Australian schools are increasingly divided along socio-economic lines. What does this mean for children who are experiencing disadvantage, and what policy levers are available to disrupt factors that concentrate socio-economic cohorts within Australian schools?
Dr Michele Bruniges’ Fellowship will focus on how concentrations of disadvantage show up in Australian schools; how they are measured and defined; the drivers behind them; and the impact they have on education policy and practice. Dr Bruniges will also examine national and state level policy levers which have the potential to improve socio-economic diversity across multiple school settings.
In her earlier executive career, Dr Bruniges was Chief Executive of the ACT Department of Education, Director-General of the NSW Department of Education and Communities, Secretary of the Australian Government, Department of Education and Training.
Dr Michele Bruniges AM has a PhD in Educational Measurement, a Masters in Education and a Diploma in Teaching. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Churchill Fellow, a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators and a Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. In 2012, Dr Bruniges became a member of the Order of Australia for service to public administration and was a joint recipient of the inaugural 100 Women of Influence Award for her work in public policy.
Dr Bruniges received national recognition in 2015 for her significant contribution to education as the recipient of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Gold Medal Award. In that year, she was also awarded the Australian College of Educators’ Sir Harold Wyndham Medal for her contribution to the education of young people in NSW.
Since 2017, Dr Bruniges has held the elected position of Chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Governing Board.
In 2019, the Australian College of Educators awarded Dr Bruniges its highest award, the College Medal, for her outstanding and sustained contributions to the fields of education and across a range of sectors.
In 2023, Michele was appointed as Chair, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).
