Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Canning for his question. I acknowledge his deep interest in this issue. The coalition is determined to raise standards in education across the country. We believe that parents and students have a right to the highest educational standards possible wherever they may live, wherever they may receive their education. That is why, in considering a year 12 certificate of education, we have commissioned a comparative study into curriculum content across the country, including in English, Australian history, maths, science, physics and chem.

I am asked about alternative policies and I can report to the House that over in the west the state Labor government is seeking to introduce an outcomes based education regime. The implementation of this OBE regime has been nothing short of a debacle. It has been an absolute disgrace. Labor has managed to alienate virtually every stakeholder group, from parents and teachers to the State School Teachers Union of WA, the Western Australian Council of State School Organisations, the Independent Education Union, the Association of Independent Schools of WA, the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia and the WA College of Teaching. So teachers, parents, students, academics and educators are calling on state Labor to stop this madness.

Through a lack of resources, a lack of time and a lack of preparation, students in Western Australia are facing English courses with no text, history courses with no dates and music courses with no instruments. We on this side of the House stand with the parents, the students and the unions in calling on state Labor to delay the implementation of this OBE regime. And what do we hear from the federal Labor members from Western Australia—the member for Cowan, the member for Fremantle, the member for Swan, the member for Perth and the member for Brand, who wants to be the education Prime Minister? We have heard not a word about this debacle. I think it is time for the Leader of the Opposition to show some leadership, stand up for the students in his state and call upon his state Labor colleagues to delay the implementation in the interests of students in his home state.

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