SVA welcomes the report Educational opportunity in Australia 2015: Who succeeds and who misses out, prepared by the Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES) for the Mitchell Institute. The report is a comprehensive data study of educational opportunities and outcomes for young Australians at key stages in their lives.

While confirming educational disparity in Australia, including that 10 per cent of children start school not developmentally ready and remain behind at all stages, the report also stated that ‘being behind at any point need not be a life sentence, even for the disadvantaged.’

SVA’s Director of Education Matt Deeble commented:

‘This report confirms SVA’s stance that breaking the link between family income and student outcomes is critical and that educational disadvantage need not be a given. The report shows that schools can and do “bridge gaps and help young people overcome earlier set-backs”. This is encouraging and aligns with SVA’s experience working with outstanding schools and educators across the country. Their approaches turnaround outcomes for children who don’t have the same preparation and resources that children in more affluent communities receive.’

‘The report also underscores the importance of using evidence to inform education policy and robust evaluation of programs in schools to ensure we are getting the best educational return on our investments. This is especially the case for low SES communities who rely even more heavily on consistently great teaching in schools to create the opportunities for improvement for their children and an equal chance to participate fully in modern Australian society.’

The full report can be found at: http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/reports/educational-opportunity-in-australia-2015-who-succeeds-and-who-misses-out/