6: On mandates

When should education systems mandate what schools do? We explore the growing number of mandates in Australian education, the tension between system control and school autonomy, and whether mandates actually improve student learning.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why education systems mandate particular practices, assessments and approaches.
• The growing number of mandates across Australian states and territories, particularly in literacy.
• Why some mandates are more useful (and measurable) than others.
• The difference between mandate reach and mandate impact.
• The risks of reform overload, constant policy change and disrupting good work already happening in schools.

** One Good Woman **

Our One Good Woman is Dr Jennifer Buckingham, who has played an instrumental role in Australian reading policy reform, particularly the introduction of the Year 1 Phonics Check.

• Jennifer Buckingham — Churchill Fellowship report: An Investigation of Literacy Instruction and Policy in the United Kingdom and Ireland
• Focus on Phonics: Why Australia Should Adopt the Year 1 Phonics Check and other publications
• Five from Five

** Research mentioned in this episode **

Phonics screening checks and outcomes

• England's Phonics Screening Check — national results from 2012 to 2026
• South Australia's Phonics Screening Check — results and historical data
• NSW Year 1 Phonics Screening Check — 2025 results (CESE)
• Victoria's Year 1 Phonics Check — information and 2025 results

Policy and curriculum reform

• England's validated systematic synthetic phonics programmes — the list of 45 programmes and the validation criteria discussed in the episode.

** Also mentioned **

Victorian teaching and learning frameworks

• Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 — policy and implementation requirements
• The original Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) — includes an overview of the previous model.
• Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0) — linked through the Victorian Department of Education's policy resources.

We also take a trip down memory lane through Victoria's earlier frameworks, including the Principles of Learning and Teaching (POLT), e5 and the High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS).

Emina's writing on mandates and reform

• Reading Reform in the Time of Launch, Mandate, Deliver
• Outrage and Polarisation Have Not Been Mandated
• False Dichotomies and Perspective Lobotomies

** Notices **

Phonics Plus On Demand: New self-paced professional learning is available to support Victorian teachers and school teams to implement Phonics Plus. It includes 12 modules and approximately eight hours of learning. Register through Arc Events to access the resource.

Jones & McLean merch: We're taking requests! What would you like to see? Send us your ideas, including favourite podcast quotes. We'll have merch prizes for listeners in the coming months.

** Get in touch **

Email us at [email protected].

If you're enjoying Jones & McLean, please subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and leave us a rating or review. We love reading your comments!