An opportunity to make Education better and fairer through NSRA review

National children’s education charity, The Smith Family, has welcomed the opportunity to participate in consultations of the review of the National School Reform Agreement (NSRA), which is designed to improve student outcomes in Australian schools, and to create a better and fairer education system.

The NSRA sets out national policy initiatives and reform directions to be agreed on by the Federal and all state and territory governments over a five-year period, beginning in 2025. The review Panel is chaired by former Smith Family CEO, Dr Lisa O’Brien, and includes a range of experts on education and school policy.

The Smith Family’s CEO, Doug Taylor, is on the National School Reform Agreement Ministerial Reference Group,which is a sounding board and source of advice to the Panel. He said he will be advocating on behalf of children and young people experiencing disadvantage for a more equitable system, so they don't miss out on a great education.

“School is a really important part of a child’s life – and so they’re able to be fully empowered, we need the education system, through the new NSRA to work with the wider service systems, and place children and young people at the centre of this reform.”

“This is even more crucial for students experiencing disadvantage, whose families often struggle to access essential services like health, community services, NDIS, income support, and housing, all of which impacts on students’ capacity to achieve,” he said.

In its submission to the Review, The Smith Family is also calling for parents to be better supported to engage with their children’s learning.

“Learning doesn’t stop when a child leaves the school gate, and parental engagement is a key predictor of their child’s success at school – regardless of family background. Parental engagement in their children’s education improves academic outcomes, increases attendance, and makes it more likely that a young person will enrol in further education post school, leading to better life outcomes.”

Mr Taylor said improving literacy, numeracy and digital skills for vulnerable students is also essential – especially after COVID-19. 

“The pandemic exacerbated existing learning gaps between children experiencing disadvantage and their more advantaged peers. By the time a student reaches Year 9, they can be up to 5 years behind their peers in literacy and numeracy. We must ensure we don’t leave any students behind, by providing additional, evidence-based supports – like targeted tutoring programs – to ensure they remain engaged in their education, finish Year 12 and go on to further study or work.”

“It’s also essential young people have the digital skills required to thrive both at school and beyond in an ever-changing job market, and because of this we are calling for a digital skills strategy to be implemented.”

Mr Taylor said that careers support while students are still in school should also be a focus of the NSRA, so young people stay engaged and are better prepared for their future post-school, with evidence showing improved outcomes for young people who have multiple engagements with the world of work. 

The Smith Family is also calling for a data-driven approach to drive improvement of student outcomes.

“Improved public reporting on how students are tracking – including tracking attendance rates - stronger use of data and evidence, and a culture that promotes the sharing of learnings across jurisdictions, are all essential foundations for a better and fairer education system. They will help identify where to invest and contribute to greater community confidence in Australia’s schooling system and what can be achieved for all young Australians.”

“Importantly, we are also calling for an Independent Assessor, so these outcomes can be measured.” 
Mr Taylor said while school funding is not within the scope of the Panel, The Smith Family welcomes the Australian Government’s commitment to working with State and Territory Governments to get every school to 100 percent of its fair funding level.  

“How money is spent in education matters, but what resources are provided to schools, particularly to government schools which educate a higher proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, also matters.”

“This also includes incentives for the best teachers to work at the most disadvantaged schools, given the positive impact of teacher quality on student outcomes.”

The Ministerial Reference Group will meet again ahead of the Panel’s final report, which is expected to be delivered to Education Ministers by 31 October 2023.


To find out more about The Smith Family’s involvement with the NSRA, click here.