STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms WATSON-BROWN (Ryan) (13:36): I'm proud to deliver this speech written by Nancy, a 16-year-old Ryan constituent, as part of Raise Our Voice Australia: Did you know in 2024, 43% of Australian 15-year-olds are not proficient in reading? Despite being one of the most developed nations out there, we are failing. We are not a nation where everyone gets a "fair go" when everyone doesn't start at the same place.

And it's not just that we start at different places—we also move at different paces, we get handed different opportunities. Public schools need more funding. Students need more early intervention, more compassion.

Teachers are overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. They are humans set with the insurmountable task of creating the people of the future. Why do I see private schools that cost tens of thousands to attend while some schools can't even afford air conditioning on the hottest days?

There has to be more needs-based funding. We actually need to bring change. A child's poor academic grade isn't a moral failing on their part, but instead on the underfunded education system that has not only failed them but given up on them.

Education isn't just a report card. It dictates your future and quality of life. Invest in the future—in us, the future.