Australia's school curriculum is failing the nation's children and must focus on stretching individual students to their maximum capabilities, according to a new report.
Students must not only finish the year meeting age or year-based expectations but with a full year's worth of extra knowledge, the report prepared by businessman David Gonski and an expert panel says.
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said it was imperative every student was extended to their maximum ability.
"We have far too many cruising or coasting students at schools in Australia where kids go along and aren't necessarily extended as much as they could be during the course of the year," he told ABC radio on Monday.
"So it's about how do we actually not just lift our tail of performance but also get more high achievers and turn more B grade students into A grade students."
Federal, state and territory education ministers will meet on Friday to be briefed by Mr Gonski who will outline the report's 23 recommendations.
The federal government has already given in-principle support to the recommendations.
Senator Birmingham is hopeful an agreement can be negotiated with his state counterparts this year, allowing changes to be implemented from 2019.
Mr Gonski's recommendations are designed to be implemented together and to turn around the decline in academic performance Australia has experienced since 2000.
"This is a long-term project however if we stay on course, with strong, sustained bipartisan support we will look back in a decade to a transformed school education system," he said in the report.
Mr Gonski wants to see the national curriculum revised over five years to set out progressive learning steps in each subject.
Teachers should also be prioritising literacy and numeracy to ensure students have the core basics before they turn eight, and there needs to be a smooth transition between early childhood learning and school.
It suggests new reporting arrangements focus on learning attainment and gain, noting schools with high achievers who don't make good progress aren't as successful as they could be.
Mr Gonski also wants an independent national inquiry into objectives, curriculum and assessment provisions for year 11 and 12 students, with findings within 12 months.
There's also a series of recommendation to support teachers, including the development of an online tool to allow them to track individual student progress and suggest individualised support for students.
The Australian Education Union believes the report does not go far enough in addressing resource shortages facing public schools.
"We know that when schools have the resources they need to give students the individual attention they need, we see improved educational outcomes," AEU president Correna Haythorpe said.
"If the Turnbull government thinks that this report and its recommendations will be a distraction from the critical issue of funding, then they are wrong."
