Education: Improving standards only way to compete with China

With Australia sliding in the global education rankings and China on our doorstep, we need to invest in our children’s education today, say policy experts.

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

Those were the words of African-American human rights activist Malcolm X, who believed in the power of education.

It’s also a rallying call by campaigners in the run up to the election who say good quality education is the best way for Australia to build back stronger post-Covid.

McKell Institute chief executive Michael Buckland said his team’s analysis of the sector from early childhood education, through to primary and high school, TAFE and university, found more government investment was needed if Australia wanted to remain competitive on the global stage, particularly in regards to China.

McKell Institute chief executive Michael Buckland. Picture: Twitter

Australia would never be able to match China on wages, so producing innovative students was the only way forward, he said.

Successive Coalition governments would argue they have funnelled billions of extra federal dollars into education.

Despite this, Australia’s education world rankings have continued to slide.

Australia was now in 16th place for reading, 17th for science, and 29th for maths.

Advocates for change said the government needed to back evidence-based solutions.

For example, early childhood education campaigners said there was already plenty of research to show that an affordable, high-quality childhood education system from birth to age four would bring about an annual return on investment of $15 billion by 2045.

Covid has highlighted major problems across multiple sectors from health to aged care, and of course, in an election year everyone is calling for more money.

But those urging the government to invest in education say Malcolm X was right. If we want to be on top tomorrow, we need to invest in our children’s education today.