The Wire

There are moves afoot in multiple states to give schools more control over education budgets. The New South Wales and Victorian governments say that this will give principals and school communities a greater say in how their schools are run. But teachers and some education researchers are sounding the alarm over moves to give schools greater autonomy.

They say that the international evidence on school autonomy is mixed at best, and the reforms may be being used as cover for budget cuts. With New South Wales teachers set to go on strike over these reforms tomorrow, the stakes in the debate over school autonomy are being raised yet another notch.