The education system in Australia is currently comparable to 17th century medical practices, with teachers frequently using tools without any scientific evidence behind them, according to a leading education expert.

Sir Kevan Collins, who is chief executive of the UK's Education Endowment Foundation, which was established to improve education practices and outcomes, said many teachers around the world are "essentially allowed to make it up as [they go]".

The EEF began three trials in Australian schools this year to look at different ways of teaching maths and phonics Credit:Louise Kennerley

"Until the 18th and early 19th centuries, doctors would just invent their own practices, before the [medical community] understood you could use science and randomised control trials to test drugs and measure which approach to solving a problem had the best effect," Sir Kevan said.

He is now leading the implementation of randomised control trials for classroom practices in the UK, and is currently in Australia to speak to members of the Gonski 2.0 review panel, Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham and state ministers including NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes.