|
|
Table of contents
|
|
|
|
Preface
|
iii
|
|
|
Common and Agreed National Goals for Schooling in Australia
|
ix
|
|
NATIONAL OVERVIEW
|
|
|
1
|
THE CONTEXT OF AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLING
|
1
|
|
1. 1
|
Introduction
|
1
|
|
1. 2
|
Responsibility for schooling in Australia
|
1
|
|
1. 3
|
Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs
|
2
|
|
1. 4
|
Objectives for schooling in Australia: national goals and 1996 priorities
|
4
|
|
1. 5
|
The structure of schooling in Australia
|
5
|
|
1. 6
|
Key statistics on schooling in Australia in 1996
|
6
|
|
2
|
RESOURCING AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS
|
17
|
|
2. 1
|
Overview
|
17
|
|
2. 2
|
Principal areas of expenditure
|
17
|
|
2. 3
|
Recurrent funding
|
19
|
|
2. 4
|
Capital expenditure by State governments
|
24
|
|
2. 5
|
Commonwealth capital funding
|
24
|
|
2. 6
|
Expenditure as a proportion of GDP
|
25
|
|
3
|
TEACHERS AND TEACHING
|
2 6
|
|
3. 1
|
Overview
|
26
|
|
3. 2
|
Staff numbers and characteristics
|
26
|
|
3. 3
|
Teacher education
|
30
|
|
3. 4
|
Issues affecting teaching in Australia
|
33
|
|
4
|
FOCUS ON THE ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS
|
35
|
|
4. 1
|
The social objectives of schooling
|
35
|
|
4. 2
|
National Sample Study on the Social Objectives of Schooling
|
35
|
|
4. 3
|
Other research and additional data
|
43
|
|
5
|
EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS AND QUALITY SCHOOLING
|
46
|
|
5. 1
|
Introduction
|
46
|
|
5. 2
|
Towards quality and effectiveness
|
46
|
|
5. 3
|
Involvement of young people in schooling
|
47
|
|
5. 4
|
Vocational education in schools
|
50
|
|
5. 5
|
Beyond senior secondary schooling
|
51
|
|
6
|
FOCUS ON GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED STUDENTS
|
56
|
|
6.1
|
Definition
|
56
|
|
6. 2
|
Schools and teachers for geographically isolated children
|
58
|
|
6. 3
|
Students attending CAP funded schools
|
60
|
|
6. 4
|
Issues of access, participation and outcomes
|
60
|
|
6. 5
|
Beyond CAP schools
|
63
|
|
7
|
OTHER EQUITY ISSUES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
|
67
|
|
7. 1
|
National Strategy for Equity in Schooling
|
67
|
|
7. 2
|
Achieving gender equity goals
|
67
|
|
7. 3
|
Work towards defining equity target groups
|
68
|
|
7. 4
|
Expenditure on equity target groups
|
68
|
|
7. 5
|
Achieving equity goals for students in target groups
|
71
|
|
7. 6
|
Attendance and retention of students in target groups
|
76
|
|
7. 7
|
Completion to year 12
|
78
|
|
7.8
|
Transition
|
79
|
|
8
|
FOCUS ON OUTCOMES IN NUMERACY
|
80
|
|
8. 1
|
Numeracy as a priority
|
80
|
|
8. 2
|
Student outcomes in numeracy - TIMSS
|
80
|
|
8. 3
|
Student outcomes in numeracy - reports from the States
|
82
|
|
8. 4
|
Student participation in mathematics courses
|
88
|
|
8. 5
|
Curriculum time for the Mathematics KLA
|
89
|
|
8. 6
|
Changed emphases in numeracy
|
89
|
|
8. 7
|
Teacher availability and training
|
90
|
|
8. 8
|
Research relating to numeracy
|
91
|
|
8. 9
|
Involving parents and the community in improving numeracy
|
91
|
|
8.10
|
Significant numeracy initiatives
|
92
|
|
8.11
|
Emerging or continuing issues
|
93
|
|
9
|
FOCUS ON SCIENCE
|
94
|
|
9. 1
|
Science in the curriculum
|
94
|
|
9. 2
|
Comparing achievement in science - TIMSS
|
94
|
|
9. 3
|
Student outcomes in science - reports from the States
|
95
|
|
9. 4
|
Student participation in science courses
|
97
|
|
9. 5
|
Curriculum time for the Science KLA
|
99
|
|
9. 6
|
Science initiatives and developments
|
99
|
|
9. 7
|
Emerging and continuing issues
|
101
|
|
9. 8
|
Impact of the national statement and profile
|
102
|
|
9. 9
|
Involving parents and the community in science education
|
103
|
|
10
|
OTHER AREAS OF CURRICULUM AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
|
104
|
|
10.1
|
Subject enrolments and participation
|
104
|
|
10.2
|
National School English Literacy Survey
|
106
|
|
10.3
|
Student outcomes in literacy
|
106
|
|
10.4
|
Achievement in other key learning areas
|
111
|
|
10.5
|
National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools
|
113
|
|
10.6
|
National LOTE sample data collection
|
114
|
|
10.7
|
Participation in languages other than English
|
117
|
|
STATE CHAPTERS
|
|
|
|
NEW SOUTH WALES
|
121
|
|
|
VICTORIA
|
135
|
|
|
QUEENSLAND
|
149
|
|
|
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
|
159
|
|
|
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
|
171
|
|
|
TASMANIA
|
181
|
|
|
NORTHERN TERRITORY
|
195
|
|
|
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
|
211
|
|
|
COMMONWEALTH
|
219
|
|
|
List of tables
|
235
|
|
|
List of figures
|
240
|
|
|
Glossary
|
241
|
|
|
Acronyms and abbreviations
|
243
|