Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. Will the minister outline the role of our schools and schoolchildren in helping Australia take advantage of the opportunities of the Asian century? Are there any barriers to our children and young people benefiting from the economic rise of Asia?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Banks for that question. He has some $83 million of investment benefiting 107 projects and 46 schools in his electorate. He knows that the government of which he is a member has a profound commitment to education. The fact is that for Australia to succeed in the Asian century we need to equip all young Australians with a better understanding of history, of culture and of the language of our Asian neighbours, and we need a school system that is amongst the best in the world.

That is why our response to the Asian century white paper includes three national objectives to increase our Asian literacy: all students to have the opportunity to study an Asian language from the first day of school through to year 12, every student to have significant exposure to studies of Asia across the curriculum to increase their cultural knowledge, and Australia's school system to be in the top five schooling systems in the world. To help achieve this, every school will engage with at least one school in Asia to support the teaching of a priority Asian language, including through increased use of the NBN.

Asia literacy will be a core requirement in new education reforms we are currently discussing with the states and territories and non-government education authorities, building on the work already underway and noting that Mandarin is one of the first two languages to be rolled out under the national curriculum. This is all about getting on with a plan to build a future for a modern Australia. It is all about setting us up and setting young Australians up for a future where Asia is critical and where many of the employment opportunities of the future will require high skills and will be driven by those Asian economies to our north.

I was pleased to see that stakeholders have responded positively to our commitments. In the Australian, Adelaide university Asia expert Kent Anderson said he was really impressed with how the white paper mainstreams Asian studies and languages. The Asia Education Foundation's Executive Director, Kathe Kirby, in the Age, welcomed the education objectives that were listed in the white paper. This is the future and this government is preparing for it now.

I am asked by the member for Banks whether there are any barriers to young Australians getting the benefits from the economic rise of Asia. The fact is—there should be no surprises—that the barriers to us advancing education opportunities for young Australians lie with the Leader of the Opposition and those sitting opposite us in the House. Remember, it was the member for North Sydney who yesterday labelled the white paper 'a waste of time'—that is, encouraging Australian students to engage in the Asian century. The Leader of the Opposition has described public school funding as an 'injustice', and the opposition shadow minister, who has been thrown out of the parliament yet again, who cannot stay in here to listen to this question, wants to see one in seven teachers sacked. I need say no more. (Time expired)