Our nation's students have continued to slide when measured against other countries in both mathematics and reading and this is despite record funding for the sector over the past decade.

Which is why it is quite reasonable to question the current system and its relevance to achieving great educational outcomes.

While teacher unions essentially claim the situation can be fixed by throwing more money at the sector, there are others in the community calling for a forensic investigation into what we teach, how we teach and the quality of those doing the teaching.

On the first point, there are some educationalists who believe that the curriculum has become too cluttered and not nearly enough time is being spent on the fundamentals.

The second point is also an important one where teaching methods have changed over the years, but outcomes for children have continued to decline again something that needs to be examined more closely.

And finally, as a community are we getting the best people possible into the classrooms to teach the next generation?

Perhaps the generous increases in wages will push up the popularity in teaching and in doing so, attract students with higher academic performance as courses become more competitive, but this is more a generational change than an overnight fix.

The Gonski reforms are great in as much as they have the potential to lift academic performance, but if the additional funds are misdirected we will only end up with the same result just a whole lot more expensive.

Everyone has a role to play in turning this disturbing trend around, and money is not the quick fix some would have us believe.

It's time for an overhaul and hopefully the Gonski reforms will be the catalyst.