John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. Will the minister update the House on the progress of the government's Independent Public Schools program designed to expand school autonomy?

Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Adelaide will desist.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bennelong for his question. In more good news from the Abbott government, I can inform the House today that New South Wales has signed up with the Independent Public Schools initiative. Now New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, the ACT, Victoria and South Australia have all signed up to the government's Independent Public Schools initiative. We are delivering on more election promises made before September 2013. The only state that has not signed up is Western Australia and, to their great credit, it is because they have gone further than any other state and they want to be able to continue to go further than any other state in school autonomy and, amazingly, they want to pay for it themselves, which is a unique thing for a state or territory government and I welcome it. But New South Wales signed up today, which means we are spending $70 million on independent public schooling, delivering on the promise we made before 2013 to expand autonomy across schools.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is warned!

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is very important to deliver as much autonomy in schools as possible. The jury is in on school autonomy but not for the Labor Party—the Leader of the Opposition is still happy to sing the tune of the Australian education union on school autonomy. He still opposes it—

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton can leave under 94a.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

because he never put students first; he has a teachers-first policy. This government has a students-first policy. All the evidence indicates that the more autonomy in a school, the better for students. The higher the expectations on those students, the more likely that they will get better results. The UK schools white paper said:

Across the world, the case for the benefit of school autonomy has been established beyond doubt.

The OECD says:

PISA show a clear relationship between learning outcomes and the relative autonomy of schools in managing instructional policies and practices …

So this government is unashamedly in favour of more autonomy in our schools across Australia. This Independent Public Schools initiative will deliver increasing delegation for principals to manage teacher under performance—

Ms Claydon interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Newcastle is not in her seat and will desist.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

school leadership training for principals; delegation of budget management to schools and capability building for school councils. So I am very pleased to welcome New South Wales into the Independent Public Schools initiative. Some states like Queensland and the Northern Territory will go further than other states but the reality is that we have delivered the promise that we made that 1,500 schools in Australia would have more autonomy over the next four years. We have delivered it in one year. Next year, 2,000 schools across Australia will benefit from the Independent Public Schools Initiative and that is good news for students and their parents.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to advise the House that we have in the chamber with us the Honourable Peter Lindsay, the former member for Herbert and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence in the Howard government. We make you welcome.