Jess Teesdale (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It feels strange to me to be standing here in February. For the past 14 years, February has meant something very different to me. Every February I was welcoming new students in the classrooms, learning their names and their stories, and working closely with families to understand what each child would need to succeed that year. Some years I was teaching directly; other years I was supporting early-career teachers, helping them to build their confidence and develop the skills they needed to support students with additional needs, students learning English as an additional language or dialect, and students who required extra care and understanding.

At the start of a school year I've walked into classrooms with no mat, no puzzles, no games and no basic resources to teach literacy. I've seen teachers being expected to make do, to improvise or to pay for these essentials themselves. I've worked in remote schools where staff were forced to make impossible choices about what could be afforded and what could not. That is why the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement matters. Through this agreement the Albanese Labor government is delivering an additional $16.5 billion in Commonwealth funding to public schools over the next decade—the largest new investment in public schools by any Australian government ever. The funding is long term, it is reform-linked and it is designed to reach classrooms, not the upper echelons of the education departments. The investment is not abstract, it's not theoretical; it is about meeting the needs in classrooms, staff rooms and school communities across our country.

When I think about what this funding must deliver I think about the outcomes that it can and should make possible. It should mean that children who need that extra support in the early years receive it, early, before they fall behind. We know that timely intervention will build confidence, improve learning outcomes and strengthen a child's sense of self-worth for life. It should mean that students feel safe at school, supported by clear national action to prevent and respond to bullying, and that schools are backed to act quickly and consistently when concerns arise. It should mean that students facing mental health challenges can access a school counsellor, social worker or psychologist when they need it, not after months or years on a waiting list.

And it should mean that teachers are properly supported to do their jobs, that they no longer need to buy basic classroom resources out of their own pockets or to quietly keep cupboards of food stocked at their own expense because they know that many of their children are arriving at school very hungry. It'll mean that new teachers are welcomed, supported and valued so that they see teaching not as a short-term sacrifice but as a respected long-term profession. And it should mean that experienced teachers can stay in the classroom with manageable workloads, time to rest and the space to be present with their own families, rather than burning out under constant pressure. It should also mean that remote schools are never again forced to choose, such as mine was, between paying the water bill and fixing our ageing computers, because access to a quality education should never depend on the postcode in which you live.

This funding is not a blank cheque; it is tied to reforms that we know lift outcomes. We know stronger literacy and numeracy foundations are required. We know the evidence-based teaching that works and we have targeted support for the students who need it most. It is about making sure that children catch up, keep up and finish school with real options ahead of them, whether that's free TAFE, university or entry into the workforce.

And we are seeing signs of progress. More people are choosing to study teaching, more are starting their degrees and more are being supported to finish them. That momentum matters. But it will only continue if this investment is delivered as intended. The Commonwealth is stepping up. We are providing the funding, the national leadership and the reform framework required, and now it's the states and territories that must ensure that this investment reaches the classrooms, supports the teachers and makes a real difference in the communities that need it the most.

Education is a shared national responsibility, and it works best when governments work together and we stay focused on the outcomes. When schools thrive they spark excellence. They bring pride and purpose for students. Teachers feel empowered and our communities grow stronger. That is what this investment is about, and that is a responsibility that we all share. Our investment is targeted, our reform is real and our expectation is clear: better outcomes for all students. I commend this motion to the House.

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