The National Plan for School Improvement

A Plan for our country's future

The National Plan for School Improvement is Australia's opportunity to lift the performance of all schools and make sure we do not leave any child behind. It establishes a new, fairer school funding approach linked to reforms to take Australian schools into the top five in the world.

The National Plan for School Improvement was developed in consultation with Education Ministers across the country, based on the best evidence available about what makes a difference to school performance and student outcomes.

The National Plan for School Improvement will be a genuine partnership between the Commonwealth and the States, with non‑government systems and schools working with the Commonwealth and their respective State or Territory government to implement the reforms.

National reforms with local flexibility

No State, system or school is exactly the same. States and Territories will each agree with the Commonwealth an appropriate rollout of reforms for their jurisdiction, taking into account local context and need.

However, more flexibility will not mean less accountability. Each State, system and school will have its own plan for how it will implement the reforms, and they will report back on progress to the public and governments.

The five areas of reform

Consistent national action

While most of the reforms will be tailored to individual States, systems and schools, some reforms require consistent national action to ensure that all students are given the same opportunities for a great education. This will include:

higher entry standards and more support for new teachers through improved initial teacher education, registration and certification against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers;
a national assessment program aligned with the Australian Curriculum to better measure outcomes across Australia;
national data collection, research, reporting and dissemination of evidence of successful strategies for school improvement; and
acceleration of the national effort to close the gap in education outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.