Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Tyrrell. I know that you are a keen advocate for public schools in Tasmania, and I'm grateful for your perspectives on this. The debate rages. The coalition did indeed leave government in 2022, having failed miserably to ensure that public schools had the pathway to 100 per cent of the SRS. In fact, over those 10 years under the coalition government, school attendance rates declined, high school completion declined, teacher shortages raged out of control and the gap between those who have and those who have not just continued to widen and widen. These are all points of fact, not points of opinion.

Today we've seen other stats here: 86,000 students have failed to meet either the basic literacy standard or the basic numeracy standard. That is something we should all be ashamed of for our education system. Today, on top of all that—and we've heard some of the senators in this debate so far reference it—is the anniversary of a shameful act in the budget in 2014. When those opposite were in government, they disgracefully ripped more than $20 billion out of the public school system in this country.

Labor is committed to building the skills and qualifications of the children in this country. We believe that every child should have full access to a world-class education system regardless of their family's wealth and regardless of the suburb that they live in. Right now, no public school outside of the ACT is at the full and fair funding level. But we have committed to ensuring that Australia's education system is both better and fairer and that each school will get to 100 per cent of the SRS. Every student should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, and that requires a focus on catching up, keeping up and finishing school. That is the basic premise of what we are doing. The Labor government will contribute to achieving full and fair funding for each school, and that has been proven already by the statements of intent that have been signed by Minister Clare with WA and the Northern Territory.

We call on the states to contribute here also. As has been mentioned, the states aren't all coming to the party here. This is a shared-resource model. It's not a blank cheque from the federal government. Where we have states coming to the party who are negotiating in good faith for an outcome for the improvement of education of our students and the achievement of 100 per cent SRS, then we're here, we're willing and we're waiting. Let's get this done. Minister Clare is a serious champion of full and fair funding, and he has invested an awful lot of time and effort in negotiating with all of the states. As I've said, he's managed to sign off on statements of intent with WA and the Northern Territory and will continue on the pathway to full funding for each and every state and territory.

Minister Clare is also working on tying that funding to improved outcomes, not just with a blank cheque, as I've said, or by saying, 'We'll just pay for everything.' It's to ensure that children in our country have every opportunity to catch up and to have the supports that they need to help them fulfil their potential. We're looking forward to seeing every single state step up and stump up. We have to close this funding gap. We have to invest in the reforms necessary to lift student outcomes, and 10 years of neglect doesn't get fixed overnight. It doesn't.

I appreciate your earlier comments, Senator Allman-Payne, referencing 12 years of neglect. For two of those years, Labor has worked hard to negotiate these outcomes to come up with a better way to get our schools back on track and to ensure our students can take advantage of the bright future that Australia has. We have vast opportunities in this country. Whether students are coming directly out of school into the workforce or going via TAFE, via apprenticeships and traineeships or via university, there are bright opportunities ahead of us, and we have to get this agreement done. (Time expired)