The proposed Teaching and Learning Commission is the most significant structural reform to Australia's national education architecture in a generation. Merging ACARA, AITSL, AERO, and Education Services Australia into a single body is not, in itself, a policy outcome. It is a design choice.

The South Australian government has introduced comprehensive legislation that represents Australia's most thorough framework for protecting school staff and communities from harmful behaviour. The Education and Children's Services (Barring Notices and Other Protections) Amendment Act 2025, together with detailed Ministerial Guidelines and Supplementary Guidance, establishes a sophisticated approach to managing risks to school safety whilst maintaining educational engagement with families.

The quality of a nation’s education system is a direct predictor of its future prosperity, innovation, and social cohesion. At the heart of this system are our teachers and school leaders, professionals entrusted with nurturing the next generation of Australians. As the national body representing government secondary school principals, the Australian Secondary Principals' Association (ASPA) believes it is imperative to address the profound challenges facing this vital workforce. A recent...