Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I inform the Senate that Senator McKim has submitted a proposal under standing order 75 today which has been circulated:

Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today the Australian Greens propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The Labor Government's failure to fully fund public schools while pouring record money into over-funded private schools, condemning another generation of kids to an underfunded education."

Is the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clock in line with the informal arrangements made by the whips.

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

On behalf of Senator McKim, I move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today the Australian Greens propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The Labor Government's failure to fully fund public schools while pouring record money into over-funded private schools, condemning another generation of kids to an underfunded education."

I rise to speak in favour of the motion because it is indeed a matter of urgency. When I was elected in 2022, I walked straight out of a classroom into the Senate, so I know first-hand what it means for public schools to have experienced over a decade of systematic underfunding. Underfunding looks like teachers having to be social workers, psychologists, nurses and IT departments as well as being responsible for teaching. Underfunding means being a teacher for maths class—

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If people are not participating in the debate, please leave the chamber if you want to have a conversation.

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

It means standing in front of a maths class with range of students with complex needs and only being able to get a teacher's aide or a support person for one lesson in three. It means being a head of department and having to tell your teachers that they can only have two pieces of photocopy paper per student per lesson. It means standing in front of your teachers and telling them they can't even photocopy in colour, notwithstanding that is more engaging for students, because the department can't afford it. It means working in classrooms that are too hot or too cold but that don't have enough paint or that have leaky ceilings.

Today in this building, our students, teachers and parents are pleading with the government to fully fund public education. Today I heard from a teacher who told me they are continually having to merge classes because they don't have enough teachers, because teachers are leaving the profession in droves because they don't have the resources, the time and the support they need to adequately provide for students in our public schools. I heard from a young student who said that their school is no longer able to offer science classes to year 7s and 8s. Public schools are having to rely on family members and teachers and other members of the community to do basic maintenance in their schools. Fairhills Primary School in Victoria has a teacher's husband who is currently going around fixing the fences and the gates because the school does not have enough money in its budget to fix them.

Right now, the Labor government, who went to a federal election promising every Australian that they would fully fund our public education system, has a deal on the table—or a take-it-or-leave-it offer on the table—that would lock in another decade of underfunding for our public schools. In the last decade, the amount of money flowing into the private education system has increased at double the rate of the increase in funding to our public schools, despite David Gonski and the Gonski review panel saying over a decade ago that we need a funding model that reduces the inequity in our education system that is needs based and sector blind. For over a decade, teachers, parents, carers, students and other members of the community have been campaigning year after year after year to get the government to fully fund public education.

The public education system is in crisis. We are seeing parents fleeing the public education system, particularly when their young person goes from primary school to secondary school, because they don't have the confidence that their public school has the resources and support that their young person is going to need. I heard a story today of a teacher who works in a public school that backs onto a private school, and students are actually starting to ask their teachers why is it that the kids on that side of the fence have fantastic ovals and beautiful facilities and they can't even get new paint on their walls? When kids are starting to ask questions about why the school that they are in is not adequately funded, I think that says everything you need to know about how dire the situation is.

This has gone on for too long. We need to fully fund our public schools, and it's time for Labor to decide if they actually believe in public education.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to rise and speak on this matter of urgency about public school funding on a day when state Labor education ministers are protesting outside Parliament House against the Albanese government over public school funding—what an absolute fiasco!

As I referenced in my speech earlier today, it takes a special sort of incompetence from education minister Mr Clare for things to go this far off the rails. I have continued to criticise the Albanese government because, in delaying the National School Reform Agreement, this government is delaying the critical reforms that are needed in every classroom—that is, evidence based teaching methods, which we know will turn the ship around and which will raise school standards in every classroom.

I am pleased to again note that, on ABC Radio National this morning, Victorian Labor education minister Mr Carroll applauded the former coalition government for delivering increased funding to government schools, declaring that our government had done a better job at funding public schools. Mr Carroll reiterated that Senator Birmingham, when he was education minister, increased the Commonwealth's contribution to the Schooling Resource Standard from 17 per cent to 20 per cent as part of our investment in schools' funding, which almost doubled over nine years from $13 billion to $25 billion.

In this debate, it's also very important to put the facts on the table, and the Greens do not have a good history of doing so. A core feature of the Gonski funding model is that the states and territories primarily fund government schools, with the Commonwealth carrying most of the funding responsibilities for non-government schools, including many low-fee Catholic and independent schools.

I just also want to place on record that the latest data shows that per-student funding for non-government schools stands at $14,032 compared to $22,511 for each student in government schools. That's a very marked difference, and it's very important, in this debate, that the Greens do not mislead anyone about the current funding envelope. A student at a government school attracts much more funding, pursuant to the Gonski funding model, than students who attend non-government schools.

I have to say though, we have seen many examples of this government not treating all schools fairly, and I do say it is pretty shameful that, when the minister rolled out teaching scholarships, which were meant to address the teaching shortage pressures and, in some cases, crises, he discriminated against non-government schools, ensuring that those very valuable teaching scholarships, which were worth up to $40,000, would go only to government schools.

There were also some other very disappointing indications of this government's contempt for non-government schools. We've had a considerable debate over the importance of deductible gift recipient status for all schools, including some 1,200 or more public schools which have school building funds, scholarship funds and library funds, and that tax deductibility status is incredibly important in driving funding to both government and non-government schools.

As I say, we are seeing an absolute mess courtesy of the Albanese government. And this is a mess of Labor's own making. It's a mess of Labor's own making because Labor went to the election promising full and fair funding and this Minister has continued to mislead Australians, as well as, frankly, the states and territories, by not making it clear that the current very significant shortfalls in school funding are because of the actions of the states and territories—except for the ACT—not the Commonwealth, under the current agreed funding model. But, as I say, this education minister is failing badly, and he needs to do better. (Time expired)

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, resume your seat for one moment. Senator Henderson.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order—

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, please be seated. Senator Henderson.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, for the senator's benefit, I am the shadow minister for education, and, secondly—

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's not a point of order.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would ask him to withdraw his reflection on me.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, in the interest of goodwill, could you withdraw please?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Sterle. Please continue.

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

Why isn't the Assistant Minister for Education speaking on this topic?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Allman-Payne, could you stop interjecting?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, Senator Sterle. Continue.

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

It's a valid question.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat, Senator Sterle, please—

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, sorry. Senator Allman-Payne, you were listened to in silence. Please give the other senators the same courtesy. Senator Sterle.

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

Thank you for putting that on the record, Senator Sterle! It's an artificial cap.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Allman-Payne, if I can hear you, your interjections are way too loud. Please desist. Sorry, Senator Sterle.

Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She's a teacher!

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Allman-Payne, I have not given you the call. There have been very loud interjections from both of you up that end. Please desist.

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

A point of order: the senator is making a poor reflection on me. By singling out Senator Whish-Wilson, he's made it very clear—

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a point of order. People listened to you in silence; please show the same courtesy to other people. It's not difficult. Senator Sterle, please continue. You've got 22 seconds.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning, I met Sarah from Don College, my old school. Don College is a public senior secondary school in Devonport. Sarah told me that her younger brother desperately needs support, but the school doesn't have any support staff. She also told me that when her maths teacher broke her hip her relief teachers weren't even maths teachers. Don College also has no wi-fi, and they couldn't have a school camp because they simply didn't have the money. Meanwhile, when the government announced $30 million for school infrastructure upgrades, some of that money went to Tasmania's most expensive private schools. What is wrong with this picture?

The Gonski report was released in 2012. It laid out a plan for needs based funding. The more in need the kids were, the more government funding that school would get. The Gonski report also recommended that governments reduce payments to over-funded schools that didn't need them and redirect funds on a needs based model. As Gonski put it at the time:

… differences in educational outcomes should not be the result of differences in wealth, income, power or possessions …

Gonski's family came from humble beginnings. He knew what difference a good education made. The report's key recommendation was the schooling resource standard, the SRS—a base rate of funding per student with additional loading for disadvantage. The SRS would determine the required funding needed for each school, but, a decade on, most public schools are yet to reach their full funding, and more funding has gone to the less needy schools.

In 2010, Prime Minister Julia Gillard insisted that your postcode shouldn't determine how well you do in life. But, in 2024, apparently it still does. On average, our poorest kids are three years behind the kids from our wealthy households. Gonski was a Labor reform, and the education minister Jason Clare has vowed to fix the funding gap. The states are close to giving their 75 per cent of funding together, but now the government is offering only 22.5 per cent. Just do the right thing and lift another 2.5 per cent and give them their 25 per cent. That is what they are asking for.

While private schools are getting taxpayer dollars to build libraries that look like castles—that's a true story; believe me that is a true story—and sport centres with Olympic swimming pools, the demountables that are at Don College were there when I was there. We won't say how many years ago, but it was many years ago. I'm telling you that this is really not fair.

Our poorest kids are now starting to slip even lower because we are not funding those public schools, and there is a significant difference between those rich schools and our public schools. We have a serious class problem in this country. We seriously do. And if it means taking some funding off the rich and giving to the poor then maybe it's about time we did that. I'm sorry, but I don't want these kids, the most disadvantaged out there, missing out any more. It is not fair. I've absolutely had a gut full of class in this country!

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, through his motion, is fabricating a false dichotomy, a false divide. It's not public schools versus private schools; it's parents versus woke education departments. The real issue is an undernourished education.

Maria Montessori, arguably the most comprehensive studier of human behaviour and human development, said that the critical years for the formation of both character and intellect are birth to six. We form our view of ourselves, we develop our ego and our view of the world before reasoning develops, because reasoning doesn't start kicking in until around the age of nine. Babies are sponges. They focus on their parents, and the parents' role is absolutely crucial—especially from zero to three, and then continuing from three to six. That is primary.

So what do we see? We see the Greens policies destroying families and the role of parents. We see Senator Waters recently speaking enthusiastically in the Senate about increasing women's participation in work. The corollary is that women are not participating in family. That's the shame. Parents—fathers and mothers—should have a choice as to whether both work or one stays at home. Parents should not be forced to leave their children in the care of someone else for economic reasons—the rising cost-of-living expenditure due to government and Greens policies; higher energy prices due to Greens policies; higher housing prices due to rampant immigration, due to Greens policies; taxation; high interest rates. Whether the mother or the father stays at home should be a choice for each couple, but one of them should have the opportunity to have that choice.

The Greens want the parenting role contracted out to government indoctrination. The Greens are pushing globalist policies through the United Nations and World Economic Forum alliance, and their stated goals are to destroy families. The Greens policies are destroying families and parenting.

I make the point that it certainly would be better to have charter schools introduced into this country because the government allocates money to the child, and that money follows the child to the school. If the parent wants to choose a private school, they have the funds. If the parent wants to choose a public school, the money goes to the public school. Then we'd give power to adults and parents and principals, not bureaucrats.

Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

None of us want public schools to be underresourced or underfunded. We've all heard about the teachers using their own money to buy stationery supplies for their classrooms so that their kids don't miss out, or the playground equipment that is broken and needs replacing so it's off limits for the kids of that school. These are clear examples of when funding is falling short, and it's our kids who are missing out.

Kids who go to public schools deserve the same resources as those who go to private schools, but we know that it isn't always the case. Education should not be something we quibble about. Education should be equitable. Private schools don't need more money—I agree with Senator McKim on that point. Between the funds they receive from the government, the fundraising they do themselves and the fees they charge, private schools are doing alright for themselves. But we have to be careful where we're talking about who gets what when it comes to pots of money for education.

Under the Australian Education Act the government gives block grant authorities capital funding for independent schools. Those authorities disperse that money to independent schools around the country based on grant applications the schools submit. The term 'independent school' covers private schools—sure—but also religious schools, special assistance schools and schools for Indigenous students. Independent schools don't automatically equal a school that educates children of wealthy families.

Giant Steps Tasmania is an independent special school in Deloraine for children on the autism spectrum. There are nine indie schools across Tassie's three regions offering alternative kinds of education for kids who don't learn best in traditional learning environments. These schools fill a gap in our education system, and they do it really well. They provide education for Tassie kids who might otherwise fall through the cracks, and they do it with funding from multiple sources, including grants provided under the Australian Education Act. Cutting funding to independent schools would be bad for Giant Steps Tasmania and for Tassie's nine indie schools. They're helping our most vulnerable kids. Denying funding to those independent schools would mean denying our kids opportunities, and that I cannot support.

Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the two minutes I have, I rise to include my reflections on the matter of urgency before the Senate, put by Senator McKim, on public school funding. This morning I had the privilege of meeting with members of the Australian Education Union, school teachers and students from Western Australia. Their stories are a stark reminder of what's at stake in our public education system. They spoke of classrooms bursting at the seams. They spoke of students with disabilities and special needs not receiving the care and attention they require. They spoke of outdated resources, high staff turnover and teachers stretched thin, desperately trying to give every child the education they deserve.

What have we seen from this Labor government? A glaring failure to fully fund our public schools. Instead, they continue to funnel record amounts of money into private schools. This is not just a matter of budgetary allocation; it's a question of values and priorities. By neglecting public schools we are condemning another generation of Australian kids to an underfunded education. We are telling them that their futures matter less because of the postcode they were born in. This is unacceptable.

Education is the great equaliser, but only if it is adequately funded. It's time we stopped paying lip service to the importance of public education and started giving it the resources it needs to truly thrive. We need to bridge the jarring equity divide. I urge my colleagues to support this motion and send a clear message: every child, regardless of their background, their postcode or their parents' income, deserves a fully funded high-quality education. Let us not fail them.

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

The question is that the motion as moved by Senator McKim be agreed to.