Renee Coffey (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Education is very close to my heart. My passion for education led me to complete my teaching qualification, and I later spent many years working at the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, where I saw firsthand how education can open doors and change lives. I'm also a parent of two school-aged children, so, like many parents, I know the rhythms and realities of school life. I know the joy that comes when a child grows in confidence. I know how much families value a great teacher, and I know how important it is that every child in every Queensland classroom has the support they need to learn, belong and thrive.

I'm proud that the Albanese Labor government is building a better and fairer education system. Through the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, we are delivering the biggest new investment in Commonwealth funding for public schools ever. Nationally, that means an additional $16.5 billion over the next decade, with a further $50 billion in the decade after that. For Queensland, it means an extra $2.8 billion in Commonwealth funding over the next 10 years. This is a substantial investment in our state schools, our teachers and our students. Most importantly, it puts every public school on a path to full and fair funding.

What makes this agreement so significant is that it is not only about funding levels on paper; it's about linking funding to practical, evidence based reforms that will improve student outcomes. That includes phonics checks, numeracy checks, evidence based teaching and small-group tutoring for students who need extra support. That literacy focus is especially important to me. Reading is not simply one subject among many; it's the foundation that helps children engage with every other part of their learning. When children get a strong start in literacy, they are better able to participate, keep up and see themselves as capable learners.

I have seen that also in my own community through my Griffith Little Readers program. Coming into this role, it was important to me that any initiative I undertake within our school communities be sustainable, responsive to identified needs and focused on building the capacity and resources of the schools themselves. This is a program that is providing thousands of early reader books, decodable readers, to primary schools across our community. That's why I am personally funding up to $1,000 worth of decodable readers for each eligible primary school in our electorate of Griffith.

None of the important work that happens in our classrooms happens without our amazing teachers, who do some of the most important work in our community. They build skills, shape confidence, spark curiosity and help young people imagine what is possible for their future. The Albanese Labor government is taking action on teacher shortages through a national plan focused on improving teacher supply, strengthening initial teacher education, retaining the teachers we have, elevating the profession and planning for the future. We are investing $160 million in Commonwealth teaching scholarships. We're funding 4,000 additional university teacher-training places, supporting more places in the High Achieving Teachers Program and investing to reduce workload pressures so teachers and school leaders can spend more time on teaching and learning. This government is also delivering the biggest changes to teacher training in a generation.

We're delivering paid pracs. More than 20 years ago, I completed the coursework for my teaching degree, but, when it came time to do my final practicum, there was no way I could afford to give up work for that period of time and still pay my rent and other costs, so I had to make the very difficult decision to graduate with an arts degree and leave my education degree on the shelf for a little longer. It took me a couple of years of working and saving to return to university and finish my teaching qualifications. Too many students have told us that they could manage the study but struggle to afford the placement component of their degree. Now, for the first time, eligible teaching students can receive financial support of $338 per week while undertaking their mandatory placements. That might sound simple, but it addresses a very real barrier.

This is what a better and fairer education system looks like. That is what the Albanese Labor government is delivering, and I am proud to support it. So, the little people sitting at their desks today at Bulimba State School and Buranda State School and our impressive young adults opening their laptops at Cavendish Road State High School and Coorparoo Secondary College continue to get a world-class education, and our young people continue to receive the support they need to learn, belong and thrive.

See this speech in context