The Children We Leave Behind with Dr. Geoff Masters AO
The Children We Leave Behind with Dr. Geoff Masters AO  
Podcast: Hardiness with Dr Paul Taylor
Published On: Fri Aug 21 2026
Description: The education system is sending kids the wrong message about learning, ability, and success - and it’s leaving far too many behind. Dr. Geoff Masters reveals why age-based schooling, narrow assessment, and one-size-fits-all teaching are failing students, and what a smarter redesign could look like. Geoff is the former head of the Australian Council for Educational Research, explains the hidden lessons schools teach children: that learning is for pleasing others, that the body is separate from the mind, that learning happens alone, and that progress is just a sequence of disconnected content chunks. He shows how those assumptions shape disengagement, frustration, and the belief that some kids are simply “good” or “bad” learners. You’ll discover: Why 40 to 50 percent of students are disengaged in the middle years Why the top 10 percent in a year level can be five to six years ahead of the bottom 10 percent Why that makes the current model nearly impossible for one teacher to meet. Geoff also breaks down how assessment should change from “how well did you learn what I just taught?” to “where are you up to now, and what comes next? “We also unpack what schools can borrow from Finland, Hong Kong, and Wales, including multi-year learning spans, progression steps, and greater teacher autonomy. Geoff and I explore why scripted lessons and rigid standardisation often backfire, how teacher expectations shape student outcomes, and why rebuilding self-efficacy starts with showing children the progress they are already making.   Key Takeaways 00:30 - From science teacher to educational research leader01:27 - How educational research shapes policy and school systems02:18 - Why The Children We Leave Behind was written04:39 - What the system teaches students about learning05:45 - Learning as cognitive only, and the body being left out06:52 - Learning as isolated and competitive rather than social07:52 - The problem with treating learning as disconnected content chunks09:45 - Why the early years handle learning better than the senior years10:52 - University, relevance, and preparation for the real world12:03 - What schools teach students about their ability as learners13:53 - Disengagement in the middle years and the loss of agency15:13 - Why age is a poor proxy for learning needs17:09 - Why the system needs redesign, not just small fixes19:23 - Moving from age-based grouping to individual learning pathways20:29 - Why assessment should measure progress, not just completion22:40 - Building self-efficacy by making progress visible23:30 - Teacher expectations and their impact on student outcomes25:16 - Why this is a whole-school and system-level challenge26:56 - How much autonomy schools actually have27:25 - Rethinking learning across year spans instead of single year levels29:37 - Examples from Finland and three-year schooling phases31:41 - Wales and progression steps instead of year-level lockstep32:46 - Why Finland’s teacher preparation and autonomy matter34:15 - The downside of scripted lessons and excessive prescription35:58 - Standardisation versus true evidence-based teaching37:19 - What parents can do to support engagement and growth38:44 - Whether learning styles are real and how schools should respond40:22 - If education were redesigned from scratch41:20 - Music, proficiency levels, and learning as a continuum42:46 - Organising mathematics around proficiency levels43:41 - Using growth data to guide teaching and communicate progress44:58 - Why teacher quality and pay need to rise together47:48 - What society values, and why education needs a new starting point   Resources Geoff’s book: The Children We Leave Behind LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-masters-a8526a88/ Institute for Educational Reform: https://educationalreform.org.au/who-we-are/   Support the Podcast If you found this conversation valuable, consider subscribing and leaving a review on your preferred podcast platform. Your feedback helps us continue to bring you insightful discussions on important health topics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.