For decades, Australian schools have laboured under a stultifying fug of fancy modern ‘educational theory’, such as ‘whole language’ and ‘student-centred learning’. Results have plunged steadily downward. The ‘educational theory’ is falsified.
Teachers unions, of course, demand more money. Yet, we’ve poured billions more, year on year, into schools. And still the results have gone down. Clearly, then, money is not the answer, either.
So, why not go back to what worked for centuries and what still works in high-achieving Asian countries: a well-disciplined, teacher-led classroom with explicit instructions and expectations?
That’s exactly what Melbourne’s Catholic schools are doing – and the results are showing.
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) will announce its new “Vision for Engagement” that covers its 290 schools and 118,000 students on Wednesday at The Age Schools Summit in the CBD.
The new MACS framework will be based on the principles of explicit instruction – which was adopted by all MACS schools for maths, reading and writing last year – and will aim to make respectful student behaviour a core focus.
The approach will also feature a “strong stance” against the harmful effects of social media.
The new framework builds on a ‘back to basics’ approach adopted by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools for the 2024 school year.
The method means teachers introduce concepts and skills that students learn “step by step”, with clear explanations and demonstrations of what they have to learn, including the use of phonics.
According to Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, there has been an improvement in year 3 numeracy proficiency across its school network.
Data shows a 41 per cent improvement in numeracy skills at St Mary’s College in Seymour after just one year, while other schools have had improvements of at least 17 per cent or higher.
“While still early days, we are already starting to see the green shoots of the systemic changes we are making,” said the organisation’s executive director, Edward Simons.
The success of last year has convinced Catholic schools that the approach should be widened to social expectations of students in the classroom.
“Now, we are intentionally sharpening our focus on student engagement as a key pillar of how we support student growth – through explicit teaching of respectful behaviour, shared expectations and consistent reinforcement,” Simons said.
Expectations of students include “behaving respectfully towards others, attending school every day on time … and listening intently and paying attention”.
Most notably, Catholic schools are ditching the decade-long fad for screen-based ‘education’. So much for iPads and laptops for every student. Which has been a nice little earner for tech companies, maybe, but little else.
That includes a strong pushback against the influence of screens, Simons said, after overwhelming feedback from MACS teachers, support staff and parents that social media was causing serious harm to children.
“The harm social media causes in and outside classrooms is having a detrimental impact not only on learning but on student behaviour and overall wellbeing,” he said.
“We must take a much clearer stance against the profit-driven motives of technology companies so that schools do not unintentionally contribute to the harm being caused.
“Mobile phones and social media have no role in learning at school, and we are moving beyond words to clear action. Our shift to explicit instruction has already reduced the reliance on screens in our schools, but we are taking that further to minimise the use of technology where it’s not essential as part of learning.”
Remember when hoity-toity private schools were boasting that they’d cleared their library shelves because they didn’t need books any more, now they had their fancy iPads? They look about as foolish as the people who threw out all their vinyl records in the early ’90s.
To give the Albanese government rare credit, Education Minister Jason Clare actually seems to be genuinely dedicated to returning Australian schools back to excellence. Clare is already working with states and territories to reform teacher training at universities. A new curriculum is due next year. Let’s see if it ditches all the woke garbage (‘indigenous maths and science’, anyone?) and goes back to what worked for so long.
