There is nothing more radical than providing equal access to quality education. Only when students’ ability, will and perseverance determines how well they perform at school — not their socio-economic background — will Australian society be truly inclusive, equitable and just.
We’re not there yet. In fact, things have gotten worse in Australia in recent years. PISA1 and NAPLAN2 figures show a growing gap in educational achievement related to socio-economic status. In maths, the achievement gap between the least and most advantaged students is significant. Students in disadvantaged secondary schools are making around half the progress in numeracy compared to students in advantaged schools. And in many cases, students in disadvantaged schools are making a lot less than a year worth of growth each year3.
Maths Pathway is pushing back against social inequity. In 2018, the mean improvement rate for students in disadvantaged schools was 2.61, compared to the still impressive improvement rate of 1.97 for learners in more privileged schools. In other words, Maths Pathway students in disadvantaged schools are rapidly catching up, providing a clear pathway for those deprived of the best start in life to achieve and excel.
These results also support research findings4 that leadership quality, school culture, consistency of teacher practice and teacher professional development are more important drivers for growth than size, sector, remoteness or socio-economic background. This is why the Maths Pathway model at its core is about teacher practice, providing schools with a scalable framework and supporting teachers and leaders through personalised coaching and ongoing professional learning opportunities.
