The Academic Ranking of World Universities really put The University of Western Australia on the map. UWA was named as the ‘quiet achiever’ on August 15 in The Australian jumping from the top 150 to 96th place.
This year marks a milestone for Australia with five universities placed in the top 100. According to the Australian, Australia has the fourth most successful higher education system globally.
It appears to be ironic then that we were the only country in the world last year where literacy rates declined. The situation this year doesn’t seem to be improving, exemplified by an article in the Weekend West yesterday (p.3). The article titled ‘Kids not learning the basics’ pointed the finger at WA’s primary school system, where students are failing to learn basic reading skills.
‘Class of…’ a new television series on Channel Ten follows a group of 15 Year 11 and 12 students at Bradfield Senior College. The first episode aired this week on August 15 and it showed that the students had basic literacy problems. The school is being credited for its ability to adapt to the teenager’s needs; offering an adult environment and teachers who build a mentoring relationship with the students.
Clearly then there is a great divide in the Australian education system. Perhaps we need more TAFE colleges like Bradfield which offer a friendly environment where students from troubled backgrounds can get the support they need to learn?
knowledge is power 
I think you raise an interesting question about a great divide between school and universitiy education, literacy rates certainly are a problem in Australia. While a number of Australian universities may have jumped up in the rankings this year, student numbers have fallen so maybe there is not as much of a disconnect as one might think. I do believe more needs to be done at a school level in regards to grammar and literacy to better prepare students for higher education. However universities could also create better resources and programs (that could be run between school and university over summer) for new students entering courses who may wish to expand on their skills.