Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to get a sensible question on education today from the government because I can point out that the government's policy on implementing an independent public schools program across Australia will have a major impact on outcomes and results for students. This side of the House believe that quality and standards should be our watchwords in all things to do with school education.

In fact, in the Adelaide Advertiser today support came for the coalition's position from a source that we do not normally have in our corner, and that was the South Australian Association of State School Organisations. The director, David Knuckey, said that the Debelle inquiry shows schools cannot depend on the Department for Education and Child Development and that research shows self-governed schools have better outcomes. He went on to say:

OECD research shows that schools run by the local community are more efficient, have improved financial management, reduced bureaucracy and are more innovative.

In fact, on the weekend, in a very excellent column in the Weekend Australian written by Kevin Donnelly, he set out much OECD international and domestic research which shows that school autonomy has a major impact on school outcomes for students.

Mr Husic interjecting—

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