The History of Australian Education
Resources and Further Reading
The history of Australian Education has been recorded through the years, and some resources and links to content that can allow further investigation can be found on the following pages.
The Early Years
Videos
First School in Australia: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Pecu1i2I0
Websites
- A prospective of the First 100 Years of Christian Education – By Allen S Roberts
celebratechristianschools.au/first-100-years/
(Original archived copy: web.archive.org/web/20220309063807/http:/www.chr.org.au/books/understanding-our-christian-heritage-volume-two/page5.html) - Collection of Documents collated for state-by-state broader education history:
www.aussieeducator.org.au/education/history.html
- The History of Sunday Schools
www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/religion-church-and-missions-australia/sunday-school
- Fostering an Educated Community
digital-classroom.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/free-education-introduced#:~:text=In%201872%20the%20Victorian%20Government,compulsory%20education%20to%20its%20children.
The Unfolding Story
Websites
Government Funding Re-instatement.
- Robert Menzies Institute: www.robertmenziesinstitute.org.au/on-this-day/goulburn-catholic-school-strike
- National Museum of Australia: www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/aid-for-non-government-schools
Monument History
Timeline of Catholic Education: 1788-Present
Celebrating 150 years of Adventist schooling
Articles
- The Search to Explain a New Schooling System, Robert Long, 1994 www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/1994/longr94344.pdf
The Modern Era
Articles & Books
- The history of Christian Community Schools is captured in the Growing Up magazine. Access the range of magazine issues.
- It Only Takes A Spark: The Story of Christian Community Schools, by Rev Bob Frisken, AM. books.google.com.au/books/about/It_Only_Takes_a_Spark.html?id=MA_iygAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
- Growth of Christian Schools. www.csa.edu.au/CSA/CSA/Resources-and-Media/Media-Centre/Media-Release/2022/Christian_Schools_Buck_Census_Trend.aspx
- Private Schools Lead Enrolments in Census Data. www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/private-schools-lead-student-enrolments-nationwide-new-abs-data-shows/281946
- Fifty years of the Australian Christian schooling movement: A brief history of a radical educational experiment.
www.abc.net.au/religion/brief-history-of-australia-christian-schooling-movement-david-ha/102554512
(NB: The current generation of Christian schools has schools older than 50 years, such as Calvin Christian School in Tasmania.) - Justins C., 2002, Christian Parent Controlled Schools in Australia – A Study of the Relationship between Foundational Values and Prevailing Practices.
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/85xvv/christian-parent-controlled-schools-in-australia-a-study-of-the-relationship-between-functional-values-and-prevailing-practices
News Stories and Clippings
Growth of the sector in 2010-2023
- Buckingham J, 2010, The Rise of Religious Schools in Australia, ABC Religion and Ethics, www.abc.net.au/religion/the-rise-of-religious-schools-in-australia/10102062
- Cassidy C, 2023, Australian private school enrolments rise in 2022 as public education numbers drop, The Guardian, www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/15/australian-independent-school-enrolments-rise-in-2022-as-public-education-numbers-drop
- Harris C, Carroll L, 2023, Parents opt for religious schools as student numbers soar, Sydney Morning Herald,
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/parents-opt-for-religious-schools-as-student-enrolments-soar-20230427-p5d3vh.html - Henebery B, 2023, What Australia’s Independent school sector looks like in 2023, The Educator Australia, www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/what-australias-independent-school-sector-looks-like-in-2023/282509
Defence of Christian Schools in 2022 and beyond
- Donnelly K, 2023, Religious schools must be allowed to keep the right to discriminate, Sydney Morning Herald, www.smh.com.au/national/religious-schools-must-be-allowed-to-keep-the-right-to-discriminate-20230220-p5clwi.html
- Hiatt B, 2022, Christian schools hit back at proposed reforms to WA’s anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBTQI community, The West Australian, thewest.com.au/news/education/christian-schools-hit-back-at-proposed-reforms-to-was-anti-discrimination-laws-to-protect-lgbtqi-community-c-7909309
- Steenhof J, 2023, Stripping Christian Schools of purpose: has the government counted the cost?, Spectator Australia, www.spectator.com.au/2023/02/stripping-christian-schools-of-purpose-has-the-government-counted-the-cost/
