Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Youth) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bennelong for his question and his contribution to his electorate and indeed to our nation. It is fantastic that kids are returning to school in Melbourne and Sydney, and it is such a relief for parents and for kids. As they return to school, we are absolutely backing them in to roar back. We're doing that through record funding to every single school; we're doing that through additional mental health support; we're doing that through keeping the economy strong so that there are opportunities for them post schooling—and, of course, we're also doing this through revising the national curriculum to ensure that standards are high and that we instil that love of country which the member for Bennelong referred to.

Mr Speaker, as you'd be aware, the national curriculum is presently under review. But I've got to say that I would not support what the independent Australian curriculum authority has presently put out, the reason being that, in some cases, standards haven't been lifted but have in fact gone backwards. The clearest example of that is in the teaching of the times table. Presently, kids are being taught that in year 3, but under the revised national curriculum, which ACARA, the independent body, has put out, it would be taught in year 4. In some other countries it's actually taught in year 2. But I'll tell you what is suggested to be taught in year 2, and that is to suggest or to analyse whether a statue is racist. So you can't learn the times table, but you can do an analysis of a statue in year 2, when you are seven.

My biggest problem, though, is actually in the history curriculum—

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