Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Crossin for the question. The OECD’s Education at a glance report for 2009 is a timely reminder of just why Australia needs an education revolution. It confirms that the Liberals’ years in office were lost years for education. Public expenditure on education fell from five per cent of GDP in 1995 to 4.6 per cent in 2006. It is now well below the OECD average of 5.3 per cent. Not surprisingly, we are also below the OECD average for the number of people with upper secondary qualifications, the growth in the number of people with tertiary qualifications and the rate at which domestic students enter advanced research programs. The OECD confirms that the Liberals invested too little in rewarding quality teaching, too little in the basics of literacy and numeracy, too little in higher education and far too little in early childhood education.

Australia still has a good education system, but the report highlights several areas that need improvement. That is why this government’s education revolution is so important. That is why we are investing $16 billion in early childhood education and child care, $2.2 billion in computers for schools, $2.5 billion in trades training centres and that is why we are investing $550 million to attract, train and retain quality teachers. We are investing $540 million in literacy and numeracy programs. (Time expired)