Andrew Charlton (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is Public Education Day, and I want to acknowledge the important role of public education in our community. Good education is one of the building blocks of success later in life. It gives students the tools they need to tackle challenges and take advantage of opportunities. It instils in students values which will guide them to becoming better citizens and members of our community. Every child deserves the opportunity to access good education, and our public education system is what enables it. Public education is the key to tackling social inequality. It helps level the playing field and offers equal opportunities to children from all backgrounds. The success of our public education system depends on those teachers, principals, administrators, and support staff who work tirelessly to create a safe and supportive learning environment. This year we also celebrate 175 years of public education in my home state of New South Wales.

There are many challenges in our education system. According to UNICEF, we rank in the bottom third of OECD countries when it comes to equitable access to quality education. In fact, when it comes to inequity across the three stages of education, we rank 30th out of 38. Public school teachers are also leaving the field in record numbers. Figures released by the New South Wales Department of Education earlier this year show that resignations have doubled in just two years. In 2022, 1,854 permanent public school teachers in New South Wales left their jobs. Among teachers who have just started out, 19 per cent, or one in five, leave their jobs within five years.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to building better and fairer education for all Australians and will achieve this through fair funding in public education, addressing teacher workload and turning around the workforce shortage. We'll work with states and territories to get every school to 100 per cent of its fair funding level. Our May budget builds on our $328 million investment to tackle teacher shortages, including 4,000 additional university places for education degrees; funding for 5,000 scholarships and the High Achieving Teachers Program to attract more high-quality candidates into teaching; $25 million to pilot new ways to reduce teacher workloads and maximise the time they have to spend with students and teach; and $10 million for a national communications program to raise the status of the teaching profession.

The Albanese government recognises the central role of education, and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the recipients of the recent Schools Upgrade Fund in my electorate. I want to congratulate the Australian Performing Arts Grammar School, which received $25,000 for the purchase and installation of air purifiers and ICT equipment. I also want to the acknowledge the work of principal Ms Wendy Lindeman. I want to congratulate the Muslim Girls Grammar School for their grant of $25,000 for the installation of shade structures, and I acknowledge the work of principal Yasmin Gamieldien. Finally, I want to congratulate Rosehill Public School for their grant of $25,000 for the installation of shade structures, and I acknowledge the work of principal Tony D'Amore. These are important announcements that will make a real contribution to these schools, and it's fitting that they're announced on Public Education Day.