Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the tabling of the report of the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee entitled Teaching and Learning (maximising our investment in Australian schools). I take this opportunity to thank the committee secretariat, who have worked incredibly hard over a long period to bring something fresh to the public debate about teaching and learning in this country. Even this month, after 30 reports, we are still having fresh things to say, and that says something quite fantastic about our nation—that we all, on both sides of the parliament, see education providing great opportunity for all young Australians and, if we take the principles of lifelong learning into account, for all Australians no matter their age. This report does offer fresh insights despite, sometimes, the muddled and congested public conversation that occurs about education.

I would like particularly to put on the record my thanks to the chair of the committee, Senator Chris Back. He has championed this report and he has championed the terms of reference and the work we have done. This inquiry came about when the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee had the opportunity to investigate the Chinese education system last year, particularly in light of the PISA results for Shanghai. We had discussions across party lines on education systems and what measures of success were needed, and indeed the different practices in classrooms, and those issues were highlighted for us as we looked at the Chinese education system not just in primary schools but right through to teacher training, polytechnics and universities. That had a big impact on us and the way we came back to start this inquiry.

As a National senator I obviously have particular concern for the one million students being educated in regional Australia—660,000 of whom attend state schools. I have a strong interest in a productive, well-funded, vibrant and quality state school education system right through our nation. I am rapt that our recommendations reflect that we do live in a federated nation and we are not expecting the Commonwealth to intercede and to override states but rather to work hand in hand with state education ministers to address our concerns.

I probably come to this place as a statistic in the research that we hope will be conducted into teacher retention. I no longer teach. I was a teacher and a very passionate mathematics teacher at that, in rural areas, and I hope that my number will not be counted. I have a lot more to say about this but in light of this evening's proceedings I will leave any further comments to a later date.