The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) welcomes the opportunity to submit to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education (the Committee)’s inquiry into the factors driving educational attainment. This submission will respond to the following terms of reference:
- Drivers of any differences in outcomes based on gender, cultural and linguistic diversity, socio-economic status;
- Current policies and strategies to improve educational outcomes for boys and girls, and their impact.
The IPA considers that current teacher training standards and an ideological, overcrowded curriculum are major barriers to educational attainment in Australia. For years, the IPA has warned the National Curriculum prioritises political agendas over literacy, numeracy, and disciplinary knowledge.
IPA research finds:
- At the same time, classroom time is being wasted on overtly ideological content.
- Improving educational outcomes requires addressing the failings of the university system, which undermine the quality of teacher training.
- Educational attainment gaps between boys and girls will persist while federal initiatives continue to problematise masculinity and boyhood.
