Australia: National change in a loosely coupled federal system

Over the past 12 years there has been a growth of interest in education policy in Australia. Education policy has become a matter of considerable political interest especially in terms of structures, processes and finances. Even though the constitutional responsibility for education remains with States and Territories, there has been an increasing emphasis on national reform especially in early childhood education, national curricula, assessment and accountability, improving teacher quality, youth transitions, and school improvement. Recently there has emerged a set of proposals for reforms in educational finance.