On Tuesday 9 September, Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare, announced the formation of a new Teaching and Learning Commission that will merge four existing agencies into one new mega-sized body aimed creating greater coherence across Australia’s education system.
The move brings together the functions of ACARA, AITSL, AERO and Education Services Australia under one national body that the Federal Government hopes will better integrate curriculum, assessment, evidence and innovation.
Speaking to Patricia Karvelas on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Clare said the merger aims to ensure that all States and Territories hit the targets as set out in The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.
“We have an opportunity here, if states and territories think that bringing these organisations together is a good idea, to work on the detailed design of it, to make sure that we get it right,” Clare said.
“A number of ministers, but also unions, think tanks, principals, organisations, have told me that they think this is a good idea in principle, and so, the first step is to sit down with ministers and say, ‘Is this a good idea?’ And if so, ‘what role should it play?’”.
While the new Commission has been broadly welcomed from across Australia’s education sector, some experts question the wisdom of bringing ACARA – the independent assessment body overseeing the national curriculum – into the fold.
Murray Print, Professor of Education at the University of Sydney, said while it makes sense to combine AERO with AITSL and Education Services, but it is essential to maintain ACARA as independent with its curriculum development and not subject to “a mega government commission”.
“ACARA has performed well recently under Stephen Gniel, and its National Assessment Program is aligned with the Australian Curriculum,” Professor Print said. “NAPLAN should also be kept separate from a national commission more concerned with school practice and teaching methods.”
Curriculum must serve classrooms, not politics
Angela Falkenberg, President of the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA), said that from her Association’s perspective, curriculum is at the heart of schooling and not simply another administrative function to be absorbed into a larger body.
“Our position paper on curriculum stresses the importance of broad consultation, professional trust, and responsiveness to classroom realities,” Falkenberg told The Educator. “ACARA’s independence has helped ensure that curriculum development is not unduly swayed by short-term political agendas.”
Falkenberg cautioned that if curriculum design and review are subsumed within a centralised commission, there is “a real risk that decisions will be driven by bureaucracy rather than informed by evidence from schools.”
“That would undermine public confidence and place additional burdens on teachers and principals,” she said. “That said, APPA recognises the value of streamlining, and there are natural synergies between, for example, AITSL’s professional standards and AERO’s research functions.”
However, curriculum is different, said Falkenberg.
“It requires a transparent, independent process that keeps the voices of educators and communities at the centre.”
A promising development – if the priorities are right
The Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (ASPA) President, Andy Mison, said while he has reservations about ACARA being absorbed into one behemoth agency, it could streamline critical support for schools.
“If the intent is genuine, and the design process collaborative and effective we could build on what is working in the national architecture, remove what isn’t working, and consider what might be improved,” Mison told The Educator.
“Provided our school leaders’ and teachers’ professional standing is respected and supported to take a central role in this Commission, I view it as another opportunity to focus our collective efforts on building the best system we can for our kids.”
Mison said that at the end of the day, any restructure of Australia’s national education agencies “must prioritise direct benefit to students and schools”.
“The expertise in our school communities must inform this process from the outset,” he said. “Effective education reform requires the voice and experience of the professionals who are running schools and working directly with students.”
‘No immediate changes to ACARA or its work’
Responding to concerns that the assessment body should remain separate from the Federal Government’s Teaching and Learning Commission, ACARA Board Chair Derek Scott said the organisation’s priorities remain unchanged, but it is prepared to support any reforms endorsed by ministers.
“We remain committed to supporting our schools and students through world-class curriculum, assessment and reporting, contributing towards making our education system better and fairer,” Scott told The Educator.
“There are no immediate changes to ACARA or its work. Should all education ministers agree to this approach, ACARA stands ready to support the implementation.”