Schooling in a volatile, unpredictable, complex, ambiguous (VUCA) world: A set of provocations presented by Professor Martin Mills

About Carolyn D. Baker

Carolyn Baker was an Associate Professor in the School of Education at The University of Queensland. Associate Professor Baker, who passed away in 2003, is best remembered for her research and her excellent postgraduate supervision and teaching. This prestigious annual memorial lecture commemorates the life and valuable contribution that our colleague, Carolyn, had generously shared with all of us during her time with the School of Education. The Carolyn D. Baker Memorial Lecture is presented as part of UQ's Research and Innovation week. Join us as we remember our colleague and friend Carolyn Baker at the annual memorial lecture.

About the lecture

The acronym ‘VUCA’ has become increasingly used to capture the volatility, unpredictability, complexity and ambiguity of contemporary societies. In this lecture it will be argued that a VUCA world has contributed to a disillusionment with the relevance of contemporary schooling. This disillusionment is apparent in a number of critiques of contemporary schooling. UNESCO (2021) has appealed for renewed and innovative ideas about schooling. The OECD describes schools as out of touch, lacking engagement with 21st-century learning skills, and failing to spark creativity (Schleicher, 2015; see also Henriksen et al., 2019). In Australia, the Productivity Commissioner’s Deputy Chair argued that ‘education is ripe for disruption’ and urges for the traditional model of schooling to ‘change drastically’ (Carroll & Carey, 2022). The 2023 Productivity Commission report recommended that governments ‘enable experimentation with alternative approaches to schooling’. Disillusionment with schools’ relevance for the current world is not restricted to policy. It also exists amongst students, parents/carers and teachers, evidenced through, for example, falling attendance levels (ACARA, 2025), the rise of alternative schooling options set up by parents who are unhappy with the mainstream, in an increasing number of special assistance schools (ISA, 2023) and teacher shortages (Department of Education, 2022). Drawing on current research into student attendance, flexi schools, curriculum making and teacher shortages, this lecture will pose several provocations as to how schools might change in response to a VUCA world.

All are welcome to attend our free event. For catering purposes, please register by Friday 4 September 2026.

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