Changing the way teachers see the world

Editorial

November 3, 2026 — 8:00pm

The NSW government’s innovative opening up of western Sydney schools to trainee teachers to demystify the stigma around public education is the sort of blue-sky thinking that can change ordinary lives.

Herald education reporter Emily Kowal has tracked some of the 50 university students attending schools with teacher shortages and complex needs where teachers’ roles go far beyond the curriculum.

Kingswood High maths teacher Natalie Benson said some high schoolers, for diverse reasons, did not value education. “It’s our job to work with that,” she said. “You have to show you care; we have to adapt our lessons to be worthy of them. You can’t just give them something and expect it to work. Meet them where they are at.”

One student teacher, Saajidah Reijerink, said her week-long placement helped shed preconceptions about teaching in so-called “deficit” areas. “Kids who don’t receive love at home will come to school to receive it … creating an environment in which kids feel supported and accepted will then support them to do better academically and to thrive here,” she said.

This sensible move to inspire frontline educators is a reminder of education’s promise. Yet the innovation comes as governments are so distracted by multiple crises that excellence appears to have taken a back seat.

Structural failures have been causing a measurable decline in student outcomes. Consistently poor results in PISA and NAPLAN demand urgent action.

As a consequence, year 5 students are set to return to pen and paper for NAPLAN writing tests next year as, under growing criticism from parents opposed to widespread use of devices, the sheen goes off Australia’s embrace of technology.

Federal Liberal education spokesman Julian Leeser has warned it is time to move beyond arguments about school funding and socio-economic status in school policies and implement a root and branch reform of the national curriculum (NSW has its own curriculum).

But the Albanese government had been hedging, putting off a review until 2032.

On Monday, federal Education Minister Jason Clare and his state and territory counterparts agreed to merge four of Australia’s key secondary education agencies in a restructure it hoped would help address the decline in student NAPLAN results and boost attendance.

It is a start, but Canberra has put the next tier of education – tertiary education – well down the priority list.

And that is a problem for Australia’s education and even political divide.

According to the 2026 McKinnon Index, a striking chasm has opened between graduates from universities and high school graduates over their satisfaction with Australian democracy and the integrity of elections.

It extends far beyond lack of trust in politicians and the system. More than 80 per cent of university graduates said they understood how Australian democracy works, compared with fewer than two-thirds of high school graduates.

The McKinnon Index illustrates the need for big ideas to improve our education system. Education is transformative for an individual but also important for the country. Frontline experience for potential recruits can help the next generation of teachers to inspire the next generation of students to embrace education, for their own sake and that of the wider community.

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The Herald's View – Since the Herald was first published in 1831, the editorial team has believed it important to express a considered view on the issues of the day for readers, always putting the public interest first.

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