The former teacher and state and federal education leader will research what factors concentrate disadvantage and what policies could help mitigate that disadvantage.
Dr Michele Bruniges AM. Photo courtesy of the Australian Government, Department of Education.
Dr Michele Bruniges AM will take up a new position as Industry Professor – Concentrations of Disadvantage at the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion, to investigate policy options for improving Australia’s school system for students who are disadvantaged.
The position is supported by the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) and its Fellowship program.
Dr Bruniges will research the factors that concentrate disadvantage, including how concentrations are measured and defined, the drivers behind them, and the impact they have on education policy and practice. She will also examine national and state policy settings which can help mitigate the impact of concentrations of disadvantage.
Dr Bruniges said she is looking forward to working to address these pressing issues.
“As an educator, I believe it is important to encourage open discussion and debate, based on evidence, to shed more light on how we can improve outcomes for children and young people,” she said.
“This work will add to the current knowledge base and support new thinking in this policy area. I look forward to sharing the findings with colleagues and others who are keen to better understand the impact and reach of policy solutions in this space.”
UTS Pro-Vice Chancellor (Social Justice and Inclusion) Prof. Verity Firth said UTS is thrilled to be partnering with the Paul Ramsay Foundation and support Dr Bruniges to deliver this important piece of research.
“Every child should have access to a high-quality education regardless of their background. For education to remain the great equaliser, we need mechanisms to end the increasing concentrations of disadvantage faced by many school communities. Dr Bruniges’ work will be significant in achieving this goal,” she said.
The findings of Dr Bruniges’ work will be shared publicly next year, which is particularly important as governments consider how to implement the next National School Reform Agreement, due in early 2024.
Dr Bruniges is a former school teacher, a TAFE teacher, and a teacher in the Adult Migrant Education Service, who went on to lead the ACT, NSW, and Commonwealth Education Departments. She is currently chair of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and the Chair of the Governing Board for the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).