Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. During the 2013 election, the Liberals promised they were on a unity ticket with Labor on school funding. After that election, the Liberals cut $30 billion from schools. Given data released today that shows Australia's results in school science and maths have flat lined, does this prove that this Liberal government should put an end to its chaos and finally properly fund Australian schools?

Mr Dutton interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection will cease interjecting.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. As the honourable member is aware, the government is delivering record levels of school funding—the highest levels of school funding of any federal government.

However, we should be extremely concerned by the fall in our comparative rankings in maths and science revealed in the report today. Since 2011, in maths, we have slipped 10 places for year 4, from 18th to 28th; and five places for year 8, from 12th to 17th. In science, we have remained steady at 25th. This is a much needed wake-up call. It is important for honourable members to recognise that, during that period of that fall in relative performance—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney has asked her question.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

we have been spending more money every single year. The reality is this: that we cannot keep on managing school education in the same way that we have in the past. We need to change the way the money is spent. The reality is that we are spending more but we are getting worse outcomes. What the Labor Party says is, 'Spend even more.' They are not prepared to recognise that we need to invest in programs that will deliver better results. We are focused on that very need. We are seeking to address these failures or these declines in performance. We have got a back-to-basics focus on more teachers specialising in literacy and numeracy. I hear sighs from members opposite. Literacy and numeracy—that is what those tests are about, I would remind honourable members opposite. We are falling behind in that area. We have got to focus on it. We are ensuring more teachers are qualified to teach STEM subjects. We are ensuring that students complete a maths or science subject as a prerequisite to get a tertiary ranking and we are setting minimum literacy and numeracy standard rates for year 12s. I would cite the Grattan report on this subject released just this week, which says that money alone:

… cannot create a school system that gives every Australian child a fair chance in life. … It must be spent well.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney will cease interjecting.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We recall what Ken Boston, a member of the Gonski panel, said:

The solution to Australia's education problem is not pouring more public money into education, but redistributing the existing funding strategically, to address the things that matter in the schools that need it.

That is our commitment: to do just that.