Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Primary schooling has a critical role in the lives of children. Conversely, the teachers and staff of the nation's primary schools take on a very important but often undervalued responsibility. We entrust into their care young children whose futures are very heavily influenced by their early years at school.

Last night several parliamentary colleagues and I met with primary school principals from public and private schools from around Australia to hear firsthand about the issues that matter to them. Those issues are best summarised in the Context Statement of the Charter on Primary Schooling issued by the Australian Primary Principals Association, which says:

Primary schools are under pressure. Teachers feel that their core business has been devalued and made more difficult as they are expected to provide solutions for a range of social problems. The limited resources available are being stretched to cover increasing responsibilities and demands.

Evidence shows a growing trend:

… to load the primary school with every issue that others are unable to solve.

…   …   …

The expected role of primary schools is less clear than it once was as public debate sees strong and conflicting public views about the role of primary schools.

If governments continue to ignore our primary school staff, it is not those staff that are being ignored but our children and their futures.