Journal article
School choice in Australia: A contextual framework for understanding market-oriented policies and incentives
Issues in Educational Research, Vol.36(1), pp.375-391
2026
Abstract
The Australian P-12 education system is underpinned by a set of market-oriented policies, frameworks, and incentives that seek to provide parents with a choice of schools. One choice parents can make is the sector of schooling they send their children to, with two common options being State schools or non-Government schools. In the Australian context, non-Government schools comprise Catholic and Independent schools. Over the past several decades the proportion of students attending State schools has steadily decreased, while the proportion of students attending non-Government schools has been increasing. Since 2020, this trend has accelerated (ABS, 2025). The demographic data on this phenomenon is clear; however it is unclear why parents are increasingly choosing to send their children to non-Government schools, as contemporary, peer-reviewed Australian research on this topic is scarce (Larsen, 2024). This article examines the historical and political context that has contributed to this phenomenon, presenting the available literature on this important topic as a contextual framework for an ongoing research project.
Details
- Title
- School choice in Australia: A contextual framework for understanding market-oriented policies and incentives
- Authors
- Mark Wood - University of the Sunshine CoastMichael C Nagel (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
- Publication details
- Issues in Educational Research, Vol.36(1), pp.375-391
- Publisher
- Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc.
- Date published
- 2026
- ISSN
- 1837-6290
- Organisation Unit
- School of Education and Tertiary Access; Thompson Institute; Engage Research Lab
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991214852002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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