National peak body Independent Schools Australia (ISA) has welcomed the opportunity for discussion of how the national education architecture can deliver outcomes that meet the needs of all stakeholders and best support high quality teaching and learning in classrooms, following the announcement from Education Minister Jason Clare of a proposal to establish a new Teaching and Learning Commission.
The proposed commission would bring together the functions of 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).
ISA Chief Executive Officer Graham Catt welcomed assurances from Minister Clare that any new structure would maintain and protect the critical work that ACARA, AITSL, AERO and ESA do now and improve coordination.
Mr Catt stressed, however, that any plan to bring together the functions of ACARA, AITSL, AERO and Education Services Australia under one national body must involve genuine consultation and engagement with stakeholders including Independent schools.
“The Independent school sector looks forward to meaningful engagement on discussions about the design of the national architecture. While an enhanced focus on teaching and learning is welcomed, changes of this magnitude must be considered within the broader context of all the work undertaken by the national agencies on behalf of all schooling sectors.”
About Independent Schools Australia (ISA)
Independent Schools Australia (ISA) is the national peak body representing 1,230 Independent schools across the country. These schools educate more than 744,000 students—one in five Australian school students—and employ a workforce of over 128,000 people. Independent schools are diverse, serving students from all backgrounds, including more than 145,000 in regional and remote areas, over 175,000 with disability, more than 20,900 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and a significant number from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. ISA advocates for fair and sustainable policies that support school choice, equity, and opportunity for every Australian family.