Lucy Gichuhi (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham. English is our national language. The livelihood and prosperity of all Australians depends on how proficient we are at the language. According to 2016 census data, there's a decline in the number of households proficient in English, with a four per cent reduction in the percentage of people speaking the language at home. The other 2016 NAPLAN data, which tested reading, writing, spelling and grammar, shows South Australian schools performed below the national average. What is the government doing to arrest this trend and increase English proficiency?

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

I thank Senator Gichuhi for her question and in particular for her advocacy, both publicly and through a number of discussions that we have had in relation to English proficiency and English-language skills and support, and also for her advanced notice of this question. The Turnbull government takes very seriously the challenge of improving literacy skills in English for all Australians but particularly for those who may come from backgrounds with a language other than English. Australia is, of course, a linguistically diverse country, with participation in so many aspects of our life—economically, socially and culturally as well—being reliant upon effective communication in standard Australian English.

To support in particular migrants who arrive in Australia and need to improve their English skills, the government is investing more than $1.2 billion over the next four years into the longstanding Australian Migrant English Program, which provides up to 510 hours of tuition to help support students. But, more importantly, we've also delivered reforms to that longstanding program that focus on proficiency in English skills, not just the time that's served. We've implemented the AMEP Extend program, a new capped subprogram that offers up to 490 additional hours of tuition to eligible clients to help further improve their language proficiency skills and get them up to the standard that's required. Further, just last week I announced changes to the ELICOS standards related to English-language training around Australia to better ensure that people learning English prior to entry into tertiary education programs—higher education or vocation education—attain the standard necessary to succeed and participate fully in those programs.

We note the NAPLAN results, which are, indeed, why the government has been taking steps in relation to earlier intervention, including our proposal, which we have been working on with the states and territories, for a year 1 skills check to help have earlier diagnosis and therefore earlier support for children who need additional assistance in their language skills. (Time expired)

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

Senator Gichuhi, a supplementary question.

Lucy Gichuhi (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is the federal government doing to cooperate with the states to formulate a national approach?

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

Senator Gichuhi is absolutely right: this does require a cooperative approach across the states and territories, who are, of course, primarily responsible for the operation of our school systems. We collaborate in a number of ways, in particular through the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, ACARA, to work to improve English-language skills. I'm pleased that in 2015 all ministers agreed to curriculum changes around Australia, which strengthened areas of the teaching around literacy, and also agreed to move NAPLAN online at the time, which is an important change because it will provide the capacity for faster and more accurate diagnostic reporting to teachers, making that a much more useful tool in the future for schools and individual teachers. We've also obtained support and agreement from the states and territories for a range of teacher training reforms which will ensure minimum literacy standards for future teaching graduates, as well as primary school teachers undertaking specialisations. We expect we will see more specialist English and literacy teachers entering primary schools into the future.

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

Senator Gichuhi, a final supplementary question.

Lucy Gichuhi (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Would the government create a dedicated unit to consider the broader issue of raising English proficiency in an integrated and holistic way in our culturally diverse nation?

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

I consider that to be a core function of the existing Department of Education and Training, which is tasked with working closely across the other arms of government—the Department of Social Services and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection—as well as, as we were just discussing, with state and territory governments. My department is tasked with focusing on developing English skills in the early years through preschools and early childhood education and we've supported a number of initiatives in that space. In schools, in relation to new migrants, as I canvassed, it is through the various migrant English programs that are supported. In relation to those who come to Australia to study, we want to ensure that there are high standards of support to develop their English skills before they commence those studies. So, in that sense, I would argue that we have a dedicated department focused very largely on English language skills as a core part of its functions, and that is certainly where we expect to drive— (Time expired)