Australia’s first national inquiry into public school infrastructure has been launched with the aim of improving student safety and inclusion at school.
The announcement, made by Australia’s peak teachers’ union, comes amid a perfect storm of growing student enrollments in the public school sector alongside limited supports for children with disability and ongoing funding shortfalls.
The new inquiry, chaired by former AEU and ACTU President Sharan Burrow AC, will examine the current state of public school infrastructure across Australia, assess future needs and recommend long-term funding and policy reforms to deliver future-ready schools in every community.
“Public schools are at the heart of every community. They shape our nation’s future, and they deserve long-term, coordinated investment that matches their importance,” Haythorpe said in a statement in Adelaide.
“This inquiry will gather the evidence of unmet needs across Australia. We want to ensure every child, no matter their postcode, has access to high-quality learning environments that support their success.”
The inquiry will consult widely with principals, teachers, school support staff, families, governments and community groups. It will also hear from representatives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, students with disability, and rural and remote Australians.
Former ACTU Secretary Sharan Burrow AC will chair the national consultation, drawing on decades of experience advocating for equity and strong public institutions. She will be joined by Deputy Chair Maurie Mulheron.
Haythorpe said the inquiry comes at “a critical moment”.
“While we have a national framework for recurrent school funding, there is no equivalent national strategy for public school infrastructure and no permanent Commonwealth capital funding stream,” she said.
“With the Commonwealth abandoning capital works funding in 2017, States and territories are going it alone. Investing in public school infrastructure is one of the most effective ways to lift outcomes and strengthen equity across the system.”
More than 2.6 million students attend Australia’s public schools. Enrolments have grown significantly over the past decade and population projections point to continued growth in school-age children. Student needs are becoming more complex, with rising numbers of students requiring additional learning, wellbeing and disability supports.
Haythorpe said infrastructure must keep pace with these realities.
“Teachers are delivering extraordinary work with increasingly diverse and complex student needs. They deserve state of the art facilities that complement the high-quality teaching they provide,” she said.
“Improved capital works are not just about buildings. It’s about inclusion, wellbeing and opportunity. If governments are serious about improving student educational outcomes then investing in infrastructure must be on their agenda.”
Haythorpe said the launch in Adelaide signals the start of a constructive national conversation.
“This is a nation-building project,” she said. “It’s about planning not just for the next budget cycle, but for the next generation.”
Haythorpe said investing in public school infrastructure is one of the most effective ways to lift outcomes and strengthen equity across the system.
“Every child deserves to learn in a school designed for the future, not the past. Through this inquiry, we are inviting governments and communities to work with us to make that vision a reality.”