David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Education. Will the assistant minister outline what measures the government has taken in the budget to improve children's literacy skills and encourage the teaching of foreign languages?

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Banks for his question. I visited him in April at a childcare centre managed by the Chinese Australian Services Society and I want to congratulate them on the good work that they are doing in Western Sydney, as is the member for Banks. This is a part of our election commitment to revive the teaching of foreign language in schools. As we all know, it is much easier to learn a foreign language when you are small than when you are big. So the coalition has promised nearly $10 million for the Early Learning Languages Australia trial to test the effectiveness of providing preschool children with early exposure to a language other than English through online learning programs. It was a very positive election commitment. Children at up to 40 preschools services will participate in the trial.

It is important that we recognise the importance of early learning of foreign languages. We recognise that the children involved in this initiative will grow up to participate more and more in a world of work and play that is increasingly integrated and interconnected with our region, more so than ever before. The Liberal and Nationals parties understand the regional flows of trade and investment much more so than Labor. This policy fits well with the coalition's higher education reforms, which also recognise the importance of our students reaching out and living and working in a globally connected world more so than ever before because we face increasing international competition. We need new skills to succeed in the global economy. Improving the take-up of foreign languages will help young people to export businesses and strengthen our economy by giving them the ability to deal with overseas customers and partners.

Labor has not progressed beyond the prehistoric insular view of education policy. It is time for the Labor Party to wake up and recognise that our students are competing with the rest of the world. Unless we act now, we will be left behind.