Deborah O'Neill (Robertson, 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 why we need to invest in the National Plan for School Improvement? What other support is there for this investment and what is the government's response?

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 Robertson for her question. She is a great advocate for education in both her electorate and abroad. The reason we must invest in the National Plan for School Improvement is that we want to set up the country well for the future. The fact is that education is a great enabler—and I have heard the member herself say that. Every member wants to see support going to the students in their electorates who need it. We also understand that it is not good enough to have students in our country being left behind by students in high-performing school systems in our region. We want to invest in quality learning, quality teaching and more school leadership. We get it.

I am asked about other support for this investment. In fact, the New South Wales Minister for Education was in Canberra yesterday, as I understand, reportedly making a presentation to National Party colleagues on why we need the National Plan for School Improvement. Interestingly, the presentation was headed 'Benefits of school funding reform'. It says that there are persistent gaps in education outcomes that need additional investment to close those gaps. One can imagine it: the putative leader, Senator Joyce, sitting up the front, very keen; the current leader drafting a question for 'Albo'; the member for Calare ripping through a copy of The Land; and up comes the slide presentation, which says, 'Why is the current funding model broken?' because funding does not follow the students with the highest levels of educational need.

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

The minister will desist from using the prop.

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

There has never been a more eloquent statement as to why National Party members in this House ought to be supporting our National Plan for School Improvement. Here is a presentation given by a National Party education minister of a state to make that very point. The presentation went on to out the shadow minister's, the member for Sturt's, campaign of misinformation on indexation and funding growth to schools. The slide reads—and I am happy to show you for a moment—'The full funding reforms provide higher levels of funding to all school sectors in New South Wales from 2014'.

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

The minister will desist from using the prop.

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

It goes on to say that states stand to receive billions of dollars in additional investment under the National Plan for School Improvement. So what are we left with here? A federal coalition that has been exposed by a state coalition education minister because of their campaign for misinformation. I guess the rest of us can only be left with some pretty clear conclusions. If you are a teacher, they want to sack one in seven of you. If you are a parent, they want to cut the extra support that your child needs. If you care about the future of our country, they want to cut education from now and into the future. We will deliver a National Plan for School Improvement.