Leading demographer presents her education ‘manifesto’

ANU demographer Dr Liz Allen says Australia needs to adopt a principles-based approach to ensure fair access to education.

Transcript

00:00 I want to give you a promotion. I've just made you Minister for Education.

00:03 - Okay, okay.

00:05 - What's your first act of business?

00:07 - The first thing I would say is,

00:13 I would change the kind of language that's used and I would make it very, very clear

00:28 that education starts from the moment you're born.

00:32 And even beforehand, access to early education and access to support

00:43 to your parents is a given. We grant that to you today and to everybody from today on.

00:54 No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what your parents earn, you are okay.

01:02 And we will make sure that your passport to life,

01:08 our way of education, isn't short. It is usured.

01:18 We will make education from the moment you are born right way through school,

01:26 accessible, affordable, and inclusive of all people.

01:34 Neurodivergent, people with mental health

01:46 issues, kids with learning divergent challenges, you will be catered for.

01:54 And you will be able to achieve a level of education that you desire.

02:01 Whether you see yourself in higher education will get you there.

02:07 If higher education isn't something you want to do, and let's face it, not everyone does,

02:15 we won't think about it as a plan B or as an alternative pathway.

02:20 It's just another option, another opportunity to be trained or skilled somehow else.

02:31 And if at any point in your life you want to be educated or retrained to do something else,

02:41 we'll help you do that. That is the basis of good education policy.

02:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]