In both New Zealand and Australia, improvements have been led both at the system level and by individual communities and schools. Where these efforts are aligned and mutually reinforcing, the impact is more positive than reliance solely on system-wide efforts or solely on interventions by individual communities or schools. The rationale behind compulsory education is that learning occurs primarily, (although not exclusively) in school, and that higher enrolment and attainment rates benefit both individuals and society as a whole (Lleras-Muney, 2002; Oreopoulos, 2006).