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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.

Outcomes before inputs in education
Glenn FaheyFebruary 8, 2020The Australian

Each new school year elicits mixed emotions for parents and children, ranging from excitement to...

Early years of primary importance
Blaise JosephJanuary 31, 2020Financial Review

It is a myth that primary school is less important than secondary school.Parental engagement and...

Human cost of failing the education test
Fiona MuellerJanuary 27, 2020Canberra Times

Many young Australians will begin 2020 with optimism as they make plans for further study,...

Make 2020 the year of the student
Glenn FaheyJanuary 24, 2020Daily Telegraph

As parents prepare for the start of the school year, many of them are feeling...

Back to homework
Blaise JosephJanuary 24, 2020Ideas@TheCentre

School is almost back; and for most students that means homework is just around the...

Postcodes, not high fees, are best clues to performance
Blaise JosephDecember 20, 2019The Australian

If you need any more proof that higher school spending doesn’t guarantee better academic results,...

Using Curriculum-Based Measurement for Primary School Maths Screening
Erica S. Lembke, Emily L. Singell, Gabriella Lyth Donofrio, Megyn MartinAugust 15, 2024AP75
Universal screening is an essential component of a Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) for maths and...
book
Learning Lessons. The future of small-group tutoring
Trisha JhaJuly 25, 2024AP73
Student data from national and international testing shows a large minority of students are not...
maths
The Science of Maths and How to Apply It
Siobhan MerloJuly 11, 2024AP71

Introduction Australian students’ results on international tests of mathematics (TIMMS) and numeracy (PISA) lag behind...

maths warning
Screening That Counts: Why Australia Needs Universal Early Numeracy Screening
Kelly NorrisJune 20, 2024RR49

Executive summary Better early identification of students struggling with mathematics is a critical step in...

Sharpening teacher tools: Creating an evidence-based standard for quality instructional materials
Jarrod CarterMay 23, 2024AP69

Executive summary Every Australian classroom and school rely on the support of instructional materials in...

Reimagining Teacher Professionalism. Why standards must be part of ITE reform
Rebecca BirchMarch 21, 2024AP64

1. Executive Summary The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Standards) do not adequately outline what...

We’ve spent the money, now what about the results?
Blaise JosephFebruary 23, 2026CANBERRA TIMES
We have a great window of opportunity now to finally follow through on education reforms...
Education has become a system designed to issue credentials rather than create knowledge
Steven SchwartzFebruary 10, 2026THE AUSTRALIAN
When a society forgets the difference between learning and performance, between a mind and a...
Science of learning
How revamping education will boost the Australian economy
Trisha JhaJanuary 24, 2026CANBERRA TIMES
If Australia wants productivity growth, it needs to start in the classroom....
Australia’s education system is failing students despite $100bn spending
Fiona MuellerDecember 27, 2025THE AUSTRALIAN
Taxpayers know all too well that massive increases in education funding (approaching $100 billion a...
School child reading book
Turning up a first step to success
Trisha JhaDecember 4, 2025DAILY TELEGRAPH
The best that can be said about the latest national attendance data is that things...
Give teachers clarity: Maths curriculum should build the staircase, not set the high jump
Kelly NorrisOctober 28, 2025EDUCATIONHQ

The national review of the F–2 maths curriculum is a welcome chance to put the...

On Liberty EP97 Teacher workforce shortages
Glenn Fahey, Mark LathamAugust 18, 2022On Liberty
Glenn Fahey asks Mark Latham, Member of the NSW Legislative Council and Chair of the...
The State of Education in NSW
Sarah Mitchell, Glenn FaheyAugust 4, 2022
NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, The Hon. Sarah Mitchell spoke to CIS...
On Liberty EP94 Early literacy important for later success
Pam Snow, Glenn FaheyJuly 6, 2022On Liberty
Glenn Fahey speaks with Professor Pamela Snow to discuss the correlation between poor literacy education...
Reclaiming our classrooms from disruption
Tom Bennett, Glenn FaheyJune 28, 2022
CIS education program director Glenn Fahey and one of the world’s leading practitioners of classroom...
Ensuring Australia’s maths teaching adds up to success
Eddie Woo, Greg Ashman, Glenn Fahey, Jenny DonovanMay 19, 2022
Hear from two of Australia's leading mathematics educators, Eddie Woo and Greg Ashman, as they...
Australia’s Universities: Can They Reform?
Salvatore Babones, Simon Haines, Glenn FaheyApril 11, 2022
Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation CEO Professor Simon Haines launches author and CIS adjunct scholar...
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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