Inquiry into the factors driving educational attainment

Terms of Reference

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education will inquire into the factors driving educational attainment. The inquiry will consider the factors that drive variations in educational attainment including between and among boys and girls, from early learning, through school education, (including vocational education and training (VET) in schools), to tertiary education. It will seek to identify the factors driving differential engagement, participation, and outcomes at all levels and transitions from lower to senior secondary school; from school to tertiary education; and from education into the workforce and broader society. The inquiry will include consideration of the research base, and factors responsible for the differences between and among boys and girls in: - school readiness and progression through school education - school learning outcomes in the National Assessment Program and other datasets - school attendance rates, school retention rates and senior secondary school attainment rates - representation in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on school students with disability - learning approaches and pathways, including subject selection, that may influence uptake of different forms of post -school education - participation and completion rates in vocational education and training (VET) in schools, and - participation, completion and attainment rates in tertiary education, including VET, apprenticeships and higher education. The inquiry will also consider: - drivers of any differences in outcomes based on gender, cultural and linguistic diversity, socio-economic status - potential evidence-based solutions to raise educational standards and results for learners not meeting standards, including where there is evidence for targeted approaches based on gender or other factors - current policies and strategies to improve educational outcomes for boys and girls, and their impact, and - other matters the Committee considers relevant. PO Box 6021Parliament HouseCANBERRACanberra ACT 2600Phone:+61 2 6277 4573edu.reps@aph.gov.au