Debt relief is a start but Indigenous research students need other support now
By Thu Pham, Peter Anderson, C4IE member Angela Baeza Pena and Levon Blue “Debt relief is welcome, but it won’t keep students in programs where they feel unsafe, unsupported, or invisible.” The Albanese Government’s recent move to wipe out 20% of student HECS-HELP debt is a welcome financial reprieve, a symbolic and practical gesture…
Inclusive education: What will it take?
In this C4IE blog, QUT’s Professor Suzanne Carrington and Dr Glenys Mann warn against segregating children with disability. The recent announcement that six more special schools are to be built in Queensland reminds us that progress on inclusive education can never be taken for granted. International conventions on the right to an…
Students in Year 10 are set to choose senior subjects. Those with disability miss out. Why?
In this blog, Dr Lara Maia-Pike from C4IE highlights how Year 10 students across Australia face anxiety during career events and subject-selection interviews for Years 11 and 12, and explains that while making decisions about their future is challenging for most, it becomes even more complex for those in equity groups—especially students…
On AERO: Read this now. The critiques are well-founded
In the latest AARE blog, Professor Linda Graham from C4IE, shares timely reflections on the KPMG review of the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). KPMG is conducting a review of the Australian Educational Research Organisation (AERO), a ministerial-owned company funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory…
‘Woke’: Australian teaching must hold tight to the fair go
In this blog, Professor Linda Graham addresses the politicised label of “woke” in Australian education, arguing that such rhetoric poses a threat to the nation’s foundational value of a “fair go” and undermines essential principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in schools and universities. When asked last week what he would…
Building joined up policy now, across and beyond the education sector
C4IE member Professor Martin Mills, in his second post for the AARE blog on education priorities for the 2025 federal election, explains why Australia needs “connected solutions” and “stronger alignment across sectors and policy portfolios”. Education Crises: Teacher Shortages and Student Attendance One of the most pressing issues is…
Attendance matters – but official reports don’t tell the whole story
The school attendance campaigns around Australia remind us that “every day counts”, which is vital for academic success, emotional well-being, and social connection. However, the reality is that national attendance has steadily declined, dropping from nearly 92% in 2018 to just over 88% in 2025. In a recent blog post from AARE,…
C4IE's verdict on government responses to the Disability Royal Commission recommendations for education
In this C4IE blog, Professor Linda Graham and Dr Lara Maia-Pike examine the recent government responses to recommendations made in the Disability Royal Commission final report. It is often said that inclusive education is all about leadership. Reform efforts therefore often focus on school principals, however, they are but one person…
To achieve equity in higher education outcomes, we need to change how we teach
In this C4IE blog, Linda Graham, Lara Maia-Pike, and Jenna Gillett-Swan consider what the 2024 May Budget means for the inclusion of students in priority equity groups, and those with unidentified disabilities, in higher education. In the week leading up to Budget Night, the Minister for Education, Hon Jason Clare MP, announced changes…
Australia doesn't need a 'Behaviour Curriculum'. We need to implement Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
In a recent blog post, Melissa Close and Professor Linda Graham from C4IE challenge the Australian Senate Inquiry’s push for a ‘Behaviour Curriculum’ aimed at reducing classroom disruptions. They argue that this recommendation overly simplifies the complex nature of student behaviour, particularly overlooking the needs of specific…