Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for yet another thoughtful question on education policy. I am aware of the Grattan report, Circuit breaker: a new compact on school funding, released today, and I welcome the fact that the Grattan Institute has released this report—a far more thoughtful contribution to school education policy than what we hear from those opposite, who just run their usual scare tactics, and, frankly, far more thoughtful than some of the hysterical claims we hear from state and territory governments from time to time as well. This report absolutely demonstrates an understanding of the budget pressures Australia faces, and the need to make sure we get the optimal outcomes from our record growing levels of school investment. It does acknowledge that:

In a tight fiscal environment, prudent spending decisions are vital.

The report further notes:

Australian spending on school education increased over the last decade, but student outcomes did not improve. Whatever we did, it didn't work. And doing the same again is likely to have the same outcome.

These are very wise sentiments indeed, highlighting that we need to focus carefully on how record growing funding is invested. In fact, it says:

More money alone will not guarantee better student outcomes. It is not enough to target money to the most disadvantaged schools; each school must then use that money wisely.

And it goes on to say:

Effective teaching is known to have the largest impact on student outcomes outside of the home …

All of these are sentiments that the Turnbull government agree with. It is why we want to make sure that our school funding, which will grow from $16 billion this year to more than $20 billion by 2020—funding above inflation, above enrolment—that the Grattan Institute recognises can absolutely be used to help address disadvantage in schools is also used as effectively as possible, particularly in helping to address teacher quality issues and lifting the quality of teaching right around Australia. (Time expired)