Michele Bruniges
Dr. Michele Bruniges is the former head of the Department of Education in Australia, known for her advocacy on educational equity and her insights into the challenges faced by public comprehensive schools. In her recent remarks at the SMH Schools Summit 2025, she highlighted the growing concentration of disadvantaged students in public schools and proposed reforms to address this inequity, including limiting the expansion of selective schools and encouraging private institutions to enroll more students from less advantaged backgrounds.
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Recent news mentions
Research by former Education Department head Michele Bruniges showed 97 per cent of schools with a high concentration of disadvantage in NSW are public schools.
NSW state education system in crisis as more parents turn to independent and Catholic schools
Australia· 2026-03-07
Former secretary of the Department of Education, Dr Michele Bruniges, led an independent review into this year’s selective school tests.
Report is out with new recommendationsAustralia· 2025-08-21
The department has launched an independent review led by the former head of the federal education department, Michele Bruniges.
NSW selective school test warnings issued before chaos, documents revealAustralia· 2025-07-02
The review, led by education academic Dr Michele Bruniges, will examine why issues occurred and provide recommendations on how to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Selective school test fiasco to undergo independent reviewAustralia· 2025-05-28
Michele Bruniges, the former head of the Department of Education, has proposed addressing the concentration of poor students in the public system.
Comprehensive schools carry a disproportionate burden of disadvantageAustralia· 2025-03-04