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• Education

Quality school education is vital for individual potential and a healthy society. All children should have access to an education that is responsive to their needs as well as upholding high academic standards. CIS’s research focus is on policies that improve the quality of teaching and student outcomes.

maths, anxiety, maths anxiety, policy, education
Do the maths or we’ll never be a STEM superpower
Glenn FaheyDecember 12, 2024THE AUSTRALIAN

Calls for Australia to become a STEM superpower will never be answered unless our students...

Fractions Minus the Friction. A guide to four teaching practices
Leanne R. Ketterlin-Geller, Allison McClure, Cassandra HatfieldDecember 12, 2024AP78

Introduction Understanding fractions has a significant impact on both individuals and society. Fractions are an...

The Argument For Debate: how school debating can improve academic outcomes and foster a stronger democracy
Deidre Clary, Fiona MuellerDecember 5, 2024AP77

Introduction The Education Goals for Young Australians prioritise “excellence and equity” and the formation of...

The Secret to Fixing Education Standards | Nick Gibb
Nick Gibb, Glenn FaheyNovember 21, 2024

Nick Gibb, the UK’s long-serving Schools Minister, shares insights into the transformative education reforms in...

Submission to the Independent Review of Education in Tasmania
Trisha JhaOctober 4, 2024

Introduction The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is a leading independent public policy think tank...

How to fix a school system?: Education policy lessons from England
How to fix a school system?
Nick Gibb, Glenn FaheyAugust 22, 2024
Join us on Tuesday, 22 October, as we welcome Nick Gibb for a conversation on...
Childcare in Australia: A new approach
Gigi FosterNovember 20, 2025RR51

Executive summary Several well-known bodies, from the Productivity Commission to the Australian Competition and Consumer...

Knowledge is power: What do teachers believe about learning?
Trisha JhaOctober 30, 2025AP92

Executive Summary This report presents findings from literature about what teachers believe about how students...

Sex and maths success: myths and interventions
David C. GearyJuly 17, 2025AP83

Executive summary Mathematical competencies at the completion of secondary school influence later educational and occupational...

Early Numbers, Big Ideas. Fostering Number Sense in Young Children
Nancy C. Jordan, Nancy DysonJuly 10, 2025AP82

Introduction Numbers are an integral part of our daily lives, both inside and outside of...

Fractions Minus the Friction. A guide to four teaching practices
Leanne R. Ketterlin-Geller, Allison McClure, Cassandra HatfieldDecember 12, 2024AP78

Introduction Understanding fractions has a significant impact on both individuals and society. Fractions are an...

The Argument For Debate: how school debating can improve academic outcomes and foster a stronger democracy
Deidre Clary, Fiona MuellerDecember 5, 2024AP77

Introduction The Education Goals for Young Australians prioritise “excellence and equity” and the formation of...

Parents need report cards on schools
Jennifer Buckingham OAMJanuary 2, 2003The Sydney Morning Herald

Greater public scrutiny would increase competition, improve education and cut costs. It was wishful thinking...

Outdated laws create problems for universities
November 21, 2002The Courier Mail

Gloom and Australia's universities are longtime companions. The National Library's catalogue records half a dozen...

Will higher funding really deliver higher education?
September 3, 2002The Age

A curious feature of the current higher education debate is that very little of it...

Students gain in change
August 29, 2002The Courier Mail

Are low-income young people more or less likely to go to university than they were...

Public choice must fashion education
Jennifer Buckingham OAMJune 26, 2002The Age

Dr Boston raises the important question of the kind of schools in which we would...

Who says uni deregulation is politically unpopular?
June 20, 2002The Age

WHAT a difference 2½ years make. In October 1999, after then education minister David Kemp's...

Outsmart Your Brain | Daniel Willingham | Glenn Fahey
Glenn Fahey, Mr Daniel WillinghamMay 8, 2023
Outsmart Your Brain...
2023 NSW State Election: Education Debate
Sarah Mitchell, Prue Car, Glenn FaheyMarch 16, 2023
CIS welcomed NSW Education Minister, Sarah Mitchell and NSW Shadow Education Minister, Prue Car for...
Emily Hanford: Sold A Story
Emily Hanford, Glenn FaheyFebruary 3, 2023
We welcomed Investigative education reporter and host of the ground-breaking Sold a Story podcast, Emily...
Building world-class schools in Australia
Katharine Birbalsingh, Alan Tudge, Glenn Fahey, Manisha GazulaNovember 7, 2022
CIS Education program director Glenn Fahey is joined for a discussion on improving schools in...
katharine birbalsingh event at CIS on schools
The Michaela Way
Katharine BirbalsinghOctober 27, 2022

It’s no secret that Australian schools’ performance has been in decline for many years. That’s...

Debunking Maths Myths
Sarah Powell, Oliver Lovell, Jennifer Buckingham OAM, Glenn FaheySeptember 29, 2022
Leading mathematics teaching experts Sarah Powell and Ollie Lovell sat down with Glenn Fahey to...
Submission to Senate Education and Employment References Committee
Michael Wu October 22, 2025CIS

Despite good intentions, Australia’s Early Childhood Education and Care system has expanded well beyond its...

Submission to the Productivity Commission’s Interim Report on Building a Skilled and Adaptable Workforce
Trisha JhaSeptember 18, 2025

Submission at a glance 1. Achieving written curriculum quality is a necessary step for long-term...

Submission to the Independent Review of Education in Tasmania
Trisha JhaOctober 4, 2024

Introduction The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is a leading independent public policy think tank...

Submission to the Inquiry into Literacy and Numeracy in ACT Public Schools
Trisha JhaFebruary 27, 2024

This submission does not directly seek to answer the 20 questions posted in the Consultation...

Submission to the Legislative Council Inquiry into the State Education System in Victoria
Trisha JhaOctober 4, 2023

Introduction The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is a leading independent public policy think...

Submission to the NSW Curriculum Review Interim Report Consultations
Fiona MuellerDecember 1, 2019

The NSW Government commissioned a review of the state’s curriculum in September, 2018, to be...

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