Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

The Report on financial assistance granted to each state in respect of 2007 provides a detailed breakdown of expenditure in 2007 from funds appropriated by the Schools Assistance (Learning Together—Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 and a brief description of how funding is allocated in line with the objectives for Australian government programs for schools. It mentions on page 12 the national projects in relation to literacy, numeracy and special learning needs. The prime objective of the national projects element of this program is to support strategic national research projects and initiatives aimed at improving the learning outcomes of educationally disadvantaged children and school students.

The sad story is that we now know that the literacy and numeracy results of Queensland students are the worst in this country. It is a disgrace and it is one hell of a shame. Successive Labor education ministers in Queensland have failed young Queenslanders. We now have the worst standards in this country. The Queensland Premier herself, Ms Bligh, was an education minister. She also failed. She has announced this week, in a hype of audacity, a program for $72 million to help tackle the crisis in literacy and numeracy in Queensland, a crisis that of course she helped to create.