The Future of Schooling in Australia – a report by the Council for the Australian Federation

The Council for the Australian Federation comprises the Premiers and Chief Ministers of all States and Territories. Through the Council, States and Territories work together to improve the way that the many services that affect Australians' lives are delivered.

Part of the Council’s role is to contribute to the debate of Commonwealth and State and Territory roles and responsibilities. In October 2006, the Council established a steering committee, chaired by Professor Peter Dawkins, Secretary of the Victorian Department of Education, to review the Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century, which was jointly signed by the States, Territories and the Commonwealth in 1999.

In April 2007 the Council endorsed the work of the Steering Committee and released the report for consultation under the title The Future of Schooling in Australia. The report has been revised following broad consultation, including with representatives of the Catholic and Independent school sectors, but remains consistent with the strategic policy positions enunciated in the first edition.

The Future of Schooling in Australia report includes a new statement on the future of schooling in Australia, and a twelve-point action plan to which all States and Territories have agreed. The report proposes a national framework for schooling, based on the principle that the quality and performance of teachers, schools and jurisdictions are central to the life prospects of every student and to national prosperity.

The Council for the Australian Federation endorses the findings of The Future of Schooling in Australia and is pleased to release the revised report publicly.

For full details, view the report Federalist Paper 2: The Future of Schooling in Australia (PDF 890kb).

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