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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.

It could be 2022 by the time we see the full impact on our kids’ education
Glenn FaheyAugust 25, 2021Daily Telegraph

Parents, educators, and policymakers will be relieved by new NAPLAN results showing NSW students are...

Australian education is not keeping up
Glenn FaheyAugust 22, 2021Canberra Times

For too long, education policy and practice has failed to keep pace with the evidence....

Why Inquiry Based Approaches Harm Students’ Learning
John SwellerAugust 11, 2021AP24

This paper outlines the evidence and scientific reasons that inquiry based learning reduces academic performance....

Is educational success key to the wealth of nations?
Glenn Fahey, Eric HanushekAugust 9, 2021

Australia’s economy is suffering from slow productivity growth and stagnant wages, partly caused by a...

Writing matters: reversing a legacy of policy failure in Australian education
Deidre Clary, Fiona MuellerJuly 28, 2021AP23

Generational decline in student achievement and teacher expertise in writing skills — the poor cousin...

NAPLAN future secured, but improvements will continue
Glenn FaheyJuly 18, 2021Canberra Times

The decision to keep NAPLAN – but continue to improve it – is a positive...

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...

In search of that last small step
August 31, 2010The Age

Tens of thousands of Victorians will soon submit applications for university places in 2011. They...

Putting a case for fee deregulation
August 25, 2010The Australian

IF education ministers can be judged by the average number of policy initiatives per year,...

Overcoming poverty of ambition
July 16, 2010

Sometimes studying social policy can be thoroughly depressing. There’s child abuse. There’s domestic violence. There...

Simple ambition for all schools
Jennifer Buckingham OAMJuly 12, 2010The Australian

The people who can explain in detail how school funding works in Australia could probably...

NAPLAN tests show the Indigenous gap
Helen HughesMay 11, 2010The Newcastle Herald

National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2010 tests start today. The test results and...

Students are bound to be the biggest losers
Jennifer Buckingham OAMMay 1, 2010The Australian

Trouble has been brewing between the Australian Education Union and federal Education Minister Julia Gillard...

Stronger Maths Starts With Early Screening
Kelly Norris, Randall EvansFebruary 7, 2025

In Australia, a significant number of students struggle with mathematics, with many falling behind early...

What is the Science of Learning? | Trisha Jha
Trisha Jha, Randall EvansJanuary 23, 2025

If we want to children to learn, we have to teach them in a way...

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...

Support CIS Research in 2024
Tom SwitzerJune 12, 2024

Donate or become a member below! Donate Today

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How to fix bad behaviour in schools | Tom Bennett
Glenn Fahey, Professor Tom BennettMay 28, 2024

Australian classrooms are some of the worst behaved in the world. The girls are stressed...

How to reward teachers for better educational outcomes
Edmund StephenApril 16, 2024

Unfortunately, we cannot simply throw money at all of our problems, as we have learned...

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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