Annette Ellis (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Minister for Social Inclusion. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on the reaction to the first round of the digital education revolution?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Canberra for her question and I also thank her for participating in the launch of the first round of the government’s digital education revolution, which happened on 12 June. Through that first round, 896 schools will receive 116,000 computers, including 1,600 for 13 schools in the member for Canberra’s own electorate. This is a $116 million investment, the first instalment of our $1.2 billion commitment to bring secondary schools into the 21st century.

I thank the member for Lowe for handing to me during the course of question time a letter from one of his principals, Maxine Kohler of the McDonald College. This letter says:

I would like to thank you and the federal government for including the McDonald College in the first round of the national secondary school computer rollout. The 86 additional computers will make a very valuable contribution to the learning of our students and the staff is excited about the prospect of this additional education investment.

Of course, those words of praise join words of praise from teachers and principals around the country.

I was also assisted in the launch of the first round of the digital education revolution by the member for Maribyrnong. I would like to thank him for his participation. At the school we visited, the principal, David Adamson, welcomed the 529 computers his school will receive, saying:

We have been held back by a lack of facilities, and this is going to accelerate our progress.

This commentary joins the commentary of the Ulverstone High School principal, who said of their 113 new computers:

I reckon it’s one of those things where any big investment does make a difference.

The principal of the Corio Bay Senior College said:

Most of our current computers are very old, which makes it difficult for any students who are trying to do online research. It’s not really assisted learning if the students are sitting there twiddling their thumbs.

She went on to say how pleased she was that Corio Bay Senior College would get 170 new computers through round 1. The principal of San Clemente High School in New South Wales, Tony Kelly, said of the 117 new computers his school will receive:

There’s no way in the world we could have afforded to pay for them.

Bruce Armstrong, the principal of Balwyn High School, described the 533 new computers his school will receive as an exciting opportunity. We also received positive comments from teachers. Victor Davidson, for example, from Birrong Girls High School, said:

We’ve got 210 computers. Now I feel assured my work to get students to engage in ICT is worthwhile.

Of course, these words of praise from principals and students echo the words of praise from the leaders of the Independent Schools of Australia and the National Catholic Education Commission, Mr Bill Daniels and Monsignor Tom Doyle respectively, both of whom welcomed this new investment.

When we line it up, what do we see? We see the leaders in education welcoming this investment. We see principals welcoming this investment. We see teachers welcoming this investment. We certainly saw some very excited students on launch day welcoming this investment. The only people who are whingeing and carping about this sit over there: the members of the Liberal Party. Amazingly, we have had people like the member for Wannon complaining even though six schools in his electorate will get 280 computers in this first round. The member for Paterson has been complaining, saying that his schools have been ‘short-changed’ despite the fact that 10 schools in his electorate will receive a total of 1,392 computers. One can only imagine what he thought of the performance of his own government on the basis of that. The member for La Trobe has also complained—

Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Wood interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for La Trobe!

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

despite receiving 269 computers for schools in his electorate. This whingeing, carping and moaning is from an out-of-touch opposition that sailed through 12 years of government—

Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Wood interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for La Trobe is warned!

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

with education ministers who used to say things like:

... I’m yet to see a school that is not well served with computers.

Those opposite might be living in a bubble, be out of touch and be unable to join in the spirit of enthusiasm for the digital education revolution, but people who lead schools and who teach in schools understand this is a worthwhile investment. I thank them for working with the government to change our classrooms into 21st century classrooms.