The lost art of discipline

The problem, especially for boys, is that the noise and disruption make it harder to learn and - as proven by the US study Project Follow Through - the more traditional direct instruction method of teaching achieves better results.

Finland, one of the top-performing countries in international tests, has more traditional approaches to classroom pedagogy: teachers are figures of authority, respected by both parents and students.

As noted by Finnish educationalist Hannu Simola, teachers in Finland "appear to be pedagogically conservative and somewhat reserved or remote in their relations with pupils and their families".

Teachers and schools also need to create a culture of high expectations with a disciplined classroom environment.

Students who misbehave need to be dealt with quickly and principals need the power to suspend repeat offenders without spending months on red tape and bureaucratic procedures.

Many of the submissions to the Gonski school funding review carried out by the previous Labor government argued that the best way to overcome disadvantage is to spend more money and to have smaller classes and more teachers.

As the OECD research proves, a more cost-effective way is to focus on improving classroom behaviour on the basis that "the impact of socioeconomic status on student performance can be weakened by a positive disciplinary climate in school".

If standards are to improve, especially for disadvantaged students, Australian classrooms must embrace a more disciplined environment where teachers are authority figures who engender respect.