The Commonwealth Schools Commission 1973-1982 : a case study of federal intervention in Australian education

The interactive relationship between schools and society is very complex and any attempt to affect this could have major consequences. Harman and Smart (1981) in discussing the scope of Commonwealth intervention in Australian education consider that: \Federal Government intervention constitutes one of the most important and yet at the same time one of the least under-stood dimensions of Australian education. For over forty years since the Second World War under a succession of Australian Prime Ministers - Menzies Holt Gorton McMahon Whitlam and to some extent Fraser the Commonwealth Government has enlarged and diversified the Federal presence in education\". (P vii) Establishment of the Commonwealth. Schools Commission in 1973 should then be seen in the context of this gradually expanded Commonwealth: role in an area that has traditionally been seen as an area of State responsibility. In this case study it is intended to present an historical overview of the development of the Commission as part of the expanded Commonwealth education function)and attempt to explain how this role has changed. However while advancing reasons for these changes that can be substantiated by the literature this will need to be set in the context of a political and economic environment that has changed significantly since 1972."