I think there are a number of factors at play based on what I've seen in the classroom.

1 - Culturally, we do not value learning or teachers. As a society we see education as valuable only when it leads towards lucrative employment. I think this is why the humanities are struggling and people say they are not "useful". What they mean is they are not necessarily useful to get the highest paying job possible, so why bother. 2 - Australia is becoming a less equal society. The kids who need support have less of it. Housing affordability as well as the shifts in welfare spending and public/private education funding since Howard are big factors here I think. 3 - Technology and social media. I think kids are distracted and overstimulated by constant screen time (as are most adults to be fair - it is we who have failed them and I am not blaming young people at all). Call me a Luddite but that's what I see in my classroom. Almost without exception the strongest students are the ones who can put their laptop away and take notes, or sit with a book and give it their undivided attention.

My instinct talking to kids is they are at least as smart as they ever have been, but I don't think our system is doing a good job of shielding them from these changes.