The announcement of a new ‘Teaching and Learning Commission’ on Tuesday last week marked a major moment in the Federal Government’s push for education reform.
The move, announced on Tuesday 9 September, 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 nationwide.
“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,” Federal Education Minister Jason Clare told Patricia Karvelas on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
“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?’”.
As the national body representing more than 7,600 primary school leaders who will be at the coalface of these changes, the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) is mindful about the devil in the detail as the new Commission takes shape.
APPA President, Angela Falkenberg, says she and her members are especially cautious about whether structural change alone will address the complex challenges facing schools and, in particular, principals.
Falkenberg said three areas – curriculum, assessment, and valuing the profession – must be prioritised if the Commission is to make a real difference.
“We have consistently called for a curriculum that is coherent, age-appropriate, and achievable within the time available,” Falkenberg told The Educator. “This is not about endless curriculum debates, but about trusting teachers, skilled, credentialled professionals, to design learning that engages students and meets their needs.”
Falkenberg said ongoing review without clarity or prioritisation leaves schools in “an impossible position.”
“A Commission must ensure that curriculum is manageable, supports deep learning rather than compliance, and genuinely respects teachers’ professional judgment.”
Turning to assessment, Falkenberg emphasised that reforms must be constructive rather than punitive.
“APPA supports assessment that helps teachers teach and students learn. However, high-stakes, one-shot assessments like NAPLAN distort teaching and learning,” she said. “A Commission must embed approaches that are educative, meaningful, sensitive to local contexts, and open to new metrics.”
Falkenberg said another critical priority must be the sustainability of the profession.
“Most importantly, the principalship has become unsustainable,” she said. “Principals need time to lead teaching and learning, not be consumed by compliance demands and filling gaps caused by workforce shortages.”
Unless workload, wellbeing, and respect for the profession are addressed, the pressures on school leaders and teachers will continue to deepen, Falkenberg cautioned.
“We also advocate for practice informed evidence not just evidence informed practice as authentic reform depends on valuing professional judgment, ensuring that what we know from research and what we learn from practice inform each other in equal measure,” she said.
“In short, the Commission has potential, and will matter for principals if it reduces fragmentation, uses evidence wisely, and creates the conditions for leaders to focus on what they are trained and trusted to do: lead learning in their communities.”
On the matter of ACARA being absorbed by the new Commission, Falkenberg said the question is whether a larger body can keep curriculum central while preserving ACARA’s hard-won independence
“From APPA’s perspective, curriculum is at the heart of schooling. It is not simply another administrative function to be absorbed into a larger body,” she said.
“Our position paper on curriculum stresses the importance of broad consultation, professional trust, and responsiveness to classroom realities. ACARA’s independence has helped ensure that curriculum development is not unduly swayed by short-term political agendas.”
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, Falkenberg cautioned.
“That would undermine public confidence and place additional burdens on teachers and principals,” she said.
“That said, APPA recognises the value of streamlining. There are natural synergies between, for example, AITSL’s professional standards and AERO’s research functions. However, curriculum is different. It requires a transparent, independent process that keeps the voices of educators and communities at the centre.”
Falkenberg also highlighted the need for greater clarity across agencies.
“At present, for example, literacy is described differently across the four infrastructures,” she said. “Is reading defined by five elements or six? Where is the emphasis on fostering a love of reading, or on strengthening critical literacy at every stage of development?”
Falkenberg noted that pedagogy and differentiation – acknowledged as central to effective teaching – are often implicit rather than explicit, adding that this gap must be addressed.
“Equally, a truly effective system must value the whole child. Rising levels of mental ill-health are a barrier to participation and achievement,” she said.
“As Mary Immordino-Yang reminds us, ‘first we feel, and then we learn.’ New metrics are needed that recognise and measure the capabilities and wellbeing of children alongside traditional academic outcomes.”
Falkenberg said trust in the professional expertise of teachers must ultimately sit at the core of any reform.
“Constant tweaking of professional practice is not the answer, after all, we do not respond to Australia’s health crisis by continually changing the training and practice of health professionals,” she said.
“Finally, APPA strongly champions the early years. Since 2016, our Thrive with Five campaign has promoted five science-backed foundations: play, talk, read, eat well, and sleep well, as low-cost, high-impact strategies for families and schools.”
This is especially important given “sobering” data from the Australian Early Development Census, Falkenberg said.
“Almost one in four children are developmentally vulnerable in one or more domains, with increasing concerns in social and emotional maturity,” she said. “This is not simply about school readiness, it is about readiness for learning and for life.”
Falkenberg said in the end, reform will only land if leaders use the solutions already on the table –and protect the people who deliver them
“APPA’s message is clear: we know the problems, and we have workable, evidence-informed solutions. Any restructuring must draw on that wisdom if it is to deliver the equitable opportunities and long-term success that all Australian children deserve,” she said.
“And, without a workforce, all goals are at risk, and it is Australia’s children, especially the most vulnerable, who stand to lose the most.”