The Education Revolution
The Revolution We Had To Have....
It was almost a year coming, but on August 28, 2008, the Education Revolution finally began.
For many of us, the fear that we had been duped again was prevalent. All we had heard of the Education Revolution was a few hundred dollar tax rebate and the renaming of the old Investing In Our Schools grant into the Computers In Classrooms program - which didn't help you if your children were in primary school.
In fact, for a time, the Education Revolution was being called the Digital Revolution, compounding the fear that this was all there would be ... until the next election. But then, as the Olympic flame died, the revolution erupted; open and accountable schools, performance pay for teachers, under-performing educators being told they would be sacked! Everything the Howard Government wanted, but couldn't get past the unions was now here, in one bold press conference.
A modern education system focused on the outcomes and improved student achievement was promised to begin in 2009. Some despaired, others rejoiced, but most it was a case of 'why hadn't this happened before'?
Click on the corresponding link to explore each section of the Education Revolution; the revolution we had to have....
Quality Education
The cornerstone of the Education Revolution is improving teacher quality. Teacher quality is the number one influence on student outcomes. Any strategy to improve the standard of education must begin with improving teacher quality.
Three key components compose the Education Revolution:
- Teachers will be paid according to how well they do their job, rather than how long they have been doing their job.
- Teachers and principals who do not perform to acceptable standards can be fired.
- Schools will become transparent. Information on the performance of public schools, funded by public tax dollars, will be available to public school parents.