Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Representing the Minister for Education, my new friend Senator Carr. Can the minister guarantee that no families will bear any of the extra and ongoing costs associated with the so-called digital education revolution?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I ask that the senator repeat the first part of that question? I did not catch it with all the noise that was occurring in the chamber.

Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister guarantee that no families will bear any of the extra and ongoing costs associated with the so-called digital education revolution?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He still cannot find the brief.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is a very simple reason for that: there is no brief.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How can you expect him to find it if it does not exist?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Exactly right. Senator Mason, what the government has indicated is that we have embarked upon an educational revolution. What this government has commenced is the delivery of a policy commitment to provide access to a computer for every student in the years 9 to 12. We have delivered the first instalment of that program by the introduction of $100 million of the $1 billion digital education revolution rollout this financial year.

The initial national audit of the IT needs of schools was conducted and the neediest schools have been identified and have been invited to submit applications to take part in this program. Some 937 schools from across Australia have been asked to submit an application. These are schools where students do not have access to a computer in the numbers that they do in the rest of the system. In fact, these are schools where there are eight students for every computer. That is a situation which even this opposition, which has so little regard for the educational opportunities of Australians, would appreciate is totally unsatisfactory. The government is investing $100 million this financial year to move from a ratio of one computer to eight students to a ratio of one computer to two students. This will be a dramatic improvement for some of the poorest families in this country. Senator Mason, I am sure that you agree that that would mean a significant improvement to not just the educational opportunities for those students but their life opportunities. We all understand that without access to the tools of modern learning we are not going to be able to share in the full benefits of this society.

This program is designed to provide assistance particularly to the poorest families in this country. These are not additional costs to parents; this is a mechanism by which opportunities can be opened up to all Australians. That is the real nature of the program. This is a chance for many Australians to share in the prosperity that this nation enjoys and not be left behind.

Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Let me make it very simple: Minister, who will bear the costs for teacher training, internet connections, maintenance and repair of computers, insurance and software? Who will bear these ongoing costs, both in public and private schools?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Mason. He knows enough about the education system to appreciate that all of these issues are joint responsibilities.

Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about private schools?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Mason, as you know, of the $42 billion in the forward estimates for the education system, some $32 billion will go to private schools. Let me be clear about this: if you want to engage in this argument, get your facts straight. What you will find is that these are issues that the Commonwealth and the states will be discussing and working through to ensure that the costs are properly attributed, particularly in regard to the operation of this program. It is not just about the provision of the hardware; it is also about the provision of software, the provision of teacher education and the provision of the facilities within schools. As I have already indicated to you, this is an ongoing process of discussion between the Commonwealth and the states.