Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Senator Birmingham. According to the 2018 PISA results overnight, Australia has recorded our worst-ever international test results in reading, maths and science. Earlier this week, the Minister for Education said, 'Government reforms will lift educational outcomes.' I ask: when?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Pratt for her question in relation to school results. If I can take one of the interjections from before, I'm sure that Senator Bernardi would concur that the results of the PISA survey are very disappointing, are unacceptable, and that we do need to see that results in relation to education improve across the country. Our children deserve world-leading education, giving them skills to thrive, and they deserve strong literacy, maths and science skills fundamental to their success.

Senator O'Neill interjecting—

I'll take Senator O'Neill's interjection there about funding, because that is, of course, where the Labor Party inevitably go in relation to funding. As this chamber has debated endlessly over the years and is well known, school funding in Australia stands at record levels. The debate that must be had in Australia is about how we get better results from the record investment that is occurring. Let me quote from The Australian Financial Review today in which the education writer states that—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator O'Neill!

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the PISA results have shown a collapse 'despite government spending on schools hitting nearly $58 billion a year, 70 per cent more than when—

Senator O'Neill interjecting —

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is: when?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senators O'Neill and Pratt!

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

global school testing started'. So, in the life of the PISA results, we have seen a 70 per cent increase in funding and yet a decline in relation to performance. That is why our government want to see the states and territories—

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tell us when, Senator Birmingham.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senators O'Neill and Pratt!

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

next week at the COAG Education Council—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, on a point of order?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is very clearly: when? That is why I'm interjecting. My point is on relevance. He has not once mentioned any time scale in his answer and not come to the relevant point of time in my question.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, I'm glad that you felt the urge to confess your error there about the interjections—they are always disorderly. I was having trouble hearing the last part of the minister's answer. I've allowed you to emphasise that part of the question, but I do believe the minister was being directly relevant to the earlier part of the question you read out. I cannot instruct him how to answer a question. I've given you the opportunity to emphasise part of it. The minister does however have six seconds left in his time to answer. I hope I can hear it.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And that is why next week the states and territories need to agree with the reforms the Commonwealth is asking them to pursue and get on with it.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, a supplementary question?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our schoolchildren have fallen around a year behind in basic subjects, including reading, maths and science, according to data from the 2018 PISA international students tests. Can the minister confirm that under the Morrison government's watch Australia's performance in maths is no better than the global average for the first time ever?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I've already said, I subscribe as the Minister for Education has, as the Prime Minister has: these results are completely unacceptable. That's why—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You were the minister!

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed I was, Senator Watt. And the reforms that Mr Tehan is taking to the COAG Education Council next week to try to get them to speed up implementation are reforms that we were taking to that council when I was the minister—reforms that the panel led by David Gonski and distinguished educators around the country identified needed to happen to make sure that we actually use the money effectively. That is precisely what we expect the states and territories to do—use that record funding effectively, implement the reform agenda our government commissioned and get on with its implementation so we can turn around these results.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You make Dan Tehan look good!

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, a final supplementary question.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given Senator Birmingham was the Minister for Education and Training during the period these tests were taken, does he take responsibility for the worst ever results in reading, maths and science? When will the Morrison government finally implement a plan to turn around an education system delivering some of the worst ever results?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have a plan, and we are trying to get the states and territories to implement it as fast as we possibly can.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's always someone else's fault.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong seems to completely ignore the reality that the Commonwealth government doesn't run a single school in the country. We don't run a single school in the country. What we do is try to actually drag recalcitrant states and territories, as they are at times, kicking and screaming to deliver reform faster and better and to apply the types of measures that are necessary: to declutter the curriculum, to get back to basics around maths, English and reading skills, and to deliver in terms of the modern techniques that need to be applied around properly measuring and assessing learning progressions, making sure that we look at guaranteeing that each student in the classroom is learning effectively and that they are growing in each year of their learning and that we are actually addressing these problems, which have been evident for many years. We commissioned the research to deliver the reforms and we want to hold the states and territories accountable to make those reforms. (Time expired)