have a genuine discussion on education, but On Line Opinion does not seem able to provide it.
Ian K,
Alright then let's try. Why are we having a discussion about education in the first place ? Because we on OLO don't understand ? Are you saying that journalists et al are all on OLO ? Are you saying the system isn't broken ? Give us an intelligent go & we'll reply in kind. refrain from rhetoric such as "they won't understand". Education affects us more than teachers because we cop the fall-out, teachers don't. We're the ones trying to work with those school leavers who can't write or read properly.
Not everyone gets carried by tax payers funding, some of us have to perform at the same time we're trying to get some sense out of those young people.

"Education should emulate earlier days in Medicine and adopt a research-based teachING strategy approach to student achievement" That's an interesting one Nova986.

There is little research that stacks one methodology against another with "results", as measured by independent assessment, being the determinant of what methodology works best. The whole business of "learning styles" dubiously derived from Gardner's "multiple intelligences" theory has become a professional development industry that has left teachers wondering about their purpose. Are they to "teach" or to guide learning?

IMO, students ultimately gravitate toward subjects that reflect their strengths. No point studying math science beyond a certain point if linear thinking is not your strong suite. "Styles" thus take care of themselves without teachers conjuring up pluralistic approaches that attempt to make the inaccessible accessible to the unsuited.

Technology does allow teachers to send students along individualized learning pathways. However, the idea of a "subject" as a discipline should not be jettisoned, nor should independent assessment to measure mastery/achievement and therefore the effectiveness of the pathway.

Sue Thomson writes in "Making the school system work
By " (6 December 2013) suggests a focus on teacher quality. I suggest part of this should be more training for teachers and in particular training on the use of new technology. New teachers in South Australian schools will be required to have a Masters degree from 2020: http://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/2013/11/sa-teachers-require-masters-degree.html

Additional in-service training for teachers, guidance and mentoring can be provided on-line. However, teachers will still require time to do this: it can't be in their "spare time", or at the expense of their students.

I am not sure I want all textbooks and teaching materials written by a central bureaucracy, but materials for schools, particularly on-line ones could be centrally funded by grants. The vocational sector has a good scheme for pooling on-line teaching materials and providing help with their use and this could be extended to schools: http://toolboxes.flexiblelearning.net.au/

Australia could have an approach which combines centralized and decentralized education by a sensitive implementation of on-line blended education. This would allow students to have access to a local class and national experts.

individual,

I won’t dispute your personal experience, but that is hardly a wide sample.

Discipline is taught in schools, but schools can’t beat the home.

Ian,

Thanks. It’s a full-time job just correcting factual errors on the web before you even get to more complicated matters. I fear this site is becoming full of those who just blurt out their beliefs rather than a place of reasoned argument.

but that is hardly a wide sample.
Chris C,
Start asking around, gauge peoples' opinion & you'll find a wider sample than you can presently envisage. Go to the places ordinary folk frequent. Seek & you shall find. Stay away from Uni Campuses, you learn nothing about everyday life there.

Under all the noise about educational performance is the premise that we know the performance that is important for our australian or global society. Until there is vastly enhanced worldwide equity I think the following is the best we will do. 10-20% of all children/youth who are naturally endowed for higher academics and that is across all fields, should be given access to 6 plus hours of such high performance work. !0% have significant disability as barriers to learning and require access to the best support for learning. 70% are a spectrum of blue collar to high technical learners, and eventually provide most of the direct services and products in a community. The greatest lack in education is in the communication in, and care of, community. My best education system would see all students over 10 year old spending 3 hours in community - learning care for youngers and disabled persons, assistance for elders, appreciation of environment, care of animals, craft manufacture and marketing in community. The 20% high achievers could have access to 6 plus hours in academic training after 15 years, however the other 70% shall retain only 3 hours per day in class environment. Teenagers would find greater development outside the ;boxes; that pass for schools, which squander the vast energies of this age group. Youth would (and some do) learn more of value for their careers and adult life, in activities giving them access to diverse social environments and training towards 'seeing' the world and their fellows as possibilities for greater service and problem solving, than any other single factor. I think most of this vast group require only a modest level of maths, science and language. We could make this country and every country extraordinary in product, service, arts, culture, and sheer joy of life, by putting away the fake promise premises of education and economy, and creating life long educational access.