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

We have been very pleased that many representatives of principals, teachers and parents have endorsed the findings of the review. I acknowledge that in the gallery today there are many school students—no doubt hard at work here in Canberra learning about civics education—as well as their hardworking teachers and support staff and, possibly, some parents.

This review and its recommendations have received endorsement from all aspects of the non-government education sector; from principal bodies, particularly the Primary Principals' Association, who endorsed the focus on principal autonomy; from the Australian Council of State School Organisations and the Australian Parents Council; and from Professor Geoff Masters of the Australian Council of Educational Research, who described the review as a breakthrough—particularly praising the focus on the proposed new classroom assessment and teaching tool.

Ultimately, David Gonski and I briefed state and territory education ministers in Adelaide last Friday, and I'm pleased they responded positively and are committed to working constructively to get better outcomes for all Australian students, and a better return on our— (Time expired)