Education Ministers have agreed to establish the Australian Teaching and Learning Commission, bringing four national education bodies together under one organisation, alongside reforms to curriculum, classroom technology and assessment.
The Australian Teaching and Learning Commission will bring together the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) and Education Services Australia (ESA).
The new body will be responsible for the national curriculum, national testing, national teacher standards, teacher training and research.
Announcing the decision on 5 November, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the commission would make it easier for teachers and schools to access information, resources and support.
“Teachers don’t experience those four things separately. They experience it together in the classroom,” Mr Clare said.
The commission is intended to improve coordination across different areas of the school education system and support reforms being introduced through the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.
The announcement follows months of consideration by Education Ministers about the proposed structure and responsibilities of a national teaching and learning body. The latest decision confirms agreement to establish the commission, although further detail about its operation and implementation has not been provided in the announcement.
National digital detox taskforce to examine screen use
Ministers have also agreed to a national approach to reducing excessive screen time and restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in schools.
A new Australian Schools Digital Detox Taskforce will collect evidence, survey students, teachers and parents, and advise ministers on further action to address digital device use in 2027.
Ministers agreed to set or consider screen-time limits in schools across the country. They also agreed to restrict generative AI use in primary schools and secondary school assessments.
The taskforce will examine the evidence and recommend further steps, rather than immediately impose a single national screen-time limit.
Year 5 NAPLAN writing tests will also return to pen and paper from 2028. Mr Clare said the change would allow the assessment to better test primary students’ writing proficiency without the distraction of a screen.
Maths, financial literacy and civics curriculum changes
Curriculum reforms will begin next year, with changes to the first three years of primary mathematics designed to make learning expectations clearer and establish the order in which students develop mathematical knowledge.
The revised curriculum will also support age-appropriate financial literacy.
ACARA has been tasked with a targeted review of the Years 3–6 mathematics curriculum, including a greater focus on financial literacy.
Ministers have also asked ACARA to provide advice on making Civics and Citizenship content compulsory in Years 9 and 10. The proposed content would cover the Australian Constitution, law-making, the legal system and how democracy operates.
The request is for further advice, rather than a confirmed change to compulsory curriculum requirements.
New curriculum focus on Jewish history and culture
Ministers have endorsed recommendations from the Antisemitism Education Taskforce, with changes to begin next year.
The curriculum changes will strengthen students’ understanding of Jewish history and culture, including the contributions of Jewish Australians.
A new Social Cohesion Education Advisory Council, chaired by David Gonski AC, will undertake further work to strengthen social cohesion through education and advise on embedding Australian values in the curriculum.
Mr Clare said the decisions represented the next stage of reforms intended to improve student learning and support teachers.
“We have to make sure our students are learning about our democracy and Australian values,” he said.
The announcement followed this week’s Education Ministers Meeting and brings together a series of national decisions affecting school curriculum, assessment, technology use and the organisations supporting teaching and learning.