Education tied up in red tape

UNLIKE the 2004, 2007 and, to a lesser extent, 2010 federal elections, school education policies appear unlikely to play any role in this election. Many voters will remember Mark Latham's "hit list" in 2004 and Kevin Rudd's "education revolution" in 2007, both factors in determining election outcomes.

With less than two weeks to polling day, it is somewhat surprising that the major parties have been close to silent on school education. Newspoll consistently rates education as an issue of considerable interest to voters (despite the fact the commonwealth government does not operate any schools or employ any teachers); and schools and their communities have been subjected to an extended period of uncertainty since 2010 as the Gonski reforms were formulated, greatly changed and finally enshrined in legislation under the Australian Education Act 2013.

The parties should allay the fears of many schools and their communities that are confused about the proposed government school reforms to begin next year.

The Coalition appears to be satisfied that it has neutralised the debate by committing to the funding envelope of the ALP across the next four years, effectively locking it into the Better Schools Plan, albeit perhaps with minor changes at the margin. It may turn out to have been a lost opportunity to promote some alternative strategies recently outlined by opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne around the quality of teaching.

Funding is important, but the real differences in student outcomes depend on the quality of teaching and learning. Both parties should articulate a clear position on what is becoming a disturbing issue for schools: increasing red tape, compliance and duplication between federal and state regulation. With the passage of the Australian Education Act in June, we have entered into a new era of federal control of school education. Queensland independent schools now have to report to the Australian government about school improvement without any consideration of their existing reporting responsibilities to the Queensland government on the same matters.

This is extremely frustrating and will divert scarce resources into administration and away from students. Independent Schools Queensland has made a clear call for the next federal government to focus on reducing this administrative burden on schools. It seems all too easy for our politicians to talk of reducing red tape, but rarely do we see it actually happen.

There are more than 50 separate plans, programs, frameworks and indices linked to the National Plan for School Improvement. In return for government funding, principals and their staff are expected to report on all of these initiatives. In addition, in the past two years there have been at least 13 separate pieces of new federal legislation that apply to independent schools. All these laws have an impact on schools, which will be required to implement, comply or engage with this legislation.

All schools accept the need to be accountable for public funding, but these requirements should be balanced with the need to avoid unnecessary red tape and duplication of compliance between federal and state governments. We should also acknowledge that most schools are achieving good educational outcomes and not frame legislative requirements in the context that governments need to regulate against any possibility that things will go wrong. Let's enable schools to get on with the job rather than constrain them.

The Coalition has made positive indications in terms of rebalancing commonwealth and state relations and recognising the responsibilities of state governments, including the constitutional responsibility for school education. Indications are the Coalition will provide the required funding for schools without the strings attached. One can only hope that the ALP may make a similar commitment. A refreshing approach would be for both the major parties to commit to not increasing the legislative and compliance burden on schools for the full term of the next federal parliament. Let's fund schools appropriately and then let them get on with educating students.

David Robertson is the executive director of Independent Schools Queensland.