According to the OECD, Australian classrooms have the unfortunate accolade of being among the world’s most disorderly.
Increasingly challenging classrooms mean support for teachers and other school staff in managing student behaviour is more important than ever.
The ramifications of disruptive classrooms are so pressing that in 2022 the Australian Senate referred the issue for inquiry by its Education and Employment References Committee.
The Senate Committee inquiry found the decline in student behavioural standards also coincided with a drop in student performance against the National Proficient Standards.
“A significant number of students [are] failing to demonstrate they have more than basic skills in mathematics, science and reading”, the Committee report noted.
The Committee recommended the introduction of a behavioural curriculum, further inquiry into declining academic standards and an examination of how high-performing countries are achieving better results than Australia.
