Education Services Australia has reflected on its mission to make a positive difference in the lives of young Australians, highlighting achievements with the launch of its Impact Report 2023-24.
Education Services Australia (ESA) said its innovative Low-/No-Bandwidth (LNB) solution has made a measurable difference this year, ensuring equal access to learning opportunities for all students.
LNB enabled 813 NAPLAN tests to be completed by students in 13 remote schools, ensuring they could participate under the same conditions as their peers.
“As the world evolves with new technology, so does the classroom,” ESA said.
“Addressing challenges like integrating AI safely and ethically and ensuring equal access to learning opportunities for all students is central to ESA’s work. In 2023–24, we took significant steps to take these priorities on, delivering practical solutions to complex issues.”
In December 2023, The Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools was approved by all education ministers, laying the groundwork for AI integration that is ethical, transparent and focused on student outcomes. To support this, the Safer Technologies 4 Schools (ST4S) evaluation program expanded to include AI-specific controls, strengthening cybersecurity standards.
ESA’s Mathematics Hub saw user numbers grow by over 200 per cent.
“That means 172,000 educators accessed 80 new lesson plans and a suite of professional learning resources,” it said.
“Our Girls in STEM Toolkit (GiST) has continued to inspire young girls to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Engagement rose by 24.3 per cent in 2023–24, with new career pathway maps and interactive webinars designed to empower girls to see themselves shaping a future in STEM.”
ESA also said its national career information service, myfuture, remains a go-to tool for preparing students for their future.
“This year, we delivered 19 new professional learning workshops and 14 webinars – giving teachers and career practitioners tools to support a range of student pathways.”
For 40 years, the Schools Catalogue Information Service (SCIS) has been the quiet hero of school libraries.
In 2023–24 alone, SCIS created 40,000 new catalogue records, including 11,000 direct school requests, with resources downloaded 32 million times.
“Today, 78 per cent of Australian schools rely on SCIS – saving librarians countless hours and enabling them to focus on supporting students,” ESA said.
Fostering equity in education
Equity has always been at the heart of ESA’s work and the English Language Learning for Indigenous Children (ELLIC) program is a good example.
Reaching 20 preschools across Australia in 2023–24, ELLIC empowers Indigenous children to develop English alongside their home languages, promoting both cultural connection and linguistic skills.
ESA Board Chair Ms Vicki Baylis called it ‘culturally responsive’ and ‘designed to reinvigorate Aboriginal Languages teaching.’
The Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program helped early childhood educators foster language development in young learners. Printable resources were downloaded over 13,000 times across the year, and 91 per cent of educators surveyed reported that ELLA resources made language learning more inclusive and engaging in their classrooms.
Wellbeing at the heart of learning
Education is more than academics – it’s about fostering well-rounded, confident individuals.
ESA’s Student Wellbeing Hub (SWH) assisted this need with resources that support emotional and social development. With over 932,000 page views and a 35 per cent increase in users in 2023–24, it helped teachers foster greater wellbeing in their students.
“A standout on the Student Wellbeing Hub this year was the launch of Brain break bops, a suite of resources designed for early learners. With catchy songs and interactive activities, it helps kids build self-regulation skills in a way that feels like play. With 3,435 poster downloads and 948 song downloads, it is already showing strong engagement from educators nationwide,” ESA said.
Looking ahead to 2025
“This year, we continued to build on ESA’s reputation as a trusted provider of education programs, services and resources,” ESA said.
“From fostering language learning with programs like ELLIC to supporting students’ career journeys through the myfuture platform, ESA is proving that education can be a powerful force for equity and opportunity.
“At its core, our work is about people – educators, students, families and school systems – who can be better supported, more inspired and more prepared to thrive through the resources ESA provides,” it said.
Read the full Impact Report 2023–24 to learn more about the difference ESA is making in education.
