Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the standing committee on education and employment, I present the committee's advisory report, incorporating a dissenting report, on the Australian Education Bill 2012, together with the minutes of proceedings and evidence received by the committee.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

by leave—on 29 November 2012 the House Selection Committee referred the Australian Education Bill for inquiry and report. The reason for the referral was to enable the committee to consult with school communities regarding the development and implementation of the National Plan for School Improvement. The bill articulates the government's aspirations for school education in Australia. It also provides the foundation for a legislative framework that seeks to put an excellent education for every child at the heart of how Australia delivers and funds schooling.

The purpose of the bill is: to articulate and acknowledge the government's aspirations for schooling; set goals for Australian school education that address those aspirations—namely, to provide an excellent education for all students, to be highly equitable and for Australia to be placed in the top five countries in reading, science and mathematics in quality and equity in recognised international testing by 2025; to commit to a national plan for improving school performance and student outcomes; to itemise the reform directions for a national plan that will achieve the government's aspirations and goals; and, to make agreement to implement a national plan for education authorities a prerequisite for receiving a Commonwealth government funding for schools with grants based on outlined principles.

The bill incorporates core recommendations made by the Gonski review to implement a dollar per student resource standard and various dollar loadings for disadvantage, regardless of the type of school the student attends; and, a National Plan for School Improvement. The inquiry received 53 submissions and conducted public hearings in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Evidence was taken from a wide range of stakeholders, including principals, unions, Catholic and independent schools, teachers, parents, educators and academics.

The committee made five recommendations, including that the House pass the bill with the amendments outlined in its advisory report. The explanatory memorandum to the bill stated the government's intent to move amendments to the bill following the conclusion of negotiations with states, territories and the non-government school sector. The two amendments give effect to any funding model agree to and address the legal enforceability of the final act. Stakeholders discussed at length the possible content of the funding formula, and some stakeholders expressed concern regarding clause 10 and the 'legal unenforceability' of the bill.

On the funding formula it must be emphasised that the committee was not tasked with reporting on proposed amendments to the bill. Rather, it was the bill at hand. To enter into speculation on what the government ought to agree is beyond the terms of the referral to the committee and possibly deleterious to the confidential negotiations between the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, and non-government education authorities.

On clause 10 the committee was advised by the DEECD departmental lawyers that this type of provision, whilst not common, is not without precedent and there are examples of similar provisions in other Commonwealth statutes. Moreover, both amendments are likely to occur before the final passage of the bill.

The Australian Education Bill foreshadows fundamental reforms to education in this country—reforms that are overdue and vital to the future of our children and the nation's prosperity. I would like to thank all those who provided evidence to the inquiry; the previous chair of the committee, the member for Kingston; my committee colleagues who participated in the public hearings and report consideration; and the committee secretariat. I commend the report to the House.

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