A growing number of respected voices have sounded the alarm that students are not being prepared to compete in an increasingly global marketplace and that new curriculum models and structures must be considered. There is widespread consensus that today's students must be able to think critically, solve problems and collaborate if they are to succeed in work and live in the 21st century.

What really matters in curriculum today? Will today's students be prepared for the types of jobs they will encounter in the 21st century? How can we help produce 21st century outcomes for every student?

It is said that we live in the 'Information Age'. No one could dispute the fact that never before, in the history of civilisation, have so many had access to so much information. Beyond the education sector, those commercial and industrial organizations that intend to grow and prosper are making a massive commitment to technology, and often mistakenly believe that their information needs will be served - as an automatic by-product of that financial expenditure.

However, whilst many of our school students are manifestly able to use the Internet for communications, entertainment and consumer purposes, to what extent are they able to navigate the ‘Information Superhighway’ most expediently? Are they able to detect bias? Can they assess the authority of web-based information? Do they have the necessary higher-order skills to analyse and synthesise data?

Information literacy is currently embedded in all curriculum areas, and across all developmental stages. It will therefore surprise many to discover that many schools and school systems are incrementally devaluing the most effective, best trained, and possibly the only qualified staff who are in a position to develop the skills necessary not only for academic success, but also for a successful transition into the 21st Century workplace.

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