Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026
Ms McKENZIE (Flinders) (17:15): I rise to speak on Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 in relation to education. I'm slightly disappointed to see that we don't have the Minister for Education here. I was looking forward to a conversation.
Nevertheless, one of the most important things we do in this place is set overarching principles for Australia's education system, from child care and early learning through to schooling, vocational and higher education, and postgraduate research. High-quality education builds knowledge, develops character, perspective, confidence and purpose, and enables individuals to meet their potential.
The coalition's basic starting point is to recognise that each student is different and unique in needs, capability and aspiration, but that equal opportunity must be afforded to each student. We also recognise the right of each family and, indeed, each student to choose what education modality is right for them. One size fits all does not produce optimum outcomes for either the students themselves or the systems we seek to oversee and improve.
That choice is nowhere near as important as it is in the sphere of early learning. We believe Australian families should be able to make their own choices to best support their children and each family's needs and circumstances. I want to recognise the minister for much of the work he has been doing in relation to child safety in early education and care so far this term.
I am grateful for the collaboration that has been on display in this place over recent months. That gratitude extends to his personal team and to his departmental team led by Secretary Tony Cook PSM. Recent reports of child abuse have precipitated combined attention, work and progress across the political divide towards better outcomes for child safety in child care.
The strengthening child safety and quality in ECEC reforms proposed at the minister's meeting in August are a step in the right direction, but the real test will be the actual implementation of measures to protect kids in child care and improve the quality of education and care. The coalition supports the government's direction in this, but key questions remain.
For example, Minister, who will be paying for these improvements in the long term? Who is responsible for the delivery of each individual measure? How will the system work in practice to ensure that every educator is covered, checked and supported in the execution of the new accountabilities we have placed on their shoulders?
Moving beyond early childhood, the shortage of qualified primary and secondary school teachers is placing immense pressure on Australian schools, students and teachers themselves. Teachers are leaving not just because of workload demands but also because of the difficulty in managing student behaviour. Out of 80 OECD countries, Australia ranks 71st when it comes to classroom discipline, and our results are tanking.
Globally, we have failed in maths, science and reading. NAPLAN results show that one in 10 Australian students require additional support today. Our results are particularly concerning for boys.
In year 9, only 82 per cent of boys meet the minimum writing standard in NAPLAN compared to 91 per cent of girls. This is a trend of declining literacy that I first raised in my maiden speech in this place three years ago. Boys are falling behind.
Some 23 years ago my then boss, the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Brendan Nelson, hit the alarm button after the parliamentary report Boys: getting it right showed that fewer boys than girls completed high school, more girls were entering university, more boys were being suspended for disciplinary reasons, and literacy rates and numeracy rates for girls were much higher than they were for boys.
Almost a quarter of a century later things are still worse for boys, not better. So I asked the minister: What is being done to restore safe learning environments for teachers and students? What is he doing to fix the shortage of over 4,000 secondary teachers in 2025?
As an immediate priority, what actions has he taken to lift literacy standards among boys? Finally, on the topic of ensuring the next generation is equipped for the future, our society is in the midst of a technological revolution led by AI. In the last parliament, the House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training made a number of critical recommendations regarding the appropriate use of generative AI in the Australian education system.
Disappointingly, the government has still not responded. AI is now well embedded in our world of work and our education system, but we are in real danger of generative AI preparing the curriculum, setting the exam, sitting the exam and marking the exam, without a whole lot of learning going on in between. Fields such as law, accounting, data entry, design and media, which thousands of Australians graduate in from our universities every year, are amongst the most exposed to AI disruption.
Meanwhile, trades and technical roles, which are critical to our economy and far less susceptible to automation, are struggling to attract and retain apprentices. It is a fact that there are 107,000 fewer apprentices now than when this government came in— (Time expired)