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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.

Emergency Budget Repair Kit
Alexander Philipatos, Jennifer Buckingham OAM, Jeremy Sammut, Robert Carling, Simon Cowan, Trisha JhaNovember 21, 2013T30.05

The new Abbott government should address its self-identified budget emergency by cutting wasteful spending now....

Cut spending to solve ‘budget emergency’
November 21, 2013

The Abbott government can remedy its 'budget emergency' by implementing measures that will save an...

Why Jaydon Can’t Read: The Triumph of Ideology over Evidence in Teaching Reading
Jennifer Buckingham OAMOctober 8, 2013POLICY

The current entrenched rate of illiteracy among Australian children is unnecessary and avoidable, write Jennifer...

Why Jaydon can’t read
Jennifer Buckingham OAMOctober 4, 2013The Australian

In the most recent international assessment of primary school literacy achievement – the Progress in...

The Right to the Good Life: Improving Educational Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
Marcia LangtonOctober 1, 2013OP133

Education is a key ideological battleground in debates about how to address Indigenous disadvantage. Yet,...

Bad teaching kills reading skills
Jennifer Buckingham OAMSeptember 30, 2013The Australian

IN his 1955 book Why Johnny Can't Read, Rudolph Flesch explained that quality of instruction...

Implementing the Science of Learning: teacher experiences
Trisha JhaFebruary 22, 2024RR47

Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction Background and policy context A pathway for advancing the...

science of learning, learning, education, learning styles,
What is the Science of Learning?
Trisha JhaFebruary 15, 2024AP63

Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction Politics, philosophy and education Progressive education versus modern evidence...

Maths Practices You Can Count On: Five Research-Validated Practices in Mathematics
Sarah Powell, Sarah King, Sarah BenzFebruary 1, 2024AP62

Introduction An understanding of mathematics gained during primary and secondary school is essential for...

Facing Up To Maths Anxiety: How It Affects Achievement And What Can Be Done About It
David C. GearyJanuary 23, 2024AP61

Executive summary The mathematical competencies of students have a long-term influence on their employability and...

Job-ready Graduates 2.0: The Universities Accord and centralised control of universities and courses
Andrew NortonNovember 16, 2023AP58

Summary Australia’s graduate labour market does not always seem to function well. Graduates with degrees...

The Need For Speed: why fluency counts for maths learning
Toni Hatten-RobertsOctober 19, 2023AP57

1. Introduction Australia has a problem in maths achievement which is shown in stark relief...

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...

Holding the education system to account | Amanda Spielman
Glenn Fahey, Amanda SpielmanApril 16, 2024

The English education system has been a model for reform in teacher training, managing behaviour,...

charter schools, macky, education
Do charter schools offer a better education? Margaret Raymond explains
Trisha JhaJanuary 19, 2024

Do charter schools offer a better education? In a probing exploration of the education landscape,...

Eric Hanushek, school, education, economics
Eric Hanushek on the economics of education.
Eric Hanushek, Trisha JhaJanuary 12, 2024

Eric Hanushek on the economics of education. What can an economist know about the best...

Understanding the Link: Education, Prosperity, and Australia’s Future
Glenn Fahey, Eric HanushekDecember 1, 2023

Education economists have settled the age-old question of what explains the ‘wealth of nations’: in...

AI in Education: A New Era of Learning | Leslie Loble | Daisy Christodoulou | Glenn Fahey
Glenn Fahey, Leslie Loble , Daisy ChristodoulouNovember 29, 2023

The advancement of artificial intelligence is transforming various aspects of our lives, including the education...

Mississippi’s Education Success: A Model for Australia | Carey Wright | Jennifer Buckingham
Glenn Fahey, Carey Wright , Jennifer Buckingham OAMNovember 15, 2023

In recent years, Australia has grappled with disappointing education outcomes, with around four in 10...

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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