Another black hole into which spending on education disappeared for no discernible benefit has been a result of the various education departments' infatuation with the private sector. Enormous amounts of money have been thrown at private consultants with no knowledge of education or schools, who have then forced inappropriate and ineffective corporate models onto education.

With public money becoming available as a result of the national reform agenda: national curriculum, national standards; the private corporations are once again positioning themselves to get a hold of these funds. That was the real motivation behind the Grattan Institute's recent report on quality ed.

So, as more money has been handed to the corporates to tell us how to 'do schooling', Australia's international performance has declined.

The corporate sector did, afterall, bring us all the GFC.

I have yet to read the article but a great to the point comment Lomas52.