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Education Minister Jason Clare announced plans Tuesday to merge four national education agencies into a single "Teaching and Learning Commission," seeking to coordinate reforms tied to a $16 billion Commonwealth investment in public schools over the next decade.
Clare revealed he has written to state and territory education ministers proposing the consolidation ahead of their mid-October meeting. The merger would combine the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, the Australian Education Research Organisation and Education Services Australia under one organizational structure.
"What I'm proposing here is that we bring them all under the one roof to improve coordination, but something which is bigger potentially than the sum of its parts," Clare told ABC's Afternoon Briefing program. The commission would "support all states to make sure that we hit those targets and that we turn around that decline in the number of kids finishing high school."
The proposal comes as all Australian states and territories have signed funding agreements worth an additional $16 billion in Commonwealth investment for public schools over 10 years. Clare emphasized the funding includes performance requirements rather than providing a "blank check" to education systems.
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Agency Consolidation Details
The four organizations targeted for merger each serve distinct but related functions within Australia's education framework. ACARA maintains the national curriculum and administers NAPLAN testing, while AITSL sets teaching standards across the country. The Australian Education Research Organisation conducts independent research on evidence-based classroom practices, and Education Services Australia provides technology tools for schools.
Clare said the consolidated commission would oversee reforms to university teacher education programs, ensuring graduates develop skills for teaching literacy, managing disruptive classrooms and supporting students with additional needs.
"We're producing teachers out of our universities that are better ready with the skills they need to teach children to read, to write, to manage disruptive classrooms and children with additional needs," Clare said.
The minister indicated early support from education ministers, unions, think tanks and principal organizations for the merger concept. However, the commission's specific role and powers remain under discussion.
Student Performance Challenges
Clare highlighted persistent achievement gaps driving the reform push, noting one in 10 Australian children perform below minimum national standards set through NAPLAN testing. The proportion rises to one in three children from disadvantaged backgrounds, with only 20 percent of struggling students catching up over time.
"80 percent of kids that are behind when they're eight are still behind when they're 15," Clare said. "We know that it's in our public schools that most disadvantaged children are taught. That's where the real heavy lifting happens."
The funding agreements tie Commonwealth investment to specific interventions, including phonics and numeracy checks in kindergarten, preparatory or year one classes. Schools would then provide targeted support through small group tutoring programs.
"A child can learn as much in six months as they'd normally learn in 12," Clare said of intensive tutoring approaches that remove struggling students from large classrooms for individualized instruction.
Mental Health Integration
The education reforms connect with broader government health initiatives, including the Thriving Kids project overseen by Health Minister Mark Butler. Clare confirmed coordination between education and health portfolios to address rising numbers of students requiring support services.
The $16 billion investment will fund mental health supports in schools, particularly at the high school level. Some schools will operate as "full service" facilities housing doctors, pediatric nurses, speech therapists and occupational therapists alongside teaching staff.
"All of the non-teaching staff that can be fundamental in making sure that children not only attend, but are focused and listening and learning and complete school," Clare said.
Victorian Truth-Telling Curriculum
Clare addressed Victoria's announcement Tuesday to embed truth-telling about Indigenous history in school curricula as part of the state's treaty process. The minister supported the principle while noting he had not reviewed detailed proposals.
"What children are taught in our schools today is very different to what we were taught when we were kids, when very much we were told what happened after Captain Cook arrived," Clare said, referencing the national curriculum established under former Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Clare said Gillard established the framework to avoid "a black armband or a white blindfold version of history" and instead "want the truth." States adopt the national curriculum framework and can adapt it to local requirements.
When asked whether other states should follow Victoria's approach, Clare said he wanted children "taught the truth" but would not announce curriculum changes during the television interview. He expected Victorian Education Minister Ben Carroll to share the state's approach with other jurisdictions.
Political Controversy Response
Clare joined growing calls for Shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Jacinta Nampajimpa Price to apologize for recent comments about Indian Australian voters, praising Liberal MP Julian Leeser for publicly criticizing Price's remarks.
"Julian's right, Jacinta Price should have apologised immediately and still should apologise now, if for only the simple fact of what it means in helping to keep our community together," Clare said.
The education minister described Australia as "the best country in the world" partly because "we're a country made up of people from all around the world living here together, almost always in harmony." He said political and media leaders have responsibility to "help to knit our community together" rather than make people "feel like they're unwelcome or they don't belong."
Implementation Timeline
The proposed education agency merger requires approval from state and territory education ministers at their October meeting. Clare indicated the commission's detailed design would be developed collaboratively if ministers support the concept in principle.
The minister noted existing organizations like the Australian Education Research Organisation already lead work on phonics-based reading instruction, saying "the reading wars are over" and major states including New South Wales and Victoria are implementing evidence-based approaches.
The commission would coordinate research and implementation of teaching methods while overseeing the delivery of Commonwealth funding tied to measurable improvements in student outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged children in public schools where achievement gaps remain most pronounced.
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