Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the latest jurisdiction to sign up to the National Plan for School Improvement? Prime Minister, how will this advance the government's plans to make Australian schools stronger, smarter and fairer?

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

I thank the member for Deakin for his question. I am absolutely delighted to announce that today I joined the Chief Minister of the ACT and together we signed our plan for better schools for the students of the ACT.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I hear those opposite guffawing. I do not understand why they would not want to give 62,000 students who live in the ACT a better education and why they would seek to be cynical and dismissive about securing a better education for 62,000 students. For those 62,000 students joining the students in New South Wales, the biggest education system in the country, what we have done today through this agreement is make sure that they are not going to be subject over the long term to the funding model of today, which is broken. We know it is broken and, indeed, the Minister for Education in New South Wales has been very clear publicly, and when he has visited Canberra, that it is broken. As a result of this arrangement, schools in the ACT will see base funding rolled out to bring schools that are below a school resource standard to that school resource standard. We have also committed to stable indexation arrangements. We have committed to grow education by 4.7 per cent and the ACT has agreed to grow its own school budget by three per cent.

What does this all mean? What is this money going to be used for? It is going to be used for incredibly practical things that make a difference to children's education. It will give schools the resources they need to make sure that they can engage in more one-on-one learning, giving children the help and support they need, whether it be at the front of the class or the back of the class. It will mean that schools have more resources to assist those students with special needs. It means that schools will have more resources for literacy coaches, numeracy coaches and specialised teachers. It means that schools will have more resources to support their teachers, to make sure that the teachers are high quality and that young teachers are supported to get the best of skills. Teachers are always supported to do their best in classrooms. It will mean that schools have the ability to have the equipment that makes a difference to kids education.

I understand that to those on the other side of the House, in the opposition, all of this is viewed as boring. For the government, this is viewed as the most important work of government: investing in our children, investing in their future, and creating a stronger, smarter and fairer nation for the future. We take an 'A' step forward in the ACT today.