Coalition Plans Big Changes to Australia's Schools

Australia's Coalition opposition has announced a major plan to change how schools teach students across the country. Shadow Education Minister Julian Leeser revealed the plan at a speech in western Sydney. The changes would add new lessons on Western values and culture, fly the Australian flag at every school, and make it easier for people to become teachers. The Coalition says these reforms are needed because students' academic results have been getting worse.

Mr. Leeser said Australia's classrooms are facing serious problems that need to be fixed right away. He pointed out that boys in particular are falling behind in their studies, and that some classrooms have become disruptive or even dangerous. 'Our academic performance is worse than ever,' he said. He believes that big, wide-reaching reforms — what he called 'root and branch' changes — are the only way to restore high standards in education.

One of the biggest changes involves how Indigenous Australian history is taught. Right now, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures are woven into many different subjects across the school curriculum. The Coalition wants to remove this approach, known as cross-curricular teaching, and instead make Indigenous history its own separate, carefully planned subject within classes like history or geography. Mr. Leeser said children should still learn about Indigenous heritage, just as they learn about Australia's British roots and multicultural identity.

The Coalition also wants students to study Western values and culture as a clear part of the curriculum. This would include learning about classical works of literature, art, music, and philosophy that have shaped Australian society. Mr. Leeser said he wants young Australians to feel connected to the ideas and traditions that built their country. Flying the Australian flag at every school would also be part of building this sense of national pride.

The plan also includes making it faster and easier to train as a teacher. A Coalition government would support bringing back a one-year teacher accreditation program. The Coalition says a NSW report showed that switching to longer qualifications meant around 9,000 people did not end up becoming teachers between 2015 and 2022. Bringing back shorter training is meant to help fill the shortage of teachers in Australian schools.

Another new idea is creating a special teaching pathway for military veterans. Mr. Leeser suggested that former soldiers may have the discipline and leadership skills needed to handle difficult classrooms. The Coalition's plan would also set up a national framework to help all Australian schools write clear rules about how students are expected to behave. This comes in response to growing reports of abuse directed at teachers.