Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Minister Watt. This year more than 100,000 public school kids will graduate having never attended a public school that was funded to its minimum level of need. With underfunding meaning growing teacher shortages and declining NAPLAN results, will the government listen to the urgent calls of students, parents, carers, unions and teachers for help to save our public schools and get them to 100 per cent of their minimum funding requirement at the start of the next National School Reform Agreement?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Allman-Payne. I answer this question as a proud product of the public schooling system. My children attend the public schooling system. Most of my family have taught in the public sector system. So I'm very happy to speak up for the public education system.

The Minister for Education, Mr Clare, has said that Australia has a good education system but it can be a lot better and a lot fairer. Of course, funding of schools is an important component of this. The Albanese government is committed to ensuring that every child has access to high-quality education and is supported to achieve, regardless of their location, background or socioeconomic status. We are committed to working with the states and territories to get every school to 100 per cent of its fair funding level, and negotiations on that are well underway with the states and territories.

For government schools, funding per student is growing year on year, including an increase of seven per cent over the last year, from $3,829 per student in 2022 to $4,096 in 2023. Some non-government schools are currently being funded above 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard, while, under current funding arrangements, most government schools will never get 100 per cent of the SRS. The government's commitment—

I take that interjection, Senator O'Neill. That is the legacy, of course, of 10 years of coalition government. The government's commitment will ensure that every school is appropriately resourced and able to provide a high-quality education to all students. Funding is critical, but so is what it does. The current National School Reform Agreement was signed off in 2018 by the member for Cook, Mr Morrison, and it speaks to the wasted decade and missed opportunities in school education. So, as I say, these matters are currently under negotiation with the states and territories, but the intent of the government is clear. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

. Senator Allman-Payne, first supplementary?

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, with only vague talk of a pathway to full funding sometime in the indeterminate future, has the government joined the opposition in consigning another generation of public school kids to a further decade of underfunding, permanently baking inequality into our education system?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would have thought that the previous answer I gave showed that our approach is completely different to that of the former coalition government. I know that it doesn't suit the Greens' political frame—

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Lib-Lab!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Lib-Lab, lumping everyone in together and all that nonsense—ignoring the fact that they held up the passage of the housing bill for months through their unholy alliance with the coalition. That coalition was fine, apparently, but any other situation is not.

The answer I have given shows that we have a clear commitment to funding of public schools. Many of us on this side of the chamber have a personal commitment to that as well—in fact, I think all of us do. And that's where we're up to in the negotiations with the states and territories now. If what you're looking for is another opportunity to say that the Liberals are the same as Labor, you might have to try bit harder!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Allman-Payne, a second supplementary?

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister: with less than two per cent of public schools across the country being fully funded, according to the Schooling Resource Standard, how can a Labor government continue to justify pouring public money into private schools, 98 per cent of which are overfunded?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for giving those of us who went to public schools a lecture about public schools—it's really appreciated! As I said, the Albanese government's commitment to public schools is obvious. That's already apparent from the work that we've been doing since we came to office.

A government senator: To all schools!

To all schools, of course. We acknowledge that parents have the right to choose the education system that best suits their family circumstances, but we do want to make sure that all schools receive adequate funding—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Allman-Payne?

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order, President. My question went very directly to a time frame, and the minister has not given a time frame in any of his answers to my questions.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It went there, broadly, but it also went to how funding is distributed. The minister is being relevant.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. Again, I know that in the Greens' magical world, which never actually involves being in government, that you can click your fingers and fix things straightaway. We see that repeatedly from the Greens. If they'd ever actually had the opportunity to be in government, they'd know that these things have to be negotiated with state and territory governments because they actually deliver the schooling system. I know that's a detail that will never trouble them, given that they'll never actually be in government and have that responsibility, but we're getting on with the job— (Time expired)