Government Agencies in Australia

Responsibility for education lies with the states and systems may vary slightly. This section only references public agencies working at the federal level. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) is the lead federal agency providing national leadership in education. The other federal agencies in the education sector are: the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority which develops curriculum and administers national exams, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council which works to enhance teaching practices in higher education, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, which helps to promote excellence in the teaching profession in primary and high schools and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.

Public spending on education was 5.1% of GDP in 2009.

The Australian Government is committed to working with state and territory governments, and faith and independent school sectors, to make sustainable and meaningful change in the way teaching and learning are delivered in Australian schools.

A major initiative is the Digital Education Revolution, which is an integral part of the government’s education revolution. The programme aims to positively change and develop teaching and learning in schools to prepare students to study, live and work in a digital world. It provides for new information and communication technology and broadband connections in all secondary schools with students in years 9 to 12; online curriculum tools and resources to support the national curriculum and conferencing facilities for specialist subjects such as languages; teacher training in the new technologies; and online learning facilities for parents to enable participation in their children’s education.