Overview

• Education Minister Jason Clare proposed a single Teaching and Learning Commission bringing ACARA, AITSL, AERO and ESA under one roof.
• The commission would steer reforms tied to the Better Fairer Schools Arrangement, including a 7.5% lift on 2022 high school completion rates by 2030.
• Clare pointed to falling public school completion rates—from about 83% to as low as 73% over the past decade—and widespread shortfalls in NAPLAN with only 20% of Year 3 strugglers later catching up.
• The government says the funding is not a blank cheque, with the new body expected to drive evidence-based measures such as early phonics and numeracy checks.
• States and territories were asked to consider the plan ahead of an October 17 ministers’ meeting, as unions sought teachers’ input and the opposition offered to work constructively.