MCEETYA Joint Ministerial Statement on Education and Training in the Information Economy 


The Joint Ministerial Statement on Information and Communications Technologies in Australian Education and Training: 2008-2011 was endorsed by MCEETYA and MCVTE in June 2008.

Joint Ministerial Statement on Information and Communications Technologies in Australian Education and Training: 2008-2011

Australia will have technology enriched learning environments that enable students to achieve high quality learning outcomes and productively contribute to our society and economy.

Developing the potential of all learners to be confident, informed citizens, equipped for success and for contributing to Australia's society and economy, is central to Australia's education and training goals.  These are outlined in the Education Revolution (2007), the Digital Education Revolution (2008-12) and jurisdictional and sectoral policies. 

The provision of world class education and training is fundamental to ensuring learners have the skills and knowledge required for success.  Education and training environments must effectively respond to society's changing expectations, promote life long learning and broaden options for learners that create pathways to productive and new careers.

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) are integral to contemporary society.  Technologies are powerful tools for education and training.  They are enabling the transformation of the curriculum and changing the way learners and educators operate, learn and interact.  Technologies provide the potential to enable access to: nationally consistent curriculum; collaborative communication and knowledge building tools; flexible and distance learning opportunities; seamless transition of students and information within and between institutions; engaging learning materials; online services and repositories of knowledge.

Technology rich learning environments will be underpinned by a secure and robust infrastructure, where software, computers and ICT equipment, networked systems, technical support and access to high speed broadband and online services, will support educators in the delivery of world class education and training.  Jurisdictional and cross sectoral access to networks and digital repositories of resources that are affordable, reusable, discoverable and shareable, will be supported by policy, sustainable resourcing and technical systems and standards that enable the building and exchange of knowledge and resources.

Educators will enhance twenty first century student learning outcomes by effectively and ethically incorporating ICT into their teaching and learning programmes and methods and collaborating in the creation of flexible learning environments.  To that end, educators will be supported to enhance their ICT capabilities.  Leadership will be key to achieving this.

Learners are active participants in knowledge creation and will engage with state of the art tools which enable new forms of learning, collaboration, innovation and communication.  Learning will be personalised, and not restricted by place or time.

To achieve this, Ministers of education and training commit to:

  • National collaboration across Australian education and training jurisdictions and sectors to share resources and expertise, and to leverage existing initiatives while recognising the importance of innovation and experimentation.
  • National, cross jurisdictional and cross sectoral approaches through the Australian ICT in Education Committee to address the ICT enablers of technology rich learning environments: developing educators' capabilities; access to computers and ICT equipment; secure and robust infrastructure, including broadband; systems and architectures that support access, transfer and sharing of information within and between institutions; and affordable access to appropriate online learning resources.


[pdf] JMS on ICT in Australian Education and Training.pdf [29 Kb]