Introduction

Following substantial changes throughout the Australian education system, primary schools are no longer in the protected position of having a regulated flow of clients, a pre-determined curriculum and marginal levels of staff development.
Recent moves have brought new or increased responsibilities for all schools in areas such as:
curriculum and policy development
staff development
monitoring and assessment
the use of new technologies
resource allocation

This book seeks to review the impact of this change on Australian primary schools, on the people who are involved with them and the issues they face. Primary education is being re-structured throughout the world, and therefore these issues are of great interest and relevance to educators worldwide.