Education ministers from around Australia have agreed to a major package of school reforms, including new curriculum resources on the Holocaust and antisemitism, a digital detox taskforce to restrict screen time and the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms, and a new federal commission responsible for teaching standards and the national curriculum.
The reforms follow Australia recording its lowest-ever scores in international tests, persistently poor NAPLAN results, and record-low civics scores in which 72 per cent of students did not understand the basics of democracy.
Education Minister Jason Clare said students will learn about the 'evils of antisemitism and the horrors of the Holocaust' from next year, using curriculum resources developed by David Gonski's antisemitism education taskforce and endorsed by the ministers. Mr Gonski will also chair the new Social Cohesion Education Advisory Council.
'These changes are important but there is always more we can do to stamp out racism in all its noxious forms,' Mr Clare said.
The ministers also agreed to establish an Australian Schools Digital Detox Taskforce as a backlash grows against screen time and education technology. Year five NAPLAN writing tests will return to paper, and parents, students and teachers will be surveyed as ministers consider further reforms.
'Schools should be able to limit generative AI when students need to do the thinking themselves. They should not have to lose Google Search to make that choice,' Swinburne University AI expert Dr Atie Kia said, as experts condemned Google over reports it plans to ban schools from using its search engine if they block the company's AI features.
In a push to address 20 years of declining results, ministers agreed to a new national maths curriculum for the first three years of primary school, introducing financial literacy. They agreed to establish a new Teaching and Learning Commission that will merge the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) and Education Services Australia (ESA).
Mr Clare said the new commission would make it easier for teachers and schools to get the information, resources and support they need. The ministers are also considering making civics and citizenship lessons mandatory in years nine and 10.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The reforms will directly shape what every Australian school student learns, from how they study maths and civics to how they engage with technology in the classroom.
- The creation of a digital detox taskforce signals a major government pivot against classroom screen time and AI, which could set a national precedent for technology regulation in schools.
- Merging four existing education bodies into a single Teaching and Learning Commission centralises control over the national curriculum, teacher standards and testing.
Background
Australian education ministers have been grappling with two decades of declining results in international and national testing. The latest civics assessment found that fewer than a third of students demonstrated a basic understanding of Australia's system of government, a record low. Persistent underperformance in NAPLAN numeracy, with one in three year five students not meeting minimum expectations, has also driven calls for curriculum reform.
Key Perspectives
Education Minister Jason Clare: said the changes are important to stamp out racism and ensure students learn about democracy and Australian values. He argued the digital detox and new commission will support teachers and help kids learn.
Swinburne University AI expert Dr Atie Kia: argued schools should be able to limit generative AI when students need to do the thinking themselves, and should not have to lose Google Search to make that choice.
What to Watch
- The consultation process for the digital detox taskforce, including surveys of parents, students and teachers.
- Whether Google follows through on reported plans to ban schools from using its search engine if they block its AI features.
- The outcome of the consultation on making civics and citizenship lessons mandatory in years nine and 10.