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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.

Have We All Gone Mad? The Snowflake Epidemic
Lindsay Shepherd, Claire Lehmann, Tiffany JenkinsNovember 22, 2018OP168

University campuses throughout the West are in the grip of a troubling social phenomenon, now...

University Freedom Charters: How best to protect free speech on Australian campuses
October 7, 2018PP10

This POLICY Paper recommends how and why a ‘university freedom charters’ policy that is backed...

Why childcare is not affordable
Eugenie JosephAugust 29, 2018RR37

Childcare fees and out-of-pocket costs in Australia have been growing above inflation in recent years,...

What the Gonski 2 Review got wrong
June 17, 2018PP6

The Gonski 2 Review into Australian schools failed to fulfill its terms of reference to...

Why We Need NAPLAN
May 13, 2018RR36

The National Assessment Plan – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a crucial national assessment, but...

What’s happened to the University?
Marguerite JohnsonFebruary 5, 2018OP163

Trigger warnings, cultural appropriation and safe spaces. Who decided to bestow guardian status to Australian...

We’ve spent the money, now what about the results?
February 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
February 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
January 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
December 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
October 28, 2025EDUCATIONHQ

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

The Manchurian Campus? Threats to Free Speech in Higher Education
October 22, 2018

Amidst the debate about Chinese influence in Australia, NSW Minister for Education, the Hon. Rob...

Have We All Gone Mad? The Snowflake Epidemic
Tiffany Jenkins, Lindsay Shepherd, Claire LehmannAugust 17, 2018

University campuses throughout the West are in the grip of a troubling social phenomenon, now...

What’s happened to the University?
Marguerite JohnsonOctober 6, 2017

Trigger warnings, cultural appropriation and safe spaces. Who decided to bestow guardian status to Australian...

Taking control of the classroom: How teachers and principals can improve behaviour in schools
July 20, 2017

Poor behaviour in schools is a significant factor undermining student achievement. International data suggests behaviour...

How to Improve Australian Phonics and Literacy
April 20, 2017

England’s schools have undergone substantial changes in the last decade, including: introducing systematic phonics teaching...

Phonics and Literacy
April 20, 2017

England’s schools have undergone substantial changes in the last decade, including: introducing systematic phonics teaching...

Submission to the Productivity Commission’s Interim Report on Building a Skilled and Adaptable Workforce
September 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
October 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
February 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
October 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...

Submission to NAPLAN Reporting Review 2019
March 18, 2019

NAPLAN is a key element of government transparency and accountability There is very little evidence...

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