Top teachers, not money, ‘the key to good schools’

Anna Patty:

AUSTRALIA’S top public servant says the key to improving education standards is not in spreading more money on schools ”like Vegemite”. Rather, a targeted investment in teacher quality and innovative school leadership is needed.
The secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Terry Moran, said the focus should be on recruiting and investing in bright school graduates to become teachers and future school leaders.
An advocate of decentralising bureaucratic control of education and health services, Mr Moran said principals and teachers should be given greater autonomy to be more creative in the way they engaged students.