Changing Australian education by Alan Reid
Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2019. ISBN: 9781760875206.
Subtitled: How policy is taking us backwards and what can be
done about it. The author (an Adelaide ex-teacher and
university education lecturer) argues that neoliberalism is the
underlying cause of the problems in Australian education. These are
identified as a culture of competition (NAPLAN, PISA, etc. scores)
and an emphasis on self rather than the common good, leading to
inequitable educational outcomes and a socially segregated education
system including privatisation of the school system.
The proposed solution is to establish the purposes of education
which the author recommends as categorised into democratic,
economic, individual (education for its own sake) and social and
cultural purposes. Establishing these should lead to a fairer and
socially just society - the opposite of the effects of
neoliberalism. A case study is utilised to expand on the suggested
solution.
The book is useful for the general public interested in education as
well as educators as it covers a historical basis to current
education policy and discusses reviews of major reports (e.g. Gonski
Review, Grattan Report, work of T. Hattie) as well as critiques of
NAPLAN and PISA. However I found the language structure and terms
used detracted from ease of reading.
Ann Griffin