The annual Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) forum is being held in Brisbane over the next two days, where education researchers will discuss what should be expected of our nation's school students.
At the top of the list is the idea that developing a student's employability skills are just as important as teaching them how to read and write.
According to Professor Geoff Masters from ACER, "The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Business Council of Australia have called for greater emphasis to be placed on what they're calling employability skills, and they are things like communication, problem solving, planning and organising, teamwork, developing skills for life," he said.
Prof. Masters wants to see national minimum benchmarks set for high-school students, stating "It is our belief that a significant proportion of students are getting through the school system and not meeting basic standards."
ACER's Research Conference 2008, which opens in Brisbane today - Monday 11th August - is entitled "Touching the Future: Building Skills for Life and Work".
The Hon Julia Gillard MP, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Education, Minister for Social Inclusion will be delivering a special address at the Research Conference today, which will focus on the connection between education, employment and social inclusion.
