Chris Hayes (Fowler, 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 what the government is doing to make every school a great school, particularly in my home state of New South Wales, and is the minister aware of any alternative policies on investing in our schools?

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 Fowler. On this side of the House we know how important it is to invest in our schools across the member for Fowler's and my home state of New South Wales, where we have some 3,000 schools. Those schools have received 369,806 computers; 140 projects in trades training centres, benefiting 317 schools; 7,000 Building the Education Revolution projects; 1,400 classroom improvements; 746 libraries; and 924 multipurpose halls—and about 823 schools have benefited from the Smarter Schools National Partnerships.

That is a proud record of investment. The numbers are important, because it is a proud record of investment by a government that has got its priorities right. It means we have tens of thousands of students learning in the classroom with 21st century technology, students learning a trade while at school, thousands of modern classrooms built for today and hundreds of schools benefiting, including Bonnyrigg Primary School, which is in the member's electorate. That investment is critical. It has delivered results, but we know there is more to do, and that is why the Prime Minister has announced the National Plan for School Improvement—investing in great teachers, focusing on school improvement and giving more power to school principals.

I am asked about alternative policies.

I guess I would put it this way to answer that question. The opposition leader thinks that the current level of funding for public schooling is an injustice. The shadow spokesperson for education wants to sack one in seven teachers and bring in larger class sizes. And the shadow Treasurer is on the record: he has not found a schools program that he does not want to cut. He was on ABC radio just the other day boasting about how he would cut the funding for trade-training centres. There is $2.8 billion in cuts already on the slate from those opposite.

Just think about the investment in education in Fowler if this negative Liberal Party opposition had their way. We have put 8,300 computers in schools. They would cut it. We put $2 million worth of investment into two trade-training centres. They would cut it. We have put, into 115 projects, $108 million in Building the Education Revolution. The opposition leader slept through the vote—that would be zero.

Of course, members from New South Wales would not be surprised to know that the song remains the same for their Liberal government as well. There has been $1.7 billion in cuts through raising fees, cutting funding to schools and TAFEs, and sacking staff. A footnote to all of that is that, yesterday, the New South Wales Auditor-General discovered 37 mistakes in the New South Wales Liberal government's budget. They are a billion dollars better off than they were in June. I and those on this side have a message: put that billion dollars into education in New South Wales and follow the lead of this government that supports education and wants to make every school a great school. (Time expired)

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. The minister has outlined how the government is taking steps to make every school a great school, but can the minister inform the House how this investment is delivering results in my electorate?

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 the supplementary question. It allows me to point out in some detail the 36 schools in the electorate of Fowler that are benefiting from the additional investment this Labor government has provided to schools in the Smarter Schools National Partnerships. One of these schools, Bonnyrigg Public School, has had a $740,000 investment under the partnership. And now what do we see? We see smaller class sizes so that each child has the opportunity to be a successful learner—the shadow minister should take note—and we see the school implementing targeted policies such as engaging curriculum and assessment specialists, literacy and numeracy consultants, an English as a second language coordinator, strengthening individual learning plans and purchasing resources for literacy and numeracy. Of course it makes a difference.

So at Bonnyrigg Public School they have increased attendance rates, increased student engagement, increased the proportion of students achieving the national minimum standard across all year groups. And in year 3 we have 12 per cent more students reaching the minimum standards in literacy. The proportion of students who achieve the top two bands have increased in year 3 reading by 12 per cent. These are significant improvements for the Bonnyrigg Public School, and they have come about because we have a Labor government that recognises how important investing in education is. It makes a difference to every student and we will continue to make every school a great school.