David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister update the Senate on what the latest NAPLAN data shows on the performance of Australian students in literacy and numeracy, both around Australia and, particularly, in my home state of South Australia?

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

I thank Senator Fawcett for his question and his interest in student performance around Australia. Last week, the latest NAPLAN results were released in relation to NAPLAN testing in 2017. They really did demonstrate a mixed bag of results. Around the country, we saw, for year-on-year results, marginal gains in relation to reading and numeracy skills, but a marginal decline in writing skills. In our home state of South Australia, Senator Fawcett, we did see longer term trends that showed, in particular, improvements, as across the nation, in relation to the areas of reading and numeracy but particular declines in relation to writing skills.

Overall, I'm sorry to say, across all measures in relation to the year-on-year results, our home state was the worst or second worst performing state in 16 out of the 20 different categories. Alarmingly, for the most significant negative shift, there was a five per cent decline in year 3 writing skills, which shows a significant impact and a concern in relation to future results. This, as Senator Fawcett and other senators would be well aware, comes on the back of 15 years of state Labor policies in South Australia, which are clearly failing hardworking teachers and principals, parents and students in terms of the outcomes that South Australia needs. South Australia clearly needs to look at some of the other states that have shown more positive results. In New South Wales, there were positive gains in all categories; Western Australia has seen a strong gain over a long period of time. These are instances and demonstrations that policies in states can make a difference. What we must do is identify how the record funding to Australian schools is used most effectively and ensure it's being replicated right across— (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fawcett, a supplementary question.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister apprise the Senate of what the government is doing to support the states and territories and the non-government sector to ensure that the record funding that the Commonwealth is providing is being invested in ways which will actually lift student results?

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

While funding is important, how it's used is even more critical, and that's why we are very pleased as a government that David Gonski is now leading and undertaking a further body of work, which is focused on the achievement of educational excellence around Australia. Having implemented the fundamental recommendations of his first substantial report on needs based school funding, we are now pursuing the real focus of how we guarantee the record and growing investment in Australian schools delivers the type of lift in quality outcomes. We are pleased that a number of leading educationists, particularly those with grassroots, hands-on experience as principals and teachers, are joining with Mr Gonski in undertaking this work, which will ensure that, in a state like South Australia, there is an expert evidence base for the future to guarantee that the extra $763 million flowing into South Australian schools—that is, the extra $2,500 per student—is used as effectively and efficiently— (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fawcett, a final supplementary question.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches to improving student outcomes?

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

This government is the first government to seriously take the issue of how we get best bang for our buck from educational investment. Those opposite like to talk a lot about how much is spent, but the only plan we're aware of that they have is a plan to promise to spend more. They have a plan to promise to spend more, but they have no idea as to where that money would go, as to who they would give it to or as to how it would be used—they just have a promise to spend more. In addition to that promise to spend more, there is one other thing that we know: they have a promise to tax more as well.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left!

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

They have a promise to tax more. They want to tax take-home pay more; they want to tax companies more; they want to tax small businesses more; they want to tax housing more; they want to tax investment more; they want to tax companies and jobs more. They have a plan to spend and tax, but they have absolutely no plan to ensure that it's used effectively, efficiently, wisely or whether it's to lift school outcomes or in any other area of investment— (Time expired)