David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to speak on the Australian Education Legislation Amendment (Prohibiting the Indoctrination of Children) Bill 2020. As my fellow senators—from this side of the chamber, at least—have already stated, the government will not be supporting this bill, no matter how well intentioned the senators from One Nation think they are being. That's not to say I don't have some sympathy for what they're trying to achieve. All too often I've had complaints from parents and heard from their children about being scared to death at school by lessons on climate change—not just the fact, but about how they should be scared—and scaring of children is not something that should happen in the classroom.

There is no doubt that we believe that schools, universities and vocational training institutions all play a central role in equipping all Australians with the knowledge and skills they all need in order to live and work successfully in the 21st century. In many ways the challenges of the current COVID-19 environment, with disrupted learning, remote classes and fragmented assessments, has meant that getting that education delivery right is fundamentally important for properly equipping Australians for the challenges of the modern world. But it is interesting that when you talk to parents there is still a strong emphasis from them on the key skills of reading, literacy and numeracy—or, as we used to say, reading, writing and 'rithmetic. As a result, the government is wary about a growing push for soft skills at the expense of disciplined, specific knowledge. We know that well-developed, deep subject-matter knowledge is the key to success in today's modern society.

As such, this government believes there needs to be a focus on providing the foundations for deep learning within Australia's national curriculum, equipping the next generation with the deep foundation skills needed. This can be done by simplifying and decluttering the education environment, focusing on the basics—as I said before, reading, literacy and numeracy—to ensure that Australia's children, especially those in the early years, to year 10, get the basics right. This simplifying of the learning environment not only ensures that children acquire the foundations for deep learning that will ensure that they gain the skills early to have successful professional lives but also supports teachers. This simplification ensures that teachers can get on with teaching the basics and frees them from excessive red tape—something I'm sure Senators Hanson and Roberts will be very supportive of.

This bill crafted by One Nation would preoperatively give the Commonwealth the power to make federal education funding to a state or territory conditional on that state having laws in force that require a number of things. Firstly, it would prohibit a staff member at a school from promoting partisan views or activities to students and would require a staff member at a school, when teaching a subject, to ensure that there is a balanced presentation of opposing views in relation to that subject. Unfortunately, the bill does not provide clarity on what constitutes a balanced presentation of opposing views. As I'm sure the good senators from Queensland know, the determination of what constitutes balance is a subjective test and is awfully difficult to implement even as a legal standard, let alone as a teaching standard.

The proposed amendments to the Australian Education Act 2013 put forward by Senator Hanson run a substantial risk of being subject to constitutional challenges. As I'm sure this chamber is aware, subjective tests are hard to prove and are difficult to interpret and comply with or enforce. One of the situations that we do not want to see with our education system is teachers wasting their time dealing with disgruntled parents who are upset about the level of balance provided within the classroom. By imposing such subjective tests, you are guaranteeing that teachers right across the country will be spending half their days justifying their classes' subject matter, rather than teaching children to justify their math problems. As we move into a world where STEM subjects are going to be more vital and more important, I know what I would rather our teachers be doing.

Under Australia's constitutional arrangements, state and territory governments are responsible for ensuring the delivery and regulation of school education to all children within the jurisdictions. That is why we must work in partnership with our state and territory counterparts to achieve the best results for our children—not dictating to them, as One Nation would wish the federal government to do. I'm not going to say that such a partnership is an easy thing. To get the balance right requires the involvement of governments, parents, teachers and, of course, the students themselves. However, it would never just focus back on the age-old debates of school funding—debates exacerbated by the Gillard government's much lauded, but never funded, Gonski review on school funding. As this government has done, it should focus on the content and quality of the education students are receiving and the skills and knowledge of those providing it.

That is why in 2017 the government commissioned the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools. The report called for a prioritisation of learning progressions for literacy and numeracy in curriculum development in the early years of schooling to ensure that the core foundations for learning are developed by all children by the age of eight. The report recognised that school education needs to maximise individual learning growth and attainment to ensure that every student is ready to succeed in a changing world. Following on from that process, the Foundation-Year 10 Australian Curriculum review formally commenced in July this year, despite the challenges of COVID-19 for the education system.

The terms of reference of this review were agreed at the 12 June 2020 meeting of the Education Council of federal, state and territory education ministers. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority is tasked to undertake this review. The review will declutter the Australian curriculum so it better serves students' needs and promotes academic excellence. Although the review aims to concentrate content in all learning areas, priority will be given to the primary years. This process is an important step forward in addressing an overcrowded curriculum and lifting Australia's performance in literacy, numeracy and science.

What this bill fails to do, though, is recognise that curriculum is only part of what makes a great education system. Part of it is also about those people who seek to have a career in teaching by encouraging them into the profession, ensuring proper training and rewarding those who achieve high standards in delivering that education. Despite the objections of some in the teaching unions, this government is committed to supporting teachers to go back to basics, focusing on literacy and numeracy and developing students' understanding of essential content. Without these foundational building blocks, it is difficult to develop strong educational outcomes down the track.

The Morrison government has implemented and continues to implement national reforms to improve the quality of initial teaching education. This includes reforms focused on strengthening selection requirements for those entering initial teacher education programs as well as providing confidence in those graduating from initial teacher education. All those studying teaching must meet clear literacy and numeracy benchmarks before graduation and, through the introduction of final year teaching performance assessments, demonstrate they have the practical skills required to be classroom ready. Even in these unprecedented times, maintaining an expectation of high-quality teaching is vitally important. As such, the requirement for initial teacher education students to meet the standard of the literacy and numeracy test prior to graduation remains in place. Under the National School Reform Agreement, all governments are working together to develop a national teacher workforce strategy, which will further strengthen the teaching workforce.

Many schools in regional, remote and low-socioeconomic areas experience significant challenges attracting staff and finding teachers with the subject expertise they need. The Australian government is investing $28.7 million in our future teaching workforce by funding the High Achieving Teachers Program. The program provides two alternative pathways into teaching for high-achieving university graduates. In 2020, 170 participants with experience and qualifications from a range of industries commenced the program. In 2021 and 2022, the program will attract and train a further 280 new teachers. These high-achieving individuals will work exclusively with schools experiencing teacher workforce shortages, including in regional, rural and remote communities. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has impacted the delivery of the program in schools in 2020. Providers are working with the Australian government, state and territory governments and partner schools to continue to support the education of Australian secondary school students through this unprecedented time.

As you can see, through the hard work of Minister Tehan and working in partnership with states, parents, community and students, the Morrison government is working to modernise, simplify and declutter the current education system and is working closely with industry to ensure that our children are equipped with the skills today for the jobs of tomorrow, bringing education back to the basics—reading, literacy and numeracy—and getting the foundations right for deep learning within key areas. The bill proposed by Senator Hanson does not support the government's agenda. It will do nothing to support the education of our children, and, as such, the government won't be supporting it.