New national declaration on the goals of schooling

In 2008, the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs agreed to develop a new national declaration on the goals of schooling to replace the Adelaide Declaration on National Goals in the Twenty-First Century (1999). The new declaration would build upon the Future of Schooling in Australia report that was released by the Council for the Australian Federation in September 2007.

The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (new window) was launched at the Australian Education Ministers' First Biennial Forum held on 5 December 2008 in Melbourne.

The Melbourne Declaration sets out a vision for the education of young Australians over the next decade and replaces the Adelaide Declaration.

The Melbourne Declaration sets two educational goals for the next ten years:

Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence
All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.

The Melbourne Declaration will be accompanied by a four year Action Plan which will detail how governments will work together to achieve the national goals..

A draft of the Action Plan (new window) has been released for public consultation.

The Department of Education, Training and the Arts is consulting with key stakeholders, including the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and Independent Schools Queensland on the draft Action Plan.

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