Meeting the World Half Way: Towards an Australian School Sector Strategy (April 2006)

Australian Education International commissioned Professor Malcolm Skilbeck and Dr Helen Connell to undertake a study of the current situation, and to inform and guide the development of a School sector strategy to support the sector’s international engagement over the next three to five years. The consultants’ report is one of the inputs to the strategy, and will be made available to stakeholders after the release of the strategy in July 2006.

Central to the project was an investigation of both traditional and emerging competitor countries’ policies and practices for fee-paying international school students. The analysis is divided into two main sections, the first contains our four main competitors – the UK, USA, Canada and New Zealand, and the second part provides new education hubs.

According to the consultants’ report, Australia compares favourably with our competitors in the international fee paying schools market in terms of legislation, regulatory and quality assurance structures, marketing, and provision of a well regarded educational and cultural experience.  However, there is much that Australian schools can learn from the experience of others, and gain a better understanding of the policy environment of competitor countries.