It is generally accepted by all political parties and most of the media that social mobility in the UK is low compared to other countries, and worsening over time. These “facts” appeared in the manifestos…
Tax justice campaigns can be effective, if they’re aimed at the right targets.
David Parry/PA
Have the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the G20 really attempted to “discredit and discourage” the participation of developing countries in a new system of automatic tax information…
I learnt a new technique to teach you that.
David Davies/PA Archive
Teachers in England have good access to free courses aimed at improving the quality of their lessons, but many are opting for shorter workshops, rather than the long-term qualifications more common in…
The G20 has agreed on new rules to combat offshore tax evasion.
Jason Reed/AAP
When Business Council of Australia chief Jennifer Westacott weighed in on plans for an Australian tax crackdown on multinationals last week, she warned the move could risk competitiveness and lead to companies…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott on the day his government handed down its first Budget.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Suzanne Cory, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)
When the freshly-minted Prime Minister Tony Abbott declined for the first time since 1931 to appoint a science minister as part of his Cabinet in September last year, he did so having made an election…
The recent open letter of concern penned by nearly 100 academics from around the world about the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s international education rankings is more than just…
What is the true state of Australia’s economy?
Image sourced from www.shutterstock.com
In the lead up to the budget, the story of crisis has been hammered home, but there’s more to a country than its structural deficit. So how is Australia doing overall? In this special series, ten writers…
Question 1: Where is the leaning tower of Pisa?
Niall Carson/PA Archive
With a heavy feeling of déjà vu, here we are again with another round of introspection on the OECD’s international Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings and the mediocre education…
Can I be a puzzle-maker when I grow up?
Child with puzzle via Shutterstock
It’s no longer enough for children just to be able to read, count or multiply. With computers now doing many mundane repetitive tasks for us, many jobs in today’s world require analytical skills and the…
How much can we really deduce about academies and free schools from the Organisation for Economic Development’s (OECD) international education rankings? When the OECD’s deputy director for education Andreas…
Australia is pushing for hard growth targets at this weekend’s G20 Finance Ministers meeting, but taxation is the elephant in the room.
Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Australia should cut company taxes and increase innovation to avoid falling behind in the productivity race, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The…
The length of the school year and school days, as well as the timing of holidays, is always a controversial topic. While the debate rages in the UK about whether children should spend more time at school…
Adults in England have a very unequal spread of basic skills – some are highly skilled while others do poorly at literacy and numeracy tests. It’s likely that entrenched inequality in our education system…
Profit shifting by multinationals will be a key focus of the G20 under Australia’s presidency this year.
AAP
Australia has officially commenced its presidency of the G20 and preparations are underway for the November 2014 Summit, when the leaders of the world’s biggest economies will meet in Brisbane. The G20…
Once you done that there’s plenty more to be getting on with.
stuartpilbrow
The triennial jamboree that is the publication of the OECD PISA tests kicked off with the usual round of blaming and name calling among politicians. Both sides of the political debate naturally found ammunition…
Companies can keep on ducking tax, despite what the OECD says.
Yahoo! Inc
The long awaited report on combating corporate tax avoidance by the OECD sadly has to deal with a corporate tax system which is unfit for purpose. It is a follow-up to the G8 meeting last month in Ireland…
Australian manufacturing workers are feeling the heat of economic change.
“Under this [Labor] government we’ve seen one manufacturing job lost every 19 minutes.” - Opposition industry spokeswoman Sophie Mirabella, Q&A, 1 July. The Conversation contacted Mirabella’s office…
Should the European Commission’s decision to waive the 3% deficit limit for three of the Euro’s largest economies be extended to fuel growth and jobs?
AAP
The European Union (or at least its periphery) is a big, sick patient that so far has been treated with robust injections of fiscal austerity. This seemed to be the right course of action to cure the “debt…
Prime Minister Julia Gillard wants to close the equity gap in in Australian education.
AAP/Alan Porritt
Australia has managed to improve equity in education, but that hasn’t stopped it slipping on performance according to new research from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD…
The Federal Government claims Australia’s employment services are world class - but how effective are they really?
A new report from the OECD on Australia’s employment service system has prompted the Federal Government to claim that Australia is a “world leader in employment participation” and that Job Services Australia…