Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that the Government is delivering:

(a) cheaper child care and boosting wages for early childhood educators;

(b) record needs-based funding for schools across the country;

(c) free TAFE;

(d) more opportunities for more Australians from the outer-suburbs and the bush to go to university; and

(e) student debt relief; and

(2) acknowledges that investing in the education and skills of young Australians is a key component of building Australia's future.

Building Wyndham's future begins with investing in education. As a local educator of 27 years, I know this more than most. It is in a Labor government's DNA to ensure that every Australian child has the best opportunity to reach their potential, to develop their thinking, to develop their capacities and to go on to make a contribution to our country. That is why it is so important. This Labor government has got their backs, from our littlest Australians to our most aspirational students at university. They've got the backs of the families who live in the city of Wyndham.

We have 10,800 families with students in early education or child care in the seat of Lawler. The latest data shows that families across Australia have saved up to $2,768 since the Cheaper Child Care subsidies came into effect in July 2023. This is cost-of-living relief, but it also goes to this government's commitment to quality education and support for families. We're supporting the workforce who deliver this quality education and care, investing $3.6 billion to support a 15 per cent wage increase over two years for early childhood education workers across the country. This means that we will attract quality people to this workforce. We will maintain and retain experienced workers in early education and child care. It goes to our commitment—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 18:10 to 18:30

This federal Labor government's commitment to education can also be underlined by the school funding that has just been announced. I'm talking about the national partnership agreement that's just been signed with the state of Victoria, which means an estimated $2.5 billion in additional Commonwealth funding to all Victorian public schools over the next 10 years. This is critically important for communities like mine with many, many families and thousands upon thousands of school children.

What my community now knows is that the Gonski review found three critical things. The first thing that Gonski found—and that people need to understand—is that there was very, very little fat in the state education system across this country. It was a lean financial machine and still is. The second thing the review found was that need based funding works and is required, and, of course, that's rolling through. The third thing Gonski found was the secret sauce—what's called the Schooling Resource Standard. In school terms, I'd say, as an ex-principal, SRS is: what is the magic funding number where, if every student in a state school was funded to that minimum standard, we know we could provide everything our students need?

Well, the Labor government's commitment means that Victorian schoolchildren will get their SRS based funding in every state school in Victoria. That is great news for communities like mine, where people really value education and really value what's happening with their young person and how they're developing in that space. This funding is focused on excellence, equity and improving wellbeing for learning. Some of it supports student wellbeing and promotes a strong and sustainable workforce. Attracting skilled people into our classrooms is critically important.

The last piece is TAFE and vocational education in the higher education space. In an aspirational community like mine, where people are really aspiring to get that degree and get that masters—in the city of Wyndham, we have the highest number of PhDs per head, next to Carlton, coming out of places like Point Cook, Williams Landing, Tarneit and Truganina, where our new and emerging communities are very aspiring. What we've done there is we've capped the HELP indexation rate, which is already reducing the cost to students. And, if elected, we will take 20 per cent off HECS debts across the country.

That leaves me with 26 seconds to give a shout-out to fee-free TAFE. What a difference this is making in communities like mine for people who want to retrain or for young people who are looking to find the thing that they want to do but who don't think they're destined for university. Fee-free TAFE is unlocking opportunity in the suburbs around this country, and in no suburb is it more important than in mine in outer-west Victoria.

Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak against this motion that's been moved by the member for Lalor, and I do it for a number of reasons. First of all, I was glad I was present for the honourable member's speech today when she moved this motion. This motion refers to cheaper child care, record needs based funding for schools, free TAFE and student debt relief.

What this motion refers to—and all that I have heard from the honourable member's speech—are just the amounts of money that are being spent. We are opposing the fee-free TAFE legislation, and it is not because we do not support the vocational and educational training sector. On the contrary, we support all students who want to get a vocational educational qualification, regardless of where they choose to be educated. That is the whole premise. That is one of the major differences between our side and Labor. Labor love a centralised bureaucracy. I heard mention then of the public school sector. I'm very supportive of the public school sector; I'm proudly a product of public schools. But it was the Liberals who first decided to fund non-government schools, and that was one of the guiding values of our party—that parents should have choice as to where their children are educated. Parents who choose to send their children to a non-government school should not be punished for that choice, in the same way that students should have the choice as to whether they go to a non-government school or attend a government school.

The reason that Labor has only funded places in the VET sector for TAFE is because the TAFE system is centralised; it's very heavily unionised. They love TAFE. They don't, for example, want to fund the National Electrical and Communications Association, which has 500 to 600 apprentices at the moment all doing training through the private sector. That money is very well spent.

At TAFE, people in the building and construction sector at the moment—trainee apprentices in carpentry–have only a 50 per cent completion rate. If they do it privately, they have a 90 per cent completion rate. It's the same with plumbing. Master Plumbers have an 80 per cent success rate of getting their apprentices through. TAFE has 50 per cent. Why won't this government look at where their funding actually goes and the results of that funding, instead of simply saying, 'If we just throw money at the problem, we'll fix it'? There's no point just throwing money at it without then looking at if the money that is being spent—taxpayers' money—actually producing bang for buck. We cannot support that sort of reckless spending with no regard to the outcome.

I note that this motion leaves out something very big in this whole piece, and that's the NDIS. It does refer to needs based funding in schools. Well, NDIS is on its knees. I have had that many people in my electorate come to me with the most horrendous stories. I'll give you the most recent horrendous story, which is on Saturday, when I was in the Engadine mobile office, from Sarah, who has a 10-year-old son Issac. They have now had to cease essential disability support services because they have not been able to get a reassessment of their plan for almost six months. This is a disgrace. What happens when she goes to NDIA to finally put in a complaint? This is the response from the NDIA: 'The NDIA appreciates the time you've taken to provide your complaint. Here's a feedback reference ID, and, if you require any support, please visit our website.' This is a family that are on their knees. Issac has significant needs. That is what the government have left us with—this mess that NDIS and NDIA are in. I know there are many in this place very committed to disability services; I am one. This government has failed in that space.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very proud to speak to this motion that has been moved by the member for Lalor, because it does give me an opportunity to talk about the great changes and improvements that this government has made to education. We believe in universal access to early childhood education. We believe in ensuring that every child, regardless of their postcode, has the resources that they need for schooling. We believe that we should be removing and reducing the fee barriers that are preventing a number of young people from starting a TAFE course or university degree, impacting their ability later in life.

I'll start with school funding. I am the proud mum of a Victorian school student. My daughter, Daisy, started at Camp Hill Primary School on Monday. I was so pleased when I dropped her off that morning to know that the school that Daisy and her friends go to is on the path to receive the same funding as the Catholic and independent schools her other kinder friends have been enrolled in. It is unfair that before this point there was a disproportionate funding arrangement in that independent and Catholic schools were already receiving the school resourcing standard—already receiving 100 per cent of the committed Commonwealth and state government funding throughout Australia—yet our public schools in many of our states were not.

We've corrected that. We've reached an agreement with the state of Victoria, as well as with a number of other states, that sees those public schools now on a pathway to receiving the full resourcing standard. On Friday I had the opportunity to talk about this increased funding and what it would mean for a number of schools in our area with my state counterpart, Maree Edwards, and the principal of Crusoe College. In the principal's words, it will mean 'smaller class sizes'. It will mean 'greater diversity of extracurricular activities and programming' and 'more subject options'. It will mean that every student will get the resources they need.

Fee-free TAFE is an area where Labor and Liberal do divide, on the difference that fee-free TAFE is making. We are in a skills crisis in this country, and the creation of those pre-apprenticeship course offerings and free TAFE opportunities for those skills that we don't talk about a lot—like vet nursing, for example—is encouraging more people to pursue further education and get the skills required in those areas.

There is the apprenticeship payment that our government has announced. Apprentices starting on 1 July will receive a bursary, a scholarship or a payment if they continue to do their studies at six, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. That top up will help pay for the cost of living so that they keep on their apprenticeship.

With university student debt relief, the changes that have already come in, people in my electorate are saving thousands. In particular, women who've taken time out for caring arrangements are seeing that their debts have been reduced. People who choose to work in a career that pays less than others, who take longer to pay back their debts, will now have less debt to pay back because of our changes. If we're re-elected, there will be a further cut to student debt.

Finally, there's ECEC. Where do we begin with the great reforms that we've brought forward in ECEC? It is a combination of these reforms that needs to be focused on. We are trying to move the sector from the traditional childcare model, which was about making sure that someone was there to care for the kids whilst mum went back to work, to a universal early childhood education system. This is about the education of our youngest Australians, making sure that all families and children have access to at least three days a week. Scrapping the activity test is critical for that. We're paying our early childhood educators more through the changes that we made just last year. We're keeping talented educators in the system. We're making child care cheaper through the reforms of the subsidy. We're working with the states and territories to make sure that we address the desert areas like those in my electorate, where we don't have enough childcare centres—or even a single childcare centre—because of the nature of the town. We're helping to subsidise them so that they exist.

This government is committed to education and to investing in education. We're saying to families—regardless of the age of your child, regardless of your postcode and regardless of the school you choose to send your child to: we are equalling the playing field and making sure that funding is there for you.

Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Education is the foundation of our society. It is the key that unlocks opportunity, prosperity and a better future for all Australians. Labor is strengthening our education system from the ground up. Since coming to government, we have taken significant steps to invest in education at every level. We have expanded access to early childhood education, making it more affordable for families and saving the average family over $2,700 per year. We have supported the early childhood workforce to attract and retain the best educators by providing these staff a 15 per cent wage increase. We have invested in our universities to ensure they remain world-class institutions. We have provided tens of thousands of Australians with free TAFE as part of a multibillion-dollar skills agreement, helping more people gain the qualifications they need for secure, well-paying jobs.

But our commitment does not stop there. We have secured one of the largest increases in public school funding in Australia's history, because every child, no matter their background or postcode, deserves a high-quality public education. Under this new agreement, the Commonwealth will provide an additional five per cent of the schooling resource standard to Victorian public schools, which will increase funding by $2.5 billion over 10 years. This is the largest-ever investment in Victorian public schools by the Australian government.

This isn't just about more money. What truly matters is what funding delivers for our students and teachers. As Education Minister Jason Clare has said, this agreement will provide more individualised support for students who need extra help, a commitment to evidence based teaching practices that are proven to improve literacy and numeracy, and an increase in mental health support in schools to ensure students have the wellbeing services they need to thrive. This agreement will also include reforms to help students catch up and finish school. This includes a year 1 phonics and early numeracy check to identify students who need additional support, because the earlier we intervene, the better their outcomes. It also includes initiatives to support training teachers. With this investment, we hope to increase the number of students who graduate year 12 and increase the proportion of students achieving strong and exceeding skill levels in reading and numeracy, and we hope to boost student attendance and provide better support and training for teachers.

Labor is building Australia's education system from the ground up. From strengthening child care all the way through to university, we know how important a strong education system is for our country. The Victorian school funding agreement will mean an extra $2.5 billion for Victorian public primary and secondary schools over the next 10 years. By 2034, Victorian public schools will be fully funded for the first time in history. That means millions of extra dollars for schools in Hampton Park, Lyndhurst, Lynbrook, Narre Warren South, Clyde, Cranbourne, Botanic Ridge, Devon Meadows and Pearcedale, ensuring that students in Holt will receive the education that they deserve. An extra $2.5 billion for Victorian public schools may sound like a lot, but this is not just spending. This is an investment—an investment in our children, an investment in our workforce and an investment in the future of our country.

Labor knows a strong and well-funded public education system does not just benefit students; it benefits the entire nation. A child who receives a great education grows up to be a skilled worker and a thoughtful citizen. A strong education system means a strong economy, a fairer society and a future where no child is left behind. This is the future Labor is building. This is the future this government is delivering. And this is why we will always invest in our kids, our schools and our great nation.

Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From the moment we are born, we are being educated. Some say that even before that they talk to the unborn. They sing and recite poetry because they are so eager to introduce the idea of beauty and a world of beautiful possibilities. Education shapes and transforms us. Everyone on this planet is entitled—yes, I'll use that word—to the best education their families, friends and society can give them. We are all teachers. Those who choose the noble profession of teaching must believe with every fibre of their being in the possibility of good and growth in everybody, regardless of their age, whose education is entrusted to them. Teachers are not simply minding the children or keeping the older ones entertained. Their job is to inspire and to prepare their students as best they can for the world as it is becoming, and that is quite a job.

One of the most important things the Albanese Labor government has done, one of the greatest testaments to its deep commitment to the Australian people, is the boosting of wages for early childhood education and care providers. When we delivered a 15 per cent pay rise for early educators, we showed them the sincerity of our respect for what they do. It's part of the reason we have 41,900 more early childhood educators. Dedicated people are no longer being forced out of their chosen profession because they're trying to make ends meet.

Education is a fundamental human right. To confine or limit someone's education is to confine and limit their lives. For individuals, that's a crime against their individuality and humanity. For society, it's colossally stupid.

The Albanese Labor government's reforms have already seen 97,000 more children in early education. More than a thousand new early learning services are open, and we're investing a billion dollars more to build even more. Our investment in our schools has produced more individualised support for students, more health support and mandated evidence-based teaching practices.

And we aspire. The Albanese Labor government is determined to increase the proportion of students leaving school with the year 12 certificate by 7½ percentage points nationally by 2030. Our Better and Fairer Schools Agreement 2025 to 2034, which began on 1 January—and Western Australia was the first to kick it off—puts every public school on a path to 100 per cent of the school resourcing standard. We are determined to improve education outcomes for all Australian students, wherever they are, whomever they are. That requires commitment to equity and excellence, wellbeing for learning and engagement, and a strong and sustainable workforce.

Strong and sustainable workforces are based on a commitment to skills development of all kinds. Free TAFE is part of Labor's pledge to Australia and to Australia's future—to make it a strong, healthy, sustainable future in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex global environment.

We can't sit around waiting for things to turn out okay in the end. We can't drift along as the coalition did for almost a decade. Perhaps the Liberals and Nationals imagine that everyone who wants to learn skills at a TAFE can afford to pay the fees. Certainly the member for Hughes, who I'm glad is still here, had the gall to suggest as much. Well, they can't. The numbers who have flooded in since we started providing free TAFE places demonstrate that—more than half a million. That's more than half a million Australians voting with their feet and half a million reasons why the coalition is wrong to oppose free TAFE.

In November, we announced more: a 20 per cent debt reduction to help the three million Australians with a student loan debt. That alone removed $16 billion in HELP and other student debt. Our changes to cap the rate of indexation applying to student loans to the lower of the wage price index or the CPI backdated to 2023 removed another $3 million in debt.

The Albanese Labor government believe in action, we believe in work and we believe in a future where everybody gets the chance to be all that they can be and to contribute all that they can, because that's where hope comes from and that's where self-respect comes from. Our commitments are in Labor's DNA. They always have been.

One more little measure that those present who live in the regions would surely appreciate is the university study hubs. We have one in Northam, where I went to school. I certainly would have appreciated it. And we have one now in my electorate of Hasluck, in Ellenbrook, allowing students access to the support they need to further their studies if they can't study at home.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.