AUSTRALIA is "extremely unlikely" to become an education superpower by 2025, with new research confirming our high school students are going backwards compared to the rest of the world. While reaching the "top five by 2025" ambition is central to the government's school reforms, a comprehensive new study of test results shows a decline from 2000 to 2012. "Of course it's possible, but I would say it is a big stretch," said report author, Dr John Ainley from the Australian Council Educational Research (ACER). He said Australia currently sat within "a second tier" of well-performing countries. "It would be a very significant turnaround for us," he said of the goal.
"I would describe it as a noble aspiration, and say that we are closer to reaching it in science than in reading, and in reading than in maths." Dr Ainley is co-author of the study of Australia's performance over the past 20 years in several key international assessments, the Programme for International Student Achievement, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, as well as NAPLAN results. The analysis shows Australian 15 year olds have declined in reading and maths, and that while the majority of countries remained relatively stable, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Korea and Chile showed big improvements. "These countries have done different things, but the one they all share is a significant investment in school education, often driven by a concern to reform," Dr Ainley said.
