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Lessons from the edge

Australian Catholic University’s (ACU National) unique national status and its focus on social justice are helping uncover solutions to major educational challenges in some of Australia’s most remote communities and some of its poorest.

In such schools, attendance and literacy and numeracy levels are alarmingly low, continuing to limit future opportunities for students.

At many schools, problems are compounded by community ambivalence, teachers’ professional isolation, rapid staff turnover and limited resources.
Yet some school communities are rising to the challenge creatively, to help improve outcomes.

ACU National is working with these schools and exploring their success stories, to formulate better policy and programs for the benefit of students, staff, school communities and education systems across Australia.

ACU National’s Flagships for Creative and Authentic Leadership and Mathematics and Literacy Education Research have joined forces with Catholic and government education authorities across the country in two national research projects.

Both are funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Literacy and Numeracy PiIots in Low Socioeconomic Status (SES) School Communities. 

The Leading Aligned Numeracy Development (LAND) project involves Catholic Education Offices of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia, and is aimed at aligning what happens at classroom, school and system levels to achieve better numeracy outcomes for students.

The Principals as Literacy Leaders (PALL) project is a cross-jurisdictional, cross-sectoral project and governed through collaboration of ACU National with the Australian Primary Principals Association, the South Australian Department of Education and Community Services, Edith Cowan University and Griffith University. This project is being delivered in partnership with state and territory government, Catholic and independent education authorities.

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