Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the hardworking member for Robertson's motion regarding the commitment of the Albanese government to better and fairer education for all Australians. Education is the foundation for building a better life for every Australian. It enables both individuals and societies to thrive—from the early years at kindergarten through to primary and secondary school and then on to TAFE or uni. Education is the pathway to prosperity, dignity, purpose and wellbeing. Good education creates a smarter and more equitable nation. Therefore, all Australians need equal access and opportunities to education. It should never be about your credit card; it should never be about the haves and the have-nots. The drive for better and fairer education is close to my heart, and I say that as the proud dad of a high schooler in year 10—Leo, I hope you're having a good day and not listening to this on your phone—and a uni student, and in a former life I was an English teacher. I worked in both state and independent schools for 11 years in Queensland. From both sides of the fence, I can vouch for the importance of teaching and how it can change lives.

I'd like to thank all of the teachers and their support staff in the 49 schools across my electorate of Moreton for their dedication and commitment. And I think I can speak for all MPs when I say that all MPs in this country appreciate the effort of our teachers and their support staff. I'd like to congratulate the Minister for Education for the progress he's made since May 2022. We've got a lot of work to do, obviously; there's been a bit of a mess left behind by the former coalition government.

One of the things that we really need to do is fix that teacher shortage. Obviously, that didn't start when Labor took office. To provide equal access to education, we need to urgently address the questions of why too few people are choosing teaching and why too many trained staff are leaving the profession—some after only two or three years. The National Teacher Workforce Action Plan is focusing on direct and measurable actions, like the $30 billion to establish the teacher Workload Reduction Fund and the $10 million for improved professional development opportunities. We're bolstering the number of teachers with 4,000 additional places in teaching degrees and $56 million for Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships. These scholarships will attract more high achievers to the profession. I note that over 3,000 applications have already been received. To ensure ongoing equal access, the scholarship priority groups include First Nations peoples; people from rural, regional and remote areas, because the Labor Party will always look after the bush; and also people with disability.

Another focus of the Albanese government is on school infrastructure. The $275 million first phase of the Schools Upgrade Fund will provide facilities, upgrade IT equipment and develop outdoor learning spaces across over 1,500 schools. Round 2 provides $215 million for public schools to take on large projects, such as new facilities. I'm proud that the funding will be prioritised for schools with high numbers of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, First Nations students and students with a disability. This is a capital injection version of needs based funding.

Labor is also negotiating the next National School Reform Agreement this year. We're committed to lifting every school to 100 per cent of their fair funding level. Contrast this to the schools agreement which was signed by the coalition government under the member for Cook. Under that agreement, students from disadvantaged backgrounds were found to be three times more likely to fall behind, and 86,000 students didn't meet either the basic literacy standard or the numeracy standard. Sensible governments ensure that students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are not left behind.

The review to inform a better and fairer education system was published in December last year and provided guidance on key reforms related to equity, wellbeing and teacher workforce. The negotiations for the National School Reform Agreement will tie funding to reform and will lead to measures that result in a better and fairer education and in closing that education gap.

I want to finish with a quick word about the importance of student wellbeing. The Albanese Labor government has put over $203 million towards the Student Wellbeing Boost program. Last week, I hosted a roundtable on loneliness, especially loneliness amongst 18- to 25-year-olds, with the member for Boothby and the member for Hunter. Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of school students can only improve outcomes as they transition to vocational education or uni.

Education remains the great transformational opportunity. Minister Clare feels this in his bones, and he's rolling out policies to make it so—from the Torres Strait to Tasmania, from Carnarvon to Coolangatta and everywhere in between. There are no quick fixes to the challenges in the education sector, but Minister Clare is kicking things along nicely.

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