Growing Resistance to Market-Based Education in the US

Posted on Wednesday May 29, 2013

There is a growing rebellion by teachers and parents in the United States against market-based education policies that are resulting in resource deprivation in public schools, inequity, public disempowerment and the widespread perception that governing policies are driven by corruption.< >> Read on...

New Study Shows that School Autonomy Increases the Gap Between Top and Bottom Students

Posted on Saturday May 25, 2013

A new study has found that school autonomy widens the gap between the top and bottom achieving students. It adds to the weight of evidence that increasing school autonomy does not work. < >> Read on...

Senate Education Committee Rebuffs Govt & Coalition on School Autonomy

Posted on Saturday May 18, 2013

The Senate education committee has delivered a major rebuff to the Federal Government and the Coalition on school autonomy. It says that there is no clear evidence that greater school autonomy leads to better student performance. >> Read on...

Market-Based Education Policies in the US Have Failed to Increase Student Results

Posted on Saturday April 27, 2013

A review of market-based education “reforms” in the United States has found that they have not delivered the success promised. >> Read on...

The Market in Education has Failed in Sweden

Posted on Wednesday April 3, 2013

The introduction of a market in education in Sweden has failed. Since the introduction of government funding for private schools Swedish school results in reading, science, and mathematics have fallen and social stratification and segregation in schools has increased. Private schools have no better results than public schools. < >> Read on...

Symposium on Applying Market Principles to Education

Posted on Friday March 29, 2013

An international symposium conducted this month by the Swedish Academy of Sciences examined the consequences of school choice for the efficiency and equity of schooling and the consequences of applying market principles for systems of governance, accountability and the teaching professions. >> Read on...

Garrett Admits There is Little Evidence to Support School Autonomy

Posted on Saturday March 2, 2013

The Federal Minister for Education, Peter Garrett, yesterday completely undermined his own school autonomy program with a stunning admission that there is little evidence that charter schools – the archetype of school autonomy – lead to better school results. >> Read on...

OECD Education Director Says ‘Autonomy Can Work Against You’

Posted on Friday February 15, 2013

The deputy director for education at the OECD, Andreas Schleicher, has warned that independent public schools risk reducing collaboration between schools and creating a wider gap between the best and worst performing schools. >> Read on...

SOS Submission on the Govt’s Education Bill

Posted on Wednesday February 13, 2013

The SOS submission on the Australian Education Bill recommends adoption of a clear definition of equity in education and that collaboration between schools be included as part of the national plan for improving the performance of schools and students.< >> Read on...

School Autonomy Fails to Increase Student Achievement and Undermines Collaboration between Schools

Posted on Tuesday February 5, 2013

A submission by Save Our Schools to the Senate Education Committee inquiry on Teaching and Learning shows that school autonomy has little to no effect on student results and leads to greater inequality and social segregation between schools. It calls for governments to support greater collaboration between schools. >> Read on...

Independent Public Schools are No Panacea for School Improvement

Posted on Friday February 1, 2013

Independent public schools are not a panacea for school improvement according to a review of academy schools in England. They also undermine collaboration between schools, increase social segregation and entrench social inequalities . >> Read on...

Competition and Choice Fail to Produce Better Student Results

Posted on Thursday January 24, 2013

A new review of research studies on competition and choice has found little evidence that it improves student results. It says this is not surprising because key characteristics of education services do not match the assumptions of market theory. >> Read on...

School Autonomy Brought a Lost Decade in NZ Education

Posted on Tuesday December 11, 2012

New Zealand schools have amongst the most extensive school autonomy in the world. A new book shows that it is responsible for a lost decade in education in New Zealand as education improvement was sidetracked by focus on managing properties and finance. >> Read on...

School Autonomy, the Education Cost Disease and Funding Cuts

Posted on Tuesday November 20, 2012

A speech by Trevor Cobbold on school autonomy, the cost disease in education, funding cuts and the market in education. >> Read on...

Academy School Results Dispel Claims About School Autonomy

Posted on Friday November 9, 2012

In another blow to the claims that greater school autonomy leads to improved school performance, new research shows that academy schools in England have not improved student achievement. >> Read on...

Mapping School Autonomy in Australia: Part 3

Posted on Saturday September 8, 2012

The third in a series of articles mapping the extent of school autonomy in different jurisdictions and school sectors across Australia. Comments are invited to correct mistakes and omissions >> Read on...

‘Independent’ Review of Research on the Impact of School Autonomy is a ‘Dud’

Posted on Wednesday August 29, 2012

A review of research studies on school autonomy published by the Federal Department of Education is a ‘dud’. It is highly selective and relies heavily on dated research. The review ignores recent studies from many countries which show that school autonomy in budgeting and staffing has little to no impact on student achievement. >> Read on...

Parents Call for No Further Expansion of School Autonomy in the ACT

Posted on Saturday August 18, 2012

The ACT P&C Council has called for no further expansion of school autonomy in ACT schools and an independent review of the benefits and costs of school autonomy. >> Read on...

Teachers and Principals Say School Autonomy Means Cutbacks

Posted on Friday August 17, 2012

Principals and teachers in 23 ACT schools participating in a pilot project on school autonomy say that it means that schools will have to hire less experienced, cheaper teachers and cut back on specialist teachers. >> Read on...

Mapping School Autonomy in Australia: Part 2

Posted on Friday July 27, 2012

The second in a series of articles mapping the extent of school autonomy in different jurisdictions and school sectors across Australia. Comments are invited to correct mistakes and omissions. >> Read on...

Another Faith-Based Statement by Garrett on School Autonomy

Posted on Tuesday July 10, 2012

The Federal Education Minister, Peter Garrett, has failed to provide convincing evidence that greater school autonomy will improve student outcomes. His case is based on faith and ideology. >> Read on...

How GERM is Infecting Schools Around the World

Posted on Saturday July 7, 2012

Leading Finland educator, Pasi Sahlberg, criticises the education reform movement centred around choice and competition and contrasts it with policies adopted in Finland to make it the most successful education system in the world.< >> Read on...

Mapping School Autonomy in Australia: Part 1

Posted on Wednesday July 4, 2012

The first in a series of articles mapping the extent of school autonomy in different jurisdictions and school sectors across Australia. Comments are invited to correct mistakes and omissions. >> Read on...

The Evidence for School Autonomy is Far From Compelling

Posted on Friday June 15, 2012

The Federal Government’s school autonomy program is ill-conceived as the weight of evidence from research studies is that it has very little impact on student achievement. The $500 million would be more effectively spent on directly targeting disadvantage in education. >> Read on...

Interview With Diane Ravitch

Posted on Sunday May 27, 2012

Diane Ravitch speaks against high stakes testing and privatisation of schools and on the importance of a strong public education system. >> Read on...

Charter Schools Come Closer to Home

Posted on Saturday April 14, 2012

Charter schools are about to be launched in New Zealand. Last month, the New Zealand Government announced the establishment of a working group to advise on a charter school model for NZ. >> Read on...

More Evidence that Private Schools Do No Better than Public Schools

Posted on Tuesday April 3, 2012

A new study has found that secondary students attending private schools in The Netherlands do no better than public school students. Over 70% of secondary school students in The Netherlands attend government funded private schools. >> Read on...

Charter Schools are not a Good Advertisement for School Autonomy

Posted on Wednesday March 14, 2012

Charter schools in the United States are an experiment in school autonomy. After 20 years we can say that the experiment has not been a marked success. The latest research evidence shows that charter schools do not deliver better results than other public schools. < >> Read on...

Finnish Lessons

Posted on Tuesday March 6, 2012

Finland’s director of education, Pasi Sahlberg, says that Finland has successfully avoided the Global Education Reform Movement (GERM) virus by building trust, responsibility, co-operation and sharing in schools. >> Read on...

OECD Study on Choice and Equity Informs Post-Gonski Debate

Posted on Monday February 20, 2012

An OECD study shows that school choice has lead to greater social segregation and inequity in education. Increased school choice in OECD countries has not led to any improvement in student achievement. School choice schemes have benefitted advantaged students but harmed disadvantaged and low income students.< >> Read on...

More