Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to move this motion on computers in schools. In the latest round, being round 2, 360 Queensland schools will join the digital education revolution. Of the secondary schools in my electorate, eight will be given funding for new computers this round. Combined, these schools will receive funding for 1,267 computers, to the value of $1,273,000. In addition to the funding directly for new computers, St Paul’s School at Bald Hills has received $6,000 in additional flexible funding to provide more flexibility to meet the ICT needs of students with disabilities. This funding is in addition to two secondary schools in the Petrie electorate that received funding in round 1.

I would like to read an email forwarded to me on 24 October 2008 from Adrienne Jericho, Executive Director of Lutheran Education Australia, in relation to a Lutheran school in my electorate that was successful in round 1. Dr Jericho writes:

Ms D’Ath, I am pleased to forward you a good news story about the digital revolution and Grace Lutheran College. Your government initiative has meant so much to us.

Attached to the email was an article entitled ‘Digital revolution and success through collaboration’. I would like to take this opportunity to read this article for the members of this parliament.

Grace Lutheran College at Rothwell in Queensland is a large secondary school on two campuses with approximately 1550 students. The application for 404 computers (majority being laptops) via the Commonwealth government’s Digital Education Revolution was successful in July this year. By late October 2008 almost all of the 404 computers have been acquired and implemented, and are being used by students across the college.

How was such an implementation so successful? Synergy and collaboration have been the key ingredients for such a successful implementation.

Beginning with ‘Lead Up’ then ‘Heads Up’ communications from Lutheran Education Queensland’s office prior to the government’s offer to the school, as well as keeping Lutheran Education Australia’s ICT business partners, such as Hewlett Packard and Telstra, informed the race to success began. After notification from DEEWR, Mr Peter Kellett (Head of I.T. Grace Lutheran College) prepared the school leaders and the total school community for the oncoming changes and began initial planning of implementation while reviewing and renewing the College’s current ICT Strategic Plan and Vision.

Derek Bartels (Executive Officer—ICT Lutheran Education Queensland) played a key role in ensuring that all who were impacted by the decision were kept informed. Lutheran Education Queensland acted as a conduit/troubleshooter between DEEWR (as well as local BGA) to assist Round 1 schools in strategic planning and acquisition of computers. He then requested draft orders from all Round 1 Lutheran schools so that he could ready Hewlett Packard in sourcing and verifying stock. BES (Lutheran Education Queensland HP Channel Partner) and Hewlett Packard assisted the school in choosing model and type. Grace Lutheran College planned that the rollout of the 404 computers be staggered over 4 months and all milestones and deadlines were then shared amongst all the stakeholders prior to the final acceptance by DEEWR.

As soon as Grace Lutheran College was notified by DEEWR of its successful application, everyone went immediately into phase two of implementing the above plans with small refinements along the way. Wireless infrastructure, furniture, personnel, PD programs and room alterations were implemented as planned. The final 50 computers are being unpacked and commissioned as this article is being written. The journey now continues after a successful beginning and the federally funded computers will support Grace Lutheran College’s vision for learning in the 21st Century.

This very important and successful achievement by a Lutheran school exemplifies the strength of the partnership that Lutheran Education Australia and its schools share, as they work with business partners and the Commonwealth government to realize strategic ICT educational initiatives. Indeed the rollout of 404 computers in one school so seamlessly in such a short period of time has been possible because of system strategic planning, professional development and collaboration over many years.

It is this collaboration, through this school and the other eight schools that have received funding in round 2, that will see our children, across the schools, benefit from these sorts of initiatives. Over the coming months and years I look forward to seeing this computer package rolled out as part of the education revolution in all my schools and I congratulate the federal government on this initiative.

Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to lead for the opposition—no, I am only kidding! Computers in schools are an important issue on the mid-North Coast of New South Wales and, while I recognise the flowery wording in congratulating the Rudd government, I reserve my judgment—but, hopefully, will congratulate the Rudd government—because many aspects of the rollout on the mid-North Coast are still to take place.

In my first speech to the parliament I mentioned computers as the most critical divide between rural and metropolitan areas of Australia. The access to the information highway for students is absolutely critical, so the principles behind this rollout are sound and certainly supported. It is a case of waiting particularly for the state public education sector to start their rollout in New South Wales—which, I have got to say, has been a frustrating delay, one that hopefully gets addressed quickly so that there is no further divide between government and non-government schools.

The rollout in the non-government sector, though, has been fantastic. The electorate of Lyne was successful in round 1 prior to Christmas and, having inspected some of the schools, such as St Columba, where I think 60 new computers were put in prior to Christmas, I can say there certainly is happiness throughout the school community, both at a student and teacher level, in regard to the new equipment and the opportunities it now provides.

I will mention the states again, though, because not only with this rollout but also with many of the other aspects of the education revolution and aspects of the fiscal stimulus relevant to education generally there is the rider of the role of the states, which in many ways is going to be the maker or breaker for all of us. I would hope that all the good work and all the good intentions in formulating these policies, winning arguments in budget subcommittees and then turning them into actual policy packages are not undone at a delivery level through the various state arms.

So I would ask that the Commonwealth not think its job done and not congratulate itself yet but actually stay vigilant, crack the whip if necessary and get through the states’ hoops—whatever those hoops may be, as crazy as they may be at times—to deliver good, on-the-ground results for students and schools throughout Australia.

The other point I would like to raise is that this is not only about computer hardware and software but about broadband connections. It would be remiss of me not to mention that issue because a computer is only as good as its ability to access the global information highway. We are sweating on the national broadband rollout decisions and certainly hoping for good news on that front. We are certainly hoping that the government not only sticks to its commitments but recognises that, hand in glove with policies such as computer rollouts, we need to significantly improve internet speeds and deal with issues such as dropouts. It is embarrassing that people living five minutes from the centre of significantly urbanised areas of regional Australia are still experiencing slow speeds and high dropouts in 2009. When we think about education for students we have to think about not only the school site but the home environment as well. I think of a girl I visited during the election campaign and mentioned during my first speech who is a year 9 student at Camden Haven High School and who is on dial-up at her home. How does she compete with someone living in this town for speed of connection and access to education? It is a two-tiered system of education delivery that we have got to address, and that is why the principles behind this are sound. But I think we are all sweating on the actual delivery so that we can put the ‘for sale’ sign up and we can congratulate each other on a job well done.

Kirsten Livermore (Capricornia, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the member for Petrie’s excellent motion. The Rudd government’s computers in schools program is a fantastic initiative that provides much-needed technology for our students in all schools. The program, announced as part of the 2007 election campaign, aims to have one computer for each student in years 9 to 12 by the year 2011. The funding already allocated to schools in my electorate is seeing them well on the way to meeting that target. This aim is not only a clear statement of our desire to instigate an education revolution in this country but a concrete example of how the Rudd government is working in conjunction with the states to ensure that our children receive the best possible educational experience. I know that principals I have spoken to in my electorate are excited by the possibilities that this program presents for their schools and the whole new world of opportunities it provides for their students.

Under the second round of funding announced on 28 January, 18 schools in my electorate received computers. Capricornia is a large and diverse electorate, so the effect of this program reaches into many communities, big and small, and communities that represent a mixture of industries and economic bases, all of which will be looking for school graduates with information technology skills. The schools in the state system were: Dysart State High School, 41 computers; Glenmore State High School, 165 computers; Moranbah State High School, 102 computers; Mount Morgan State High School, 43 computers; Rockhampton State High School, 22 computers; Mirani State High School, 121 computers; Clermont State High School, 25 computers; North Rockhampton State High School, 216 computers; Yeppoon State High School, 200 computers; Glenden State School, 14 computers; Middlemount Community School, 30 computers; and Rockhampton North Special School, three computers. The independent schools were also in there: Rockhampton Girls Grammar School is receiving 43 computers and Rockhampton Grammar School will get 174 computers. In the Catholic system, the Cathedral College will get 187 computers; Emmaus College, 193 computers; St Brendan’s College, 80 computers; and St Ursula’s College, 110 computers. This is a total of 1,769 computers in schools in my electorate.

This latest round means that all schools in my electorate and across the nation have now been given the opportunity to obtain the necessary funding to bring them to a one to two computer to student ratio. The comments from principals in my electorate include those from the Principal of the Lighthouse Christian School, John Buchholz, who had 14 new laptops arrive in his school’s classrooms at the end of last year through round 1 of the program. He tells me that both teachers and students are excited about the new laptops because the machines replaced a series of PCs that were clunky, out of date and frustrating to use. Principal Buchholz says the laptops give the school full flexibility to move them throughout the classrooms as required and to ensure all the students have access each day to the technology they need. The students used the laptops for chemistry, physics, IT and even media and photography. They are learning new things and in new ways, and this was simply not possible before.

Another example is Heights College, which is a very fast growing school in Rockhampton. Principal Andrew Johnson agrees that the computers in schools program is a great initiative. He tells me it has delivered a range of new technologies thanks to the school receiving 72 new computers. At Heights College they have trolleys to accompany the laptops and make them extra mobile, which has been great for getting the computers to middle school students. They have also invested in interactive whiteboards, data projectors and new software. Mr Johnson said it had delivered significant benefits for all of his students.

Just last month I had the pleasure of visiting Glenmore High School on the day that round 2 of the funding was announced. I have been speaking with the principal there, Joy Ganter, who says that the 165 new computers that her school will soon receive will be wonderful. At Glenmore the computers will be deployed across the entire curriculum. This will see students working with a suite of Microsoft Office programs as well as more specific programs in the science, mathematics and industrial technology and design departments.

This program is important. There is no doubt that computers and the internet have become a necessity of life, and having our children utilising them at a young age prepares them for their continued use through their lives. The member for Petrie states in her motion that the future of this country lies within our young people and that as a government we must invest in our schools to invest in our future. This sums up the computers in schools program entirely. This package is all about investing in our youth and ensuring that they get the very best education we can provide and guaranteeing that they are well equipped to take on that future. This comes on top of the great news of funding for primary schools which was announced in the last sitting week. I know schools in my electorate are really seeing the benefits of the education revolution.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With the greatest respect for the member for Petrie, this motion is farcical in the extreme. There is no way the Rudd government can be congratulated for delivering a so-called education revolution. This revolution is beached and destroyed on the Bay of Pigs, where all revolutions end up. The Prime Minister stood there and said that Labor will undertake a groundbreaking reform by providing every Australian secondary school student in years 9 to 12 with access to their own computer at school—campaign launch, 14 November 2007. Well, 15 months in, my electorate has got five. It is not five schools; it is five computers. Now, that is a groundbreaking reform!

Labor committed $1.2 billion to the program over five years in the May budget. Yet recent announcements have added almost $1 billion to it—a 66 per cent cost blow-out—and the member for Petrie wants the chamber to stand up and congratulate the Rudd government for a fantastic rollout of computers. If a Howard government minister had dared to have the temerity to have a 66 per cent blow-out, a billion dollars, he or she would have been sacked on the spot. The centrepiece of this dudded education revolution is massively underfunded and the program is incomplete free fall. Departmental figures released under freedom of information demonstrate that to deliver on Labor’s election promise of one computer for every child in years 9 to 12 the whole program may well cost more than $5 billion, based on figures showing that the states were going to have to commit $3.27 for every federal dollar under the original $1.2 billion program. If those figures hold true, that is a blow-out in effect of 400 per cent. Labor’s $2 billion spend, though, has also cunningly been reworded to say that they will give a computer for every second student, using words like access to a computer rather than a computer for every student—a clear breach of an election promise.

The program has been plagued from the start by disagreement between the Commonwealth and the states as the Rudd government’s financial support for the computers did not extend to installation, software, networking, IT support or indeed any of the other on-costs for running computers. Instead, those on-costs were conveniently passed on to the states. That is ironic, because in my state of Queensland the Labor government has racked up $74 billion worth of debt. I can only assume the other Labor states are doing the same thing.

Round 1 of the program that was finalised late last year provided computers for less than 10 per cent of public schools in Australia. New South Wales has withdrawn from round 2 of the program. The South Australian and ACT governments have said they will use the new computers to replace old computers rather than increasing the number of computers in schools. The Western Australian government has threatened to withdraw from the program unless the program’s guidelines are sorted out.

The 66 per cent blow-out is a complete and utter failure. There is no other word that can be used. Prime Minister Rudd used the laptop held aloft as the ‘toolbox of the 21st century’—a great ploy and a con to get elected. But if you look at the rate at which computers are being rolled out it is unbelievable. If the rest of the program will be delivered at the same speed as round 1 of the program, it will take 10 to 20 years to roll out to every single secondary student between year 9 and year 12. Unfortunately, the children of Australia cannot afford to wait for Kevin 07, and with the grand total of five computers rolled out in Fadden—not five schools, five computers rolled out—we will be waiting past when we all pass away from this green earth for Labor’s education revolution to deliver anything for the Gold Coast.

Far from adopting, agreeing and indeed supporting the member for Petrie’s motion to congratulate the Rudd Labor government, I stand here and condemn the government for a con and a farce, and a deception on the children of Australia.

Dick Adams (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.