Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Kim Carr, the Minister representing the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. Given that yesterday the Prime Minister said that this week she will introduce legislation to give every child an entitlement to an excellent education, which is a commendable aspiration but it must be backed by enforceable legislation and a significant financial investment in Australian schools, particularly government schools that teach the vast majority of students experiencing disadvantage, and given that the Gonski review called for real action on a new schools funding model and much greater investment in our education system, my question to the minister is: where has Gonski gone? How much additional funding will the government invest in public education over the next four years to ensure that the Gonski recommendations will be implemented sooner rather than later? And where will that money come from?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wright for her question. The government has indicated on a number of occasions that legislation will be introduced this week to give effect to the Gonski reforms. The goal the government will pursue is to see Australia back in the top five schooling systems in the world with regard to reading, mathematics and science and to have a high-quality and high-equity system by 2025.

The final funding arrangements will be settled through negotiations. The Commonwealth is prepared to contribute with the states and territories if the states and territories contribute their fair share, so it was with some concern that I read about the effects of the cuts that are occurring in New South Wales. Only yesterday I was alarmed to read that an effect of these funding cuts will see that school sports carnivals face the axe under the O'Farrell government in New South Wales. If we are talking about trying to build an internationally excellent education system and in New South Wales $1.7 billion is being taken out of the education system, we find that that makes it much more difficult. School sports carnivals cannot proceed as a result of the New South Wales government's cuts.

So is it not surprising that I read that Liberal MPs have now been banned from some schools in New South Wales, from school prize nights? The reaction from parents and from school communities is such that they know that the government of New South Wales is not committed to a genuine national partnership to ensure that the children of this country are able to enjoy the full benefits— (Time expired)

Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his answer. I have a supplementary question. Because the Gonski reforms are about improving our education system and providing every child throughout Australia with the best educational opportunities, what progress has indeed been made in discussions with the states and territories to ensure that Gonski will be funded and implemented as soon as possible? What proportion of the investment in schools funding will the Commonwealth contribute to the Gonski reforms and what proportion will come from the states and territories? I again ask: where will the Commonwealth proportion come from? Where will the money come from?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wright for the supplementary question. I can indicate to the chamber that negotiations have not concluded with the states and the territories and the non-government education authorities, but what we will see is a bill introduced to the parliament which will set out the broad principles of the new schools funding arrangements. In this legislation the Commonwealth will recognise the need to work with the states and territories and the non-government sector and there will be an ongoing process of reform. So the Australian government is going to continue to work in good faith with all jurisdictions for a much fairer and a more equitable education system based on a funding scheme which is based on needs. If you look at my home state of Victoria, you see some $480 million has been cut from education. School bus subsidies have been reduced; 7½ thousand students in rural and regional areas have been left stranded as a result of—(Time expired)

Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his answer and I have a second supplementary question. Yesterday a study by the University of Melbourne highlighted the unintended consequences of NAPLAN, including the fact that about 90 per cent of the principals and teachers who were surveyed reported that some students felt stress before NAPLAN tests and exhibited symptoms such as crying, sleeplessness, vomiting and absenteeism. How does the government plan to respond to this research and, in particular, the concerns raised by the study that NAPLAN tests are having an adverse impact on students' health and wellbeing?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I indicate to Senator Wright that the reports of this survey also highlighted the methodological flaws that were characteristic of this report. It was an opt-in survey, which means the responses were more likely to come from a particular group of people, which would give a distorted view of the effects of the NAPLAN tests. The fact remains that there is nothing in any of the NAPLAN tests which students need to learn above and beyond what is already part of their normal curricula and, of course, we have repeatedly said that there should not be a process of trying to put pressure on students to perform well in their NAPLAN, as their tests are about trying to demonstrate benchmarks from which we can determine whether or not there have been improvements. What we do know is that the NAPLAN tests have shown us that there is considerable evidence to suggest that the expenditure that has been made in schools has—(Time expired)