Australians do it Better: An
‘Outsider’s Perspective on Gifted
Education “Down Under”
Professor Karen B. Rogers
University of St. Thomas
Minneapolis, Minnesota
kbrogers@stthomas.edu
A Summary of This Outsider’s
Experiences With Australian Schools
 Before going to GERRIC full-time in 2005, I made
yearly 2+ week trips there:
COGE training (1994 - 2005)
Research seminars to School of Education faculty
and postgraduate students at UNSW
Parent seminars through GERRIC student
programs
ARC Linkage Curriculum Development project with
two NSW high schools - lived at each school for a
period of 3 months working with teachers in these
schools on a daily basis. (“Artist in Residence”
project in education perhaps?)
A Summary of This Outsider’s
Experiences With Australian Schools
2005-2007
Talking with parents (individually and in
groups) - parents of gifted children,
primarily
DEST regional & remote workshops (10) - 900
Seminars through GERRIC - 1,300
GERRIC workshops for parent groups - 450
Parents at conferences - 300
Email conversations within Australia - 75
Internet chat forum - 100
A Summary of This Outsider’s
Experiences With Australian Schools
2005-2007
Talking with teachers
In Gifted Education settings:
COGE - 800
School workshops - 930
In Conferences - 1,290
In Regular Education settings
In-services - 1,625
School observations (practicum supervisions) - 25
Classroom observations - 32
A Summary of This Outsider’s
Experiences With Australian Schools
2005-2007
Speaking to and with K-12 students
(gifted)
Ceremonies - 390
Research - 4,350 + 30 (in-depth)
Evaluations - 4
Relating to and with K-12 students
(regular)
Research - 900
A Summary of This Outsider’s
Experiences With Australian Schools
2005-2007
Speaking to and with principals, education
executives
Workshops - 185
Conferences - 172
Speaking to and with policy makers - 10
A Summary of This Outsider’s
Experiences With Australian Schools
2005-2007
University Experiences
Undergraduate teaching - 400 (guest lectures)
Practicum supervision - 25 schools
Postgraduate supervision
9 PhDs
3 Masters
UNSW Ethics Panel member
Collaboration with other Aussie universities - 4
A Summary of This Outsider’s
Experiences With Australian Schools
2005-2007
15 field-based research studies in K-12
schools
6 Catholic
4 government
7 independent
Advisory Committees
Government working groups (2)
Catholic Education Office (2)
Telstra/art museum critical friend
In Summary
I haven’t seen it all, but I have been
fortunate to see quite a lot!
To qualify my experiences, though, my focus
has been primarily through the lens of the
greater Sydney region and New South Wales,
despite many visits to all other states and
territories.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Pluses
 The choices of schooling from kindergarten through
year 12 are mind boggling!
 The representation of schools with fairly equal
attendance in each of the three major education
systems makes for remarkable choice and fit for
children and families. Everyone has the chance to
find the ‘perfect’ school.
 Correspondingly, leaders from within each education
system appear to cooperate with the other sectors
when it comes to providing the vision of what
schooling should be for Australian students. If one
system has a good idea for tracking special needs
students, for example, that will be readily shared
with another system.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Pluses
 In public schools, there are 114 schools with
Opportunity Classes designed to address the
advanced academic needs of 10% of elementary
children in grades 5 and 6. The OC school system has
been in place continuously since the early and mid1930s. There is a rich collection of data to tell us that
this system works to best educate Australia’s
brightest students.
 Many public schools also provide ‘preparatory’
classrooms for those children below grade 5 whom
they feel will be accepted into OC classes
 There is an objective and comprehensive assessment
system in place to find and place gifted children into
these classes.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Pluses
 In the Catholic education system, there is a strong
policy in place to support every school that wishes to
provide gifted services. Approximately 5-10% of
gifted children within this system are being provided
with high quality enrichment and differentiation.
Regional GT coordinators are in place to support
these schools.
 In general education, the Catholic Education Office,
in particular, has focused heavily on the greater than
expected proportion of indigenous students, ‘invisible
underachievers’, and NESB students it finds in its
schools. Regional coordinators are in place to support
the schools with these students. In many of these
schools, special populations account for 65%-90% of
the student body.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Pluses
 In the private school system, increasing numbers of
schools are providing ‘Opportunity Classes’ for bright
students, over and above the concerted efforts they
have made to meet these needs traditionally. In
general, approximately 20-25% of students in these
schools are being provided with differentiated and
enriched gifted services.
 A tremendous number of scholarships are made
available to economically disadvantaged, NESB, and
indigenous families to encourage independent school
attendance. NESB student comprise at least 40% of
these schools’ student populations.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Pluses
 Elementary children, when spoken to, can express
themselves clearly and well. They also write clearly
and seem to receive consistent training in how to
communicate with precision and expression.
 Their general mathematical knowledge and skill
certainly surpasses what U.S. children are taught.
They are moving into higher mathematics at least
two years in advance of what is offered in the U.S.
Australia will not be at the bottom in international
comparisons.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Pluses
 Creativity and the arts seem to be valued and
consistently integral to Australia’s curriculum. This
may help to explain the high per capita numbers of
highly creative filmmakers, actors, authors, and
musicians in this country of 22 million people.
 State produced Board of Studies syllabus outcomes
are of high calibre in almost all curriculum areas.
Australian children are not learning minimal
competencies. Their learning outcomes are rich,
multi-faceted, higher order, and allow for true
differentiation for different learners rather than the
production of ‘cookie cutter’ clones, all having
achieved minimal competencies.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Pluses
 Much less time, money, and focus need to be placed
on behavior and discipline in schools. Is it the
uniforms? Is it the comparatively small number of
students each school takes in?
 Teachers in primary schools seem to be much more
committed and satisfied with their positions. They
seem to focus on how to do a better job with teaching
and learning rather than on how to spend their
summer months and time off. Could it be the year
round school schedule that supports this to a certain
extent? Could it be that there is considerably more
mobility between schools? Teachers tend to move to
another school when they wish to pick up another set
of ‘skills’. AND pay rates are comparable across
systems.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Pluses
 Elementary school teachers, regardless of education
system, seem to view their work as fulfilling, their
students as individuals, and their own continuing
professional education as important roles.
 Elementary school principals communicate a pride in
their schools, a confidence that they are trying their
best, and a willingness to let an ‘outsider’ come in
and take a look. They are also very open to advice on
how to improve what they do. Budget and personnel
management seem to be of lesser importance than
whether or not students are learning.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Minuses
 Students in OC classes and in many other classes are
overtly ranked by their performance.
 Does this suggest that assessment is considered a
normative process rather than a criterion-based one?
 Does this suggest that the assessments provided to
children do not contain the more important corrective
feedback children need to learn than to tell them
‘how they did’? (Are we falling into this same trap
with NCLB?)
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Minuses
 How the OC classes are perceived and who gets into
them are surrounded with misperceptions. In some
schools, the OC class is seen as the ‘good’ class.
 Likewise, teachers in schools will complain that the
OC students only ‘got in’ because they were coached
to do so. True enough, there are large numbers of
coaching ‘colleges’ in NSW.
 There is also the misperception that the reason there
is an ‘over-representation’ of Asian nationalities in
these schools is because of the coaching and work
ethic of families rather than students’ natural
abilities.
Perceptions of Elementary Schooling
The Minuses
 I wonder if the small size of many schools prevents
more extensive services and differentiation from
taking place, just because of ‘small numbers’?
 Is there an optimal size for a school to be effective
and be able to provide more adequately for all the
diverse needs represented there?
 The huge toll taken by school transportation has to
impact Australia’s environment (somewhat) -- all
those cars hovering outside schools each day to pick
up students. When students and families shop for
schools, transportation often becomes the larger
issue when the school choice is not a neighborhood
school.
Perceptions of Secondary (7-12)
Schooling The Pluses
 The choices of comprehensive, partially selective, and
selective high schools in the public school system
offer options for very diverse talents among students
in years 7-12. There are 23 selective high schools in
NSW alone, coupled with 10 partially selective, and
373 comprehensive high schools (including several
sports and arts high schools). Among the selectives
there are 4 all girls’ and 5 all boys’ schools. These
schools seem to serve the top 10% of students.
 Among the comprehensives, there are 21 all girls’
and 19 all boys’ schools. Each type of public high
school provides differentiation for brighter learners
with very focused attention placed in years 11 and 12
on preparation for the HSC (or VCE, or…)
Perceptions of Secondary (7-12)
Schooling The Pluses
The choices of students to be placed in co-educational
or in single gender schools is wide open. Again,
families and students have the choice of ‘best fit’.
Perceptions of Secondary (7-12)
Schooling The Pluses
 In both the Catholic and the private education
systems, there is a focus placed on university
preparation coursework and effort. Families with
bright children who do not do well on tests can
receive a differentiated education at these schools.
AND the schools seem to be prepared to offer
differentiated services to up to 25% of their
population. In many cases, parents may choose to
send their children to these schools, despite being
accepted into the public school system. Again,
parents and students have the option to find the best
‘fit’.
Perceptions of Secondary (7-12)
Schooling The Pluses
 Teachers do much more cross year level
communication and planning, perhaps due to the
common subject area staff rooms and common
morning tea times built into school schedules, as well
as the assignment of teachers to classes at several
grade levels and performance levels, and use of cross
year level marking of student work.
 Teachers do much more cross disciplinary
communication and planning, perhaps due to the
common morning tea times and encouragement at
the university level of teacher training to major in
more than one academic area.
Perceptions of Secondary (7-12)
Schooling The Pluses
 Teachers seem eager to improve their pedagogical
expertise as well as their content expertise. This does
not translate into more teachers pursuing
postgraduate degrees, but does step up participation
in extracurricular training and certificates.
 Teachers, even when they have more than a hundred
students in their various courses, still manage to think
of individual students and how what they are teaching
applies to that student, rather than about their fourth
period ‘class’ or ‘this year’s seventh grader. Cross
communication about students occurs in addition to
communication about curriculum.
Perceptions of Secondary (712)Schooling The Pluses
 State produced Board of Studies syllabus outcomes
are of high calibre in almost all curriculum areas.
Australian high school students are not learning
minimal competencies. Their learning outcomes are
rich, multi-faceted, higher order, and allow for true
differentiation for different learners rather than the
production of ‘cookie cutter’ clones, all having
achieved minimal competencies. (NOTE: a repeat of
comments about elementary curriculum)
Perceptions of Secondary (7-12)
Schooling The Minuses
 The opportunity is still fairly open to allow students
to leave school early, declare emancipation from their
parents, and try to function in the adult world
without the maturity this truly requires.
 There is some concern that the systems have overly
focused on university preparation rather than the
provision of authentic education and career guidance
and support. Is Australia appropriately channeling
our talented non-academic students into the fields in
which they will thrive in adulthood?
Perceptions of University Education
The Pluses
 41 fully functioning universities offering a broad spectrum of
courses and training, each having their specialties. A substantial
proportion of high school students are offered the options of
attending university. It is not a closed system for only the
brightest and wealthiest. Students pay very little tuition to
attend and pay nothing at the Master’s and doctoral levels.
 A well-functioning vocational college system that offers viable
alternative career and skills training for those not universityinclined is also in place. Many programs that in the U.S. require
a B.A. first only require attending the vocational college directly
there -- and thus provide Australia with qualified professionals
in such fields as law, computer science, and medicine much
earlier than one would find in the U.S.
Perceptions of University Education
The Pluses
 Although there is some ranking for top 10 research
universities, top 6 teacher training universities, etc.,
the collaboration seems healthy rather than
cutthroat.
 I see little “you’re taking MY student” reactions
among university faculty and administration when
asked to work with other universities.
 There seems to be a centralization of specialties. If
some university is ‘good’ at teaching research, for
example, it offers courses and seminars that other
university students can access at some central
location such as Canberra (the national capital) and
its ANU (Australian National University).
Perceptions of University Education
The Pluses
 The federal government supports research
extensively and on a more focused set of priorities
than elsewhere in the world. National Mental Health
research funds, Australian Research Council project
schemes, many government as well as private
sources of funds for educational research are
available to Australia’s university researchers.
Perceptions of University Education
The Pluses
 33 universities offer dual enrolment and advanced
standing courses to high schoolers who need
something beyond their secondary coursework and
preparation for the HSC or its equivalent.
 13 universities even offer ‘case by case’ early
admission to university to those students who need
to start university considerably earlier than the
‘usual’ age.
 Universities are increasingly focusing on recruiting
the ‘best and brightest’ Australian secondary
students, e.g., Scientia scholarships at UNSW
Perceptions of University Education
The Minuses
 The media and others have raised concerns that
dollars drive the current recruitment of students with a
special focus on Asian nations as the source for
students. Increased issues with plagiarism, exam
substitutes, quality of scholarship, even fluency in
English then arise and must be confronted.
 The student body at the college level is becoming just
as likely to be there because they can afford it as
because they scored highly on university entrance
requirements. This may ultimately push down the
academic rigor offered at University level, but certainly
the motivation to attend remains high.
University Education in Summary
 Australia turns out a well-educated proportion of its
future citizens, individuals who seem to ‘care’ about
the world outside of Australia, who are willing to
become productive and contributing citizens of
Australia, and who are diligent and committed to
their work.
 No longer is there an attitude of working to live
rather than living to work. Perhaps there is more
workaholism there now, but I see that as a good
thing for Australian society.
University Education In Summary
 Australia is poised to become the world leader in
research, especially educational research. It
consistently provides substantial sums of money to
ensure that Australian research on Australian
educational institutions is produced. The system
works well. If only we saw something similarly
coordinated in the U.S. Only our National Institutes of
Health and Mental Health show similar U.S.
government commitment.
Which of These Elements Do We
Offer American Students?
 A healthy and thriving system of differentiated
schooling at both the elementary and secondary
levels
 Child-centered education systems with schools
focusing on specific student needs, interests, and
passions in the development of their ‘different’
approaches to learning. (Selective schools, sports
schools, arts schools, choices of HSC courses)
 High stakes, but high competency assessments of
student performance in preparation for university
matriculation
 Viable assessments of ability and performance upon
which to make ‘good’ placement decisions for bright
learners
Which of These Elements do we
Offer American Students?
 High level of visionary coordination in schools -- there
are always executives and deputy principals in
addition to principals, despite small school sizes
 BUT…a lack of comprehensive support systems in
many school systems -- no regular guidance &
counseling at the elementary level, few social
workers at either elementary or secondary levels, and
guidance counselors seem to be as overworked as
they are in the U.S.
Which of These Elements do we
Offer Our American Students?
 Substantial government support for the Catholic and
private school systems, which results in higher order
services provided more equitably across all three
education systems
 BUT …the indigenous issue remains unresolved.
Heroic and good-hearted attempts have been made,
but a reasonable solution remains to be found. At the
present time, the system does not work sufficiently
for these students and their families.
Qualifiers on My Conclusions
 I have taken on the ‘eyes wide open’ approach in
looking at the Australian system, perhaps in typical
naïve U.S. style.
 I am often called a ‘Pollyanna’ because of my rosecolored glasses.
But …
 There is a viable, working system, which remains
flexible to student academic, social and emotional
needs.
 Much of the rest of the world (except Singapore and
the Scandinavian countries, perhaps) have much to
learn from the way Australians do the business of
educatio.
 So what are the “lessons” for us?