Schools of Thought: A Collection of Articles on Education

Over the last decade, schools policy in Australia has undergone significant changes. As a policy researcher at The Centre for Independent Studies and former schools editor at The Australian newspaper, Jennifer Buckingham has been a significant contributor to the public debate surrounding these changes, drawing on research and reason to argue for reforms to improve quality and equity in education. This collection of opinion articles published in major newspapers since 2000 provides a sample of Buckingham’s work, covering a range of topics including school choice, school funding, reporting and accountability, teacher training and employment, and education research.

Jennifer Buckingham is a Research Fellow at The Centre for Independent Studies. She is the author of Boy Troubles, Families, Freedom and Education, and Schools in the Spotlight, as well as numerous policy monographs on issues including school reform, school funding, boys’ education, and child care. Buckingham has been at the forefront of debate on education matters, with more than a hundred articles in major newspapers and regular radio appearances.

Most of us have an opinion about school education, and some of us consider ourselves to be experts. Buckingham is the real thing. The essays in this book constitute a mini course in education policy—and a compulsory reading for parents, teachers, and anyone else interested in the future of our children. [Steven Schwartz, Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie University, Sydney]