Bridging the Gap: A pathway to excellence in Australian schools

Education policy can either worsen or offset social disadvantages. It can bridge or widen gaps, and it can drive or impede social mobility.

A body of research is clear that growing disadvantage and declining student outcomes are the consequences of how we resource and invest in our schools. As we completed this report, the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2024 survey was released, reconfirming what studies consistently show: there is a widening gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, harming learning outcomes and leading to increased concentration of social disadvantage.

Education is in crisis, but this is reparable. This report shows that through needs-based funding, Queensland’s access to education can become more equitable and its outcomes can rise to meet community expectations and world standards. Queensland now has an opportunity to reverse educational decline in ways that are affordable, politically achievable and popularly supported.