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 update the House on the government's National Plan for School Improvement? How has this smart investment in the nation's future been received?

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

I want to thank the member for Banks for that question because we think that investing in education is the most important investment that a nation can make. We know that education is the great enabler. For young Australians to live a successful and happy life the quality of their education will count. For us to have young Australians who are well educated and get high-paid, high-skilled jobs in the future will contribute to our national prosperity over time.

Education has been front and centre of this government's agenda and remains there. Look at what we have done already. For the first time we have a national curriculum. For the first time there will be over one million students sitting NAPLAN today, national testing in literacy and numeracy. We have the MySchool website and have improved facilities in every school in the country, especially focusing effort on the things that we know count in the school and in the classroom. That is about teacher quality and making sure our kids are learning to read and do their maths well at an early age.

But we know there is more to do. The Gonski panel, who looked at school funding, provided us with a set of recommendations that said that we need to fund schools on a basis that is fair and on a basis that is effective. We have accepted the thrust of those recommendations and we have a National Plan for School Improvement, with the goal to have Australia in the top five education nations in the world by 2025. We are backing that plan with effectively a '$2 from the Commonwealth and $1 from the state' investment that would see some $14.5 billion in additional funding exercised and spent over time to make sure that every student, no matter where they live and no matter how much money their parents earn, is getting the education that they need.

I am asked about how the National Plan for School Improvement has been received. The fact is it has been received very positively. I can hardly find a person in the country who thinks and cares about education who has not been positive about this reform—teachers, parents and the business community. New South Wales, as the Prime Minister has said, have agreed in the interests of their students that the National Plan for School Improvement is something that they want to be a part of. In fact, the New South Wales Premier said:

… it provides additional resources, fairer distribution, to deliver higher standards and better outcomes …

I do not agree with everything that Premier O'Farrell says or does, but on this count I think he got it right. The only negative voices we have heard are from the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow minister. The Leader of the Opposition thinks that increasing investment to public education is an injustice. They will not support this national plan for the nation's future.

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

Madam Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. The minister has talked about building better schools. What will this mean for students in my electorate?

Mrs Griggs interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Solomon is warned. The minister has the call.

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

I am happy to take that supplementary question from the member for Banks. I know how important it is to him as a local member that the schools in his electorate are well supported. Let me apprise those listening what this government has done on education. Let us look at the existing level of investment in the member's electorate—107 new projects at 43 schools under the Building the Education Revolution program; building and upgrading 22 classrooms, seven libraries, 18 multipurpose halls and a language centre; and computers in schools that benefit from the national partnerships. The point about the National Plan for School Improvement for electorates like those of the member for Banks—and every Labor member knows it and every member opposite ought to know it—is that additional investment into schools in this country will make a difference to the education of the kids in those schools. We are investing in great teachers, focusing on school improvement, giving more power to local principals and giving the resources to do the things that count.

I spoke in my first answer in the House about how important it is that young Australians get on a sound footing in literacy and numeracy at an early age. That might mean, for example, a literacy coach in one of the member for Banks's schools. In fact, I visited I think the Narwee Public School with the member earlier on and I could see what a difference these investments are making and will continue to make under the National Plan for School Improvement. (Time expired)