Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Australian Greens are seeking to amend the reference because it is imperative that we consider the issues to be explored in the inquiry in the overall context of what the investment in Australian schools is, and its adequacy. We know that the Gonski review of schools funding has made significant findings and recommendations in relation to the funding of Australian schools, and in particular that Australia has been underinvesting in its schools in comparison with other OECD nations and, particularly, underinvesting in public education, which educates two in three Australian children and the majority of children from disadvantaged and high-needs backgrounds. Gonski has found it is clearly because of this underinvestment that there is a deep inequity, with a significant gap in achievement, between children on the basis of their backgrounds. In the absence of this term of reference it would be a distraction from the serious business of the Gonski review of school funding. It is important that we consider the backgrounds of children and the social and community factors that affect a child's ability to learn, and that is another term of reference that we would be seeking to insert.