schools should have access to fast internet that will help them in research. The libraries should be stocked with current books that have current information that corresponds to the challenges facing the contemporary world. Such can be availed only through adequate funding.

The suggested restructuring is appropriate since it seeks to streamline structures to deter corruption and inefficiency within the system. With the help of a well-structured funding system that identifies the different roles played by various stakeholders, the incompetent people will be punished if found guilty. Australian schools will, subsequently, rate high in terms of performance thus compete with best schools globally. In the end, the country will have experts who can compete effectively in the global labour market.

References

Ball, S. J. (2008). The Education Debate: Policy and Politics in the Twenty-First Century.

Bristol, UK: Policy Press

Gonski, D., Boston, K., Greiner, K., Lawrence, C., Scales, B. , &Tannock, P. (2011). Review of funding for schooling: Final report. Retrieved from

http://foi.deewr.gov.au/node/30439/

Lingard, B. & Ozga, J. (2007). The Routledge Falmer Reader in Education Policy and Politics.

New York: Routledge. (pp. 1-8)

Ricci, C. (2013). What next for Gonski review? Retrieved from

http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/what-next-for-gonski-review-20130215-2ehqx.html

 

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