Become a Member Donate Now

• 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.

The Finn Red Line
Jennifer Buckingham OAMSeptember 11, 2007Policy

Chester E Finn Jr talks to Jennifer Buckingham about tensions between school autonomy, parental choice...

Trade skills lose out to scarfie lifestyle
Phil RennieSeptember 7, 2007The National Business Review

Do we really need so many students, especially when it’s so expensive for both the...

With A High IQ Comes Need For Special Education
August 6, 2007The Sydney Morning Herald

When it comes to education of the intellectually gifted, Australia and the United States share...

University trade-offs for middle classes
Phil RennieJuly 25, 2007The Otago Daily Times

It’s now accepted wisdom that you need a university degree to have a successful and...

Broader scope in NT for schools
Kirsten StorryJuly 24, 2007The Canberra Times

One of the measures Prime Minister John Howard announced last month was that the Government...

Is university overrated?
Phil RennieJuly 9, 2007The Salient

It’s now accepted wisdom that you need a degree to have a successful and rewarding...

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...

Schools must retain hiring rights
Robert ForsythOctober 19, 2018Ideas@TheCentre

In the hasty and overheated reaction to the leaked recommendations of the Ruddock review, pressure...

Labor preschool plan fails to add up on many levels
Eugenie JosephOctober 12, 2018DAILY TELEGRAPH

  Australian parents should be sceptical of Labor’s new policy to extend universal access to...

Freedom Charters will Protect Free Speech on University Campuses
Jeremy SammutOctober 12, 2018Ideas@TheCentre

The most concerning aspect of the current debate about free speech in Australian universities has...

Q&A focuses on difference, not agreement
Jennifer Buckingham OAMOctober 12, 2018Ideas@TheCentre

The ABC’s Q&A program is a curious beast. Even when there is broad agreement among...

Off with the campus gag: give all opinions a voice
Jeremy SammutOctober 8, 2018The Australian

Last month, riot police were called to the University of Sydney to break up a...

Teachers’ union stance wrong on reading
Private: Julie MavlianOctober 5, 2018Ideas@TheCentre

I have been a member of teachers’ unions since I began teaching 30 years ago....

Behind Every Great Teacher Is a Great System | David Didau, Jenny Donovan & Trisha Jha
Trisha Jha, David Didau, Jenny DonovanMarch 20, 2026

David Didau — education consultant, teacher trainer, and author of Making Kids Cleverer and Intelligent...

Education Reform That Works: Insights from UK, New Zealand & Australia
Glenn Fahey, Nick Gibb, Jason Clare MPDecember 8, 2025

Three leading education ministers — Sir Nick Gibb (UK), Erica Stanford (New Zealand), and Jason...

What do teachers believe about learning? | Trisha Jha
Trisha JhaNovember 6, 2025

This report presents findings from literature about what teachers believe about how students learn: the...

Restoring Excellence in Australian Education | Senator Jonathon Duniam
Glenn FaheyOctober 3, 2025

At this Centre for Independent Studies forum, Shadow Federal Minister for Education Senator Jonathon Duniam...

Evidence vs Ideology: Why the Science of Learning Matters?
Doctor Carl Hendrick, Doctor Simon Breakspear, Glenn FaheyJune 26, 2025

As Australian student outcomes decline and education inequality persists, a growing movement is challenging the...

The science of learning will set students free | Glenn Fahey
Robert Forsyth, Glenn FaheyJune 13, 2025

Robert Forsyth interviews Glenn Fahey, director of the education program at the Centre for Independent...

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...

No Podcasts Available

• Subscribe

Subscribe now and stay in the loop with our giving appeals, event alerts, newsletters and research updates.

We are always pleased to hear from you. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact us here:

+61 2 9438 4377
CIS Office
cis@cis.org.au
CIS Media
kpincott@cis.org.au