Education Policy and Reform in Australia

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

340 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject examines the national context and a range of policy approaches to education and training in Australia with a particular focus on reform and improvement. Topics that provide background include trends in school completion and factors underlying retention, regional socio-economic differences in school completion, early leaving and its causes, participation in vocational education and training (VET), transition to employment and higher education and strategies and policies for reform and improvement. Besides setting the context, the course focuses on social and economic influences on participation in post-compulsory education and on policy responses in selected States and Territories. The subject assesses the strengths and weaknesses of educational policies from both strategic, theoretical and implementation perspectives.

On completion of this subject, students will be able to:

• Critically analyse key contemporary issues in education policy and reform in Australia;
• Undertake a review of the relevant research and policy literature relating to education and training and its reform and improvement;
• Critically analyse factors underlying retention, regional socio-economic differences in school completion, early leaving and its causes, participation in vocational education and training (VET), transition to employment and higher education and the effectiveness of strategies for improvement and reform.

There are two assessment tasks:

• 4,000 word essay, due mid semester, 40%
• 6,000 word essay, due end of semester, 60%

Attendance at all classes (tutorial/seminars/practical classes/lectures/labs) is obligatory. Failure to attend 80% of classes will normally result in failure in the subject.

Teese, R., Polesel, J., Undemocratic Schooling, Melbourne University Press, 2003

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Apply research data to an analysis of social and economic influences on policy;
• Critically analyse, understand and report on policy issues;
• Apply international research findings to the Australian policy context;
• Relate research findings to their own experience as practitioners.