Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) | Hansard source

In recent days we heard from the Prime Minister that he is very proud of the eight budgets he has been a part of—the three as Treasurer and the four as Prime Minister. That tells you all you need to know about the problems with this country's education system. It's no wonder we've run up a trillion dollars of debt on this Prime Minister's watch, if he thinks three and four equals eight. It actually points to a deeper problem in our education system and one of the critical handbrakes on productivity growth in this country.

When you look at our schools, TAFES, universities, even from early childhood education and care, we need every part of this education system to be excellent so that our children, as they grow into adults, can participate in our economy in a way that adds not only to their own lives and prosperity but to our national prosperity too.

In 2018 Australian students recorded their worst result in reading, maths and science since international testing began. The average 15-year-old is now 12 months behind the average in reading compared to where we were in the year 2000. We know that, if kids don't get the basics under their belt by the age of about eight, they struggle throughout their lives. It is a handbrake on their own prosperity. But think of what that does to the national economy, when we let down millions of children in this way.

Our deputy leader spoke about the attacks that those opposite have made on apprenticeships, traineeships, vocational education and TAFE. So I'll go to universities. We know that when we invest in universities we see a 200 to 300 per cent return on that investment because we educate our people. We know that, for men, there is still an $800,000 graduate premium on their lifetime salaries; for women, a $600,000 graduate premium on their lifetime salaries; and, for our nation, a 200 to 300 per cent return on investment. What have those opposite done? They've had the highest turn-away rates from universities ever; more kids are being turned away than ever before. Forty thousand staff and 7,000 researchers have lost their jobs. What does that do not just to those staff but to our ability as a nation to discover, invent and take that research and turn it into businesses and jobs for the future?

Labor, in contrast, has a plan. We know that to be wealthy and successful as a nation, we need to build things, make things, care for people and invest in our people so that they have the skills and education to drive our prosperity. That's why we have a plan for 465,000 free TAFE places, including 45,000 extra places in areas of skills shortage, and another 20,000 university places. We have a plan for fair school funding so that every school is on the path to meet 100 per cent of the schooling resource standard, its fair funding level. There will be a $400 million-plus student wellbeing boost and a youth mental health check for primary schools kids so that they can be directed to the supports they need after the shocking few years they've had. There will be more counsellors and social workers. There will be school upgrades, because we know that our schools have been run down, particularly our public schools, with the lack of investment from those opposite. They have turned their backs on the two-thirds of kids who go to public schools in Australia. We have a plan for an eSmart Digital Licence to make sure that our primary and secondary schoolchildren have the literacy skills for the 21st century and the digital skills they need to be successful in the world that we're living in today.

The plan includes a start-up year to mentor 2,000 young innovators to start a business straight out of university. There will be new energy apprenticeships to make sure apprentices are trained in the new energy jobs of the future. We will be making sure they are able to complete their training, with $100 million to support 10,000 new energy apprenticeships and an Australian skills guarantee so that one in every 10 jobs on Commonwealth government funded projects actually goes to apprentices and trainees. That is what a future 'Made in Australia' would look like. That is what we need to do to make sure our people and our country are ready for the future.

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