Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I may get to that shortly, Senator Parry. The government is right to be concerned about primary and secondary education in this country. I have little doubt about the sincerity of the Minister for Education, Ms Gillard, and indeed the minister representing her in the Senate, my good friend Senator Carr. They are right to say that the challenges that face us are large. And while the detail is still sketchy, I am pleased to note the new approach to schools and teaching outlined recently by Ms Gillard. Standards, accountability and transparency are goals very well worth pursuing. I wish the minister luck and I hope that she will not be hindered in pursuing these reforms by recalcitrant teaching unions, as the Howard government sadly was.

The Chief Executive of News Corporation, Mr Murdoch, said in his recent Boyer Lecture that education in this country is not a pretty picture. He said:

The unvarnished truth is that in countries such as Australia, Britain, and particularly the United States, our public education systems are a disgrace. Despite spending more and more money, our children seem to be learning less and less—especially for those who are most vulnerable in our society.

Mr Murdoch’s views are supported by research conducted by the Australian National University. This research published early this year found that despite per child spending on education having increased substantially since the 1960s, literacy and numeracy performance among Australian students is no better now than it was back in the 1960s and the 1970s.