Education Ministers have taken the next major step in shaping Australia’s school education reform agenda, agreeing to a suite of practical initiatives aimed at supporting teachers, strengthening early learning foundations, and modernising key education frameworks.
Following the finalisation of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement earlier this year – a landmark $16.5 billion investment representing the Australian Government’s biggest-ever funding boost for public schools – Ministers have now agreed on three key areas of focus:
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establishing a new Australian Teaching and Learning Commission,
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improving the maths curriculum in the early years of schooling, and
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updating the national professional standards for teachers.
New Australian Teaching and Learning Commission
In a significant step towards greater national coordination, Ministers agreed in principle to establish an Australian Teaching and Learning Commission. The new body would bring together the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO), and Education Services Australia (ESA).
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the Commission would better connect curriculum, teaching, assessment, research, and reporting.
“This is about making the whole system work together – the whole being greater than the sum of its parts,” he said.
A Working Group will provide advice on the Commission’s detailed design in February 2026, with consultation to include teachers, school leaders, unions, and First Nations communities.
Targeted review of early maths curriculum
Ministers also agreed to begin curriculum reform work with a targeted review of mathematics in the first three years of school (F–2). On advice from ACARA, the review will focus on ensuring children develop strong foundational skills and that teachers are supported with clearer, more practical guidance.
Mr Clare said maths was a priority because it is “cumulative” – each concept building on the last.
“If you don’t get the basics right at the start, you can’t build on it,” he said. “A number of principals and teachers have told us the current maths curriculum is too complex. Others have said they need clearer advice on what to teach and in what order.”
The review, the first of a planned ten-year curriculum cycle, will aim to simplify expectations and ensure teachers have access to improved teaching materials. Mr Clare described it as “keyhole surgery – targeted improvements where they’re needed most.”
He added that these changes would complement other national initiatives such as the Year 1 Numeracy Check, which begins rolling out next year, and catch-up tutoring programs to support students who fall behind.
Updating national teacher standards
In another major reform, Ministers have asked AITSL to scope a review of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, which have not been updated since their adoption 15 years ago.
Mr Clare said the review was timely and would ensure the standards reflect today’s classrooms and teaching practices. “We need standards that back in teachers and support great teaching,” he said.
AITSL will present its recommendations to Ministers in February 2026.
“These reforms are about making sure our schools are better and fairer – that we’re backing in our teachers, giving them the tools they need, and setting our students up for success,” Mr Clare said.
