Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that:

(a) Australian school students who commenced preparatory school when the Coalition formed government are now entering their final semester of primary school;

(b) Australian school students who commenced high school when the Coalition formed government have transitioned to earning or learning through tertiary or vocational education; and

(c) the future opportunities of these young Australians have been curtailed by the inability of the Government to address the educational needs of Australian students;

(2) notes that since the Coalition formed government:

(a) one of their first acts in government was to cut $30 billion over the decade from projected school funding;

(b) they failed to restore cuts to public schools;

(c) the literacy and numeracy of Australian school students has fallen;

(d) there has been no action by the Government to improve school standards;

(e) there has been no action by the Government to provide support to students, parents, teachers and principals;

(f) Australian Vocational education and training (VET) students are paying more for their courses;

(g) Australian apprenticeships and on-the-job training opportunities have declined;

(h) the threshold for student loan repayments has been reduced, so that VET and university students are now commencing to repay their student loans when they are earning barely more than the minimum wage;

(i) university places have been capped;

(j) penalty rates, relied on by many students trying to earn money while studying, have been cut, resulting in more time away from their studies; and

(k) nothing has been done to address the disconnect between higher education courses and industry demand for skills; and

(3) calls on the Government to urgently implement measures to:

(a) support public education in Australia through fair funding and reversing the cuts;

(b) address the falling standard of literacy and numeracy of Australian students;

(c) make sure university and TAFE is affordable for all Australians; and

(d) ensure that young Australians have the skills required for our future workforce needs.

I'm very pleased to move the motion that has been circulated in my name. The matter before the Federation Chamber recognises that, for Australian children who are in the education system right now, time is passing. As sung by Fleetwood Mac, and I think by the Dixie Chicks, children get older. Australian children who commenced prep when the coalition formed government are now entering their final semester of primary school, and those students who commenced high school when the coalition formed government have already transitioned to earning or learning.

This government is about to commence its seventh year in office. The decisions it has made, or failed to make, have had real consequences on the educational outcomes of Australian children and young adults. Since the election of the coalition government in 2013, students, schools, universities and TAFEs have all been under constant attack. One of their first acts in government was to cut $30 billion over the decade from projected school funding. They've failed to restore cuts to public schools; failed to address the continuing decline in literacy and numeracy standards, much to our international shame; failed to provide adequate support to students, parents, teachers and principals; failed to address increasing fees for students undertaking vocational education and training; failed to address the decline in opportunities for apprenticeships and on-the-job training; reduced the threshold for repayment of student loans; capped university places; cut penalty rates; and failed to address the disconnect between higher education courses and industry demand for skills.

Because of this Morrison-Frydenberg government's failure to address key issues in the Australian education system, Australian school students are continuing to fall behind in literacy and numeracy standards. Australia has fallen below Kazakhstan in the global education report card. How good is Kazakhstan! 150,000 fewer young Australians have the opportunity to undertake apprenticeships. Young Australians are having to repay their student loans when they are earning barely more than the minimum wage. Thousands of clever young Australians are missing out on the opportunity of a university education. Many young Australians are missing out on vital classroom contact hours because they have to work longer to make up for those penalty rate cuts to weekend pay.

This coalition government should hang its head in shame that education standards for children growing up in Australia are falling on its watch. What a disgraceful legacy! Every Australian child deserves a world-class education system not only for their future but also for the prosperity of our nation. Countries around the world are investing in their education systems but, sadly, the Liberal Party and the National Party are letting Australian kids down. As a parent I know that the best future investment any parent can make is in their child's education. The same is true for this nation. The best investment we can make in our future prosperity is to invest in our education system but, sadly, this is an investment that the coalition has failed to see as having much value at all.

Just last month the Productivity Commission released its research paper The demand-driven university system; a mixed report card. The Productivity Commission, not exactly a left-wing think tank, was particularly concerned about the retention and completion rates of university students. The report commences with this paragraph:

University can be transformative. Most university students succeed academically and go on to rewarding careers. On average, they earn higher wages and are less likely to be unemployed—which means higher taxes and lower social security benefits—and they make the economy more innovative and adaptive.

An economic evaluation of higher learning from the Productivity Commission—yet this lost coalescence of a coalition government over there still sees no value in funding education.

Labor has always been the party of education. It is the great transformational policy and our resolve remains unchanged. Labor is committed to a lifetime of education and to making sure that every Australian has the opportunity to obtain a great education. Our economy can only benefit from investment in education. It delivers increased productivity, a skilled workforce and the jobs of the future. I call on this coalition government under Prime Minister Morrison to urgently address the multiple issues facing Australia's education system—problems that have surfaced under their watch—to support public education and reverse the cuts that they have delivered; to address literacy and numeracy standards, which have fallen on their watch; to make sure young Australians can afford to go to university or TAFE so that we get our brightest and best people at university to create the jobs of the future; and to ensure Australia's future workforce has the skills it needs. Listen to the economists, listen to the educators, listen to the parents in your communities and invest in Australian education.

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