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

I thank the member for Perth for his question. The Australian government believes that we should focus on where the problem lies in this area. Labor came up with a very hastily put together plan that entirely misses the point in relation to the teaching of maths and science in this country. We must engage young people at a primary or secondary school level. If they are not engaged and studying maths and science by years 10, 11 and 12, they are not going on to study it at university. That is self-evident and it is entirely missing from Labor’s policy.

What the Australian government is focusing on is supporting teachers and schools, scientific organisations and universities to work with the schools through a range of programs that the Australian government has instituted to inspire young people to study science and mathematics when they are at school—that is where the problem lies—rather than coming up with a bandaid approach at the higher education level that has been proven not to work.

One thing I can say about the Leader of the Opposition: he has not had an original policy thought on anything, let alone education. He talks about his education revolution. Naughty boy! You stole that idea, didn’t you?

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