Steve Hutchins (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. Can the minister update the Senate on the national education agreement concluded at the Council of Australian Governments on Saturday?

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

I thank Senator Hutchins for his question. The new national education agreement represents an unprecedented investment in schooling and an unprecedented commitment to education reform. The total amount of funding under this particular agreement is now $46.5 billion over four years, starting on 1 January. This includes funding for national priorities over this time frame. If we include all government measures under Minister Gillard, we now have a total commitment of $58.63 billion. This represents a 29 per cent increase in the level of support for schooling in the Commonwealth of Australia under this government.

The national education agreement will in fact usher in a new era of transparency and accountability. It will link investment to outcomes, and the allocation of resources will be based on firm evidence. It will include evidence about each school’s results, its staff, its finances and, of course, the student population that it serves. For the first time, all of this information will be made available to parents, to teachers and to communities in a form which will actually permit meaningful national comparisons.

The aim of this agreement is to drive reform across the school system, reform that will ensure every Australian child receives a world-class education. This is a key to increasing equity and social inclusion, to boosting productivity and underpinning Australia’s future prosperity. The national education agreement will be bolstered by a series of national partnerships to achieve specific objectives. These include the $550 million national partnership on improving teacher quality, a $1.1 billion national—(Time expired)

Steve Hutchins (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate how the COAG education package will further the government’s social justice objectives?

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

The National Partnership on Low Socioeconomic Status School Communities is specifically designed to give students from disadvantaged backgrounds a better chance at school. This is a $1.1 billion package that will be used to attract high-performing principals and teachers to underperforming schools. It will be used to fund intensive learning activities for students who are falling behind. It will be used to keep students engaged in their studies—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why are you taking money off Indigenous students in your current bill, then?

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

Senator Macdonald, maybe you should listen to this. It is actually aimed at encouraging students to get better attainment at school and at providing a wider range of flexibilities and more flexible hours for schools. It will be used to help students make a successful transition from school to work and to further education. We expect the partnership to improve the learning outcomes for students to ensure better student wellbeing in up to 1,500 schools across Australia. (Time expired)

Steve Hutchins (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister explain how the package will improve primary school education?

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

Thank you, Senator Hutchins; I will certainly do that. The national education agreement includes an extra $635 million for government primary schools. Primary schools are the bedrock of our education system. Students who get a good start at primary school have a much better chance of completing year 12 and going on to further study. Primary schools do not just provide the basic building blocks of literacy and numeracy; they also shape children’s attitudes to learning, which of course are critical to everything that follows.

The new agreement ends the unfair practice of funding primary schools at a lower rate than secondary schools. Starting from 1 January, both will be funded at the same rate. This translates into a funding increase of around $100 per student for government primary schools. These schools will now be even better placed to undertake their vital work. (Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.