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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.

Early numeracy screening will help prevent students from falling behind in maths
Kelly Norris, Glenn FaheyAugust 20, 2024ABC.NET.AU

Policymakers are on the verge of a major education reform — early numeracy screening —...

NAPLAN: doom, gloom, and blame
Kelly NorrisAugust 19, 2024SPECTATOR

  The release of NAPLAN data last week unleashed a flurry of doom, gloom and...

Teaching classroom school
Lifting NAPLAN results: what happens in the classroom matters most
Trisha JhaAugust 16, 2024EDUCATIONHQ

Every year, the national release of NAPLAN results triggers a barrage of commentary and soul-searching...

Improve learning outcomes – take NAPLAN seriously
Glenn FaheyAugust 15, 2024THE AUSTRALIAN

The latest NAPLAN data set highlights the urgent need for the education system to set...

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...
NSW curriculum reform a success, but will other ministers follow?
Glenn FaheyJuly 30, 2024THE AUSTRALIAN

The NSW government has thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the nation on...

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...

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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