Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Crossin for this question and her for longstanding interest in education. The latest OECD report confirms the clear advantage enjoyed by the well-heeled in this country. It is people from wealthy backgrounds who get the best out of education, which gives them, as a group, a privileged start in life. The OECD report makes it clear that much more needs to be done to assist the disadvantaged.

The solution is very, very clear: it is new investment. What the NAPLAN results confirm is that Labor's funding increases have improved literacy, have improved numeracy and have improved attendance for the disadvantaged. We want to work with schools to offer every child the very best educational experience. This is the first priority of the Labor government. It is the last consideration of the Liberals. What we have seen, and it can be confirmed now in state budgets right across the country, is that the Liberals have taken their savings from the pockets of the most disadvantaged.

Let us have a look at New South Wales, where even Stuart Ayres, the member for Penrith, concedes that there be will cuts to front-line education. In New South Wales, we have funding cuts to 272 special needs schools. New South Wales are losing some 1,300 staff from the school system. New South Wales were promised 200 new literacy and numeracy teachers and they will get a mere 50. This is the Tory vision of education. This is the Tory vision of class politics. They will stop at nothing in terms of their attacks on the disadvantaged.