Education – My Vision for Education in Ten Years Time

Michelle Green, Chief Executive, Association of Independent Schools of Victoria, published in the Fairfax Community Melbourne Weekly Magazine, 4 March 2009

I hope and expect that educational, political and social change during the next decade will produce a dramatic and positive impact on schools, teachers and students.

Funding

We will see education funding following the child throughout the student’s schooling. Funding will be based on the needs of the child and not focussed on the school. It will take into account the child’s economic situation and where he or she lives and accept that some children require special funding to meet particular requirements because of disability or social circumstances. 

Teaching

Teaching will be evidence-based and remuneration will depend on outcomes. Exemplary, high performance teachers will be rewarded, leading to changes in the role of the teacher. They will expect, and be expected to undertake greater specialisation and be free from peripheral duties and responsibilities which will be taken up by paraprofessional staff. 

Measuring success

The measure of teaching success will be the change between what the student starts out with and what he or she leaves with.  Much improved indicators will measure what value the teacher has added to each individual student, not necessarily the class as a whole or the school.

Increased accountability

Schools will face a range of performance indicators.  They will be accountable to students, parents and governments, proving that they can produce results but performance indicators will be more complex than just having students pass exams or standardised tests. 

Global education

Education and the global village will embrace.  Education will no longer be parochial; teachers and students will seize opportunities presented by international best practice.

Choice

Governments will provide adequate financial, intellectual and managerial resources to achieve these objectives for all Australian children.  Parents will be able to choose the education they believe is most appropriate for their child. We will have a common commitment to provide young people with the education they need to make their contribution to a better Australia.

 

 

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