Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How will schools, particularly those in my home state of Victoria, benefit from the government's plan for better schools?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Deakin for his question. It is a very good one for the state of Victoria because we have published new information, for parents and teachers in Victoria to absorb, about what our plan for school improvement means for Victorian schools. But in summary—and I know that the member for Deakin cares passionately about this—what it means is an increase in resources for Victorian schools of more than $4 billion. What that means, on average, for schools is an increase of $1.8 million. What that money will go to is lifting the standards of education of our children—things that make a real difference to children's education: the children that need help with reading and maths getting the help they need through intensive teaching and more teaching time; the kids who are galloping ahead in front of the class, at risk of being bored, given personalised learning plans that continue to extend them; specialised teachers that can make a difference in schools; language teachers; teacher librarians; and student support officers who can help with welfare in schools. We know these things work because we have proven that they work in national partnerships schools around the country.

Recently, I was in the electorate of Deakin. In fact, we conducted a community cabinet at Norwood Secondary College. Norwood Secondary College and its 1,000 students, on our best understanding of the figures, stands to gain around $5.8 million over the next six years under Labor's new funding plan. That is a funding increase of over 50 per cent per student by 2019. Now, I do not want to see Norwood miss out on those new resources. I do not want to see Victorian schools miss out on those new resources. I do not want to see students on one side of the New South Wales/Victorian border miss out. I do not want to see schools on one side of the South Australian/Victorian border miss out. I do not want to see Victorian students left behind, which is why it is so important that the Premier of Victoria seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make sure that funding is right for Victorian schools. He should not succumb to the pressure from the opposition to play their politics. He should put the children of Victoria first and sign on to our plan for school improvement. Victorian children deserve it. They should have a world-class education and it is time for the Premier of Victoria to sign on to our plan and put his kids first.

Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a supplementary question for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has talked about what the government's plan for schools means for Victoria. Prime Minister, how will other states benefit?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Deakin for that question because, of course, this is a comprehensive plan for every school in the country. It is moving away from the broken funding model of the past—something acknowledged by responsible conservatives in this country. For example, the Premier of New South Wales and his education minister, a Liberal and a National Party member, have said loudly and clearly that the current funding model is broken. It is broken and it will deny our children a world-class education, which is why I want to see every child in every school around the country have the benefit of our National Plan for School Improvement. New South Wales has signed on, the ACT has signed on, South Australia has signed on, and now is the time for the other premiers, and the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, to sign on too.

Of course, all of this is at risk because it is so bitterly opposed by the opposition, with the shadow minister for education committing the opposition to ripping these resources away if they are ever elected to government—legislating to take away resources from schools around the country. That is their way but it is not the Labor way. The Labor way is to create opportunity for every child and we are absolutely determined to get this done.