Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan wants support from state and federal counterparts to speed up the review.

Mr Tehan is determined to strip back the syllabus.

"Teachers and principals tell me the current curriculum is overcrowded," he told AAP on Monday.

"There are too many topics to cover and not enough time and that means teachers can't dedicate the resources to concentrating on teaching the fundamentals."

Australia took a dive in global education rankings last week, with the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) finding reading, maths and science skills had all slipped backwards.

"We must do better and we can do better," Mr Tehan said.

"Central to improving student outcomes must involve refocusing on literacy and numeracy and de-cluttering the curriculum."

Federal, state and territory education ministers will meet in Alice Springs later this week.

Mr Tehan will use the meting to urge his counterparts to bring forward advice from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.

Australian Associated Press