The collection of data by government authorities has a complex history. In Australia, this began with the establishment of British government settlements as a way to account for fiscal viability and social prospects. As the colonies became self-governing entities, the collection of social and economic data increased in importance, and included…

For the last two decades, the Australian Federal Government has taken responsibility for funding disability employment services, and the states and territories are responsible for accommodation, respite, and community access services (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004-2011). Replacing the existing Commonwealth State Territory…

Attainment of functional English literacy skills by all students has been a focus of Australian national policy since the 1989 Hobart Declaration (MCEETYA, 1989). This focus underpins current educational accountability policy enacted through the National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). The Adelaide and Melbourne Declarations…

This paper examines the Australian government's Indigenous policy by interrogating the concept of partnership between governments and Indigenous communities through three examples. Increasingly, the Australian federal government is focusing attention on the poor literacy and numeracy outcomes for Indigenous children in remote and very remote…

In the increasingly research and innovation-driven landscape of higher education, the Federal Government's Teaching and Learning Fund is supposed to redress the balance. Leesa Wheelehan is unconvinced. She argues the fund simply encourages game-playing between institutions in manipulating their teaching outcomes, and rewards good teaching on…

This article argues that public education needs to be reclaimed to fulfill its role as a "democratising force" to address social and economic inequality and to respect and recognise diversity and difference. By analysing historical developments in federal policy, funding and economic contexts a case is developed to demonstrate that the…

This paper contributes to the debate over how the federal government can best help state and local authorities improve student achievement by providing examples from other countries of innovations in the role of the national government. The authors believe that the degree to which foreign policy structures parallel those of the United States are…

The Australian higher education system has experienced significant changes since the mid-1980s. Notable are introduction of an income-contingent loan (the Higher Education Contribution Scheme) for "government" funded places; changing from aid to trade with respect to international students, including introduction of full fees for such…

It is suggested that current Australian higher education policy focuses more on quality control than improvement. The way "quality" is presented in current federal policy documents is examined, and it is argued that an improvement approach could be used to generate new practices while meeting external pressures for accountability. (MSE)

Australia's national policy concerning equity in higher education is examined, particularly policy concerning funding and accountability mechanisms. The absence of any analytical or theoretical basis for planning and prioritization of equity initiatives and resulting limitations on their effectiveness are discussed. (MSE)

The Australian government's reform policy treats education as a mechanism for economic development. To achieve national goals, the government is stressing skills education, private-sector involvement in skills education, increased participation in education, increased school retention rates, improvement in overall education quality, and…

The provisions in Australia's 1993 Higher Education Budget Statement regarding equity, diversity, and educational quality are examined. The discussion draws on current models of governance of public and private systems to examine ways in which the federal government has imposed accountability mechanisms on institutions. (Author/MSE)