Righting past wrongs

Most of the challenges Australia faces have their roots in poor educational experiences. We need to invest in a new approach that recognises the multitude of skills children need to thrive in a modern society, writes Elaine Henry.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says: "When planning for a year, plant corn; when planning for a decade, plant trees; when planning for life, train and educate people." As commonsense as this may seem today, 10 years ago very few recognised the importance of education in breaking the cycle of disadvantage. In fact, with the focus squarely on record employment within the burgeoning Australian economy, many disputed the very existence of disadvantage in our "lucky country", beyond the persistent and more visible challenges of our indigenous communities. The 700,000 children living in...