Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Senator O'Sullivan is correct in saying that the PISA results were handed down last night, but I think he has misinterpreted what they mean. What they tell us is that the Australian school system is growing increasingly unequal and that the gap between our advantaged and disadvantaged students is now becoming a chasm. Senator O'Sullivan said that money won't solve the problem. Tell that to the over 98 per cent of public schools that are currently underfunded. It might not make a difference to the 98 per cent of private schools that are overfunded, but it's definitely having an impact in our public system.

I'd like to share some more stories of what parents and teachers are telling us. The first is from a parent of a teacher in South Australia. She says: 'My daughter has 29 students in grade 3. It's a government school, and 10 of those students are students who have additional needs. There is half an hour of support in the classroom per day. No wonder teachers are leaving the profession.' Another parent says: 'Here's what each student has been asked to contribute as part of their book list this year. As well as their schooling resources scheme payment, they're being asked to provide tissues, paper towel and whiteboard markers for teachers.' It notes that on each payment reminder is the fact that, should the child not have the payment made, they'll be unable to participate in extracurricular activities. She says that all this is at the same time as the private school down the road gets a multimillion-dollar performing arts centre. We need to fund our public schools to the full 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard, and we need to do it at the start of 2025.