There’s a curious twist to Australia’s education system: the youngest participants are the most exposed to market forces.
Childcare is now big business, with several large providers listed on the stock exchange and childcare facilities an attractive asset class for commercial property investors. Since the early 1980s the Australian economy has been transformed by the introduction of market forces into sectors previously owned, or tightly regulated, by governments. This has worked well in some sectors, lifting competitiveness and benefiting consumers.