Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House acknowledges the Government's commitment and actions to build a better and fairer education system from early education right through to university, by:

(1) delivering cheaper child care which is making early education and care more affordable for 1.2 million Australian families;

(2) tackling the teacher shortage through the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan;

(3) delivering $275.2 million to schools to improve school infrastructure through the Schools Upgrade Fund;

(4) providing $203.7 million in funding to support student wellbeing across every school in the country through the Student Wellbeing Boost;

(5) working with state and territory governments to get all schools on a path to full and fair funding; and

(6) setting the higher education system up for the future through the Universities Accord, and implementing the priority actions of the accord interim report, which delivers:

(a) an additional 20 new regional university study hubs and 14 suburban university study hubs;

(b) demand driven places for First Nations students from metropolitan areas;

(c) the removal of the unfair 50 per cent pass rule; and

(d) university governance reforms.

It is with great pleasure that I move this motion today to highlight the federal Labor government's commitment to building a better and fairer education system from early education right through to university and TAFE. It is evident from the work that has already been undertaken by our government that we want all Australians to receive the highest quality education from when they are children right through to when they are adults. We in the federal Labor government understand the importance of what a good education can provide: that is, solid foundations that can set you up for a fulfilling and productive life. These visions are what all Labor governments strive for for Australia and its people: a quality education, well-paying jobs and a high quality of living. We are the party that always delivers better funding for education, better pay and conditions for teachers and staff and better outcomes. We leave a legacy, whereas those opposite leave people behind.

I'm proud to be part of a government that is implementing outstanding reforms in the early childhood education and care sector. We know that children thrive when they have access to early childhood education. It sets children up for further learning in primary school and success throughout their lives.

The government's cheaper child care reforms are making a huge difference for families in my community on the Central Coast. Around 6,900 families are now better off because of the changes that we have made to child care. That is more families able to send their children to child care and more children benefitting from these quality services. The government is also working to strengthen early childhood education and care in additional areas. It has tasked the Productivity Commission with facilitating an inquiry to investigate further opportunities to build an affordable and accessible, high-quality and universal early learning system. I look forward to the commission's final recommendations.

Just recently I heard directly from providers, educators and families about the issues affecting child care on the Central Coast at an early childhood education and care forum in Umina Beach that my office hosted. The forum was insightful, with robust discussions about the challenges and complexities of early childhood education and care in the region. Moreover, the forum was an excellent opportunity for participants to familiarise themselves with the ECEC draft report, which is now available for feedback. I look forward to continuing to work closely with local providers, educators and families to help improve the sector.

The federal Labor government is investing in the schools of tomorrow. One form of this investment is the $275.2 million schools upgrade fund. I'm pleased to report to the chamber today that this investment is helping schools purchase equipment, upgrade classrooms and improve outcomes right across the nation. In Robertson, $165,000 has been distributed to six local schools so far, each school receiving $25,000. These schools have been able to purchase items like laptops, iPads and other ICT equipment to help improve learning and learning outcomes. Several schools have also been able to use this funding to upgrade classrooms, refurbish learning spaces and build shade structures.

After a wasted decade under a former Liberal government, this government is taking education seriously again and investing in Australia's future. To increase the level of tertiary education available on the Central Coast, the federal government is working with the University of Newcastle to build a new campus right in the heart of Gosford. I'm super excited to see the future of the University of Newcastle Gosford campus come to fruition. The federal Labor government is investing $18 million towards this $63 million project. This project is truly a game changer for Gosford city, which, when completed, will offer greater tertiary education options for people living across the Central Coast, especially in the health disciplines. It will also mean people living on the coast will have greater opportunities than to have to travel to Sydney or Newcastle to undertake a degree or further study.

This federal Labor government will continue to invest in our nation's education system to make it better and to make it fairer, because this is a government that wants to see all Australians reach their full potential.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Robertson for this really important motion. Education changes lives, from early childhood education and primary school all the way through to university and vocational education. But we know that people living in regional Australia have much lower educational outcomes than our city cousins. A Grattan Institute report released today found that one in three Australian students are not reading proficiently, but that increases to half of all students in regional Australia. This is deeply distressing. This is shocking information. As a regional Independent, I want to see this change. I want to see young regional Australians given the same opportunities as those young people in the cities. Across regional, rural and remote Australia, it is educators who make this happen. Early childhood educators and teachers are the key to our education system, guiding our children and young people through some of the most important years of their lives.

But our educator workforce is in trouble. We don't have nearly enough early childhood educators and teachers in this country. Parents are forced to wait months and sometimes even years on childcare waitlists. Schools are advertising teacher roles and receiving no applications. In my electorate of Indi, principals tell me they simply cannot hire enough teachers. There are not enough graduate teachers, and those that do graduate are not coming to rural, regional and remote Australia. The teachers who complete their training and join the sector aren't staying long enough, and these shortages risk setting the regional education gap back a whole generation.

I'm encouraged to see the government's Commonwealth teaching scholarships will provide additional payments and student debt relief to aspiring teachers willing to work in remote areas. But it's not clear to me whether these initiatives will benefit inner-regional areas like my electorate, where the shortages are dire. In child care, the situation is no better. A recent survey by the United Workers Union found that 90 per cent of childcare centres need more staff and that more than half are down three or more staff. More than a third of Australians live in a childcare desert, where there are simply more children than available childcare places or where there are simply no places at all. Across Australia, and nowhere more so than regional Australia, our childcare system is struggling. I've visited childcare centres right across my electorate, and they all tell me the same story: they struggle to recruit, train and retain enough staff to meet the demand of their communities.

I commend the government for reducing the cost of child care, but cheaper child care doesn't help parents forced to wait more than a year on waitlists. It doesn't help mums forced to drive an hour to neighbouring towns just to access child care. That means more money spent on fuel and less time working at a time when families are already doing it tough. When families can't access affordable child care, it's usually the mother who stays home. This means less opportunity to work part time or full time, to run a small business or to contribute to the local community. And it reinforces the gender pay gap and makes it harder for women to balance parenthood and work.

Without finding practical solutions to these challenges, we stop parents from working, hold our children back from achieving their full potential and slow the economic development of the regions. Regional Australia needs solutions now. I want to see more incentives for graduating teachers to move to the regions. I've also supported adding teaching to the approved worklist for visas, allowing qualified teachers to help plug gaps in the teaching workforce while we build a sustainable workforce for the future.

On child care, I'm watching closely to see how the government responds to two recent reports by the ACCC and the Productivity Commission. Firstly, I would say the government should accept the recommendation of the Productivity Commission to allow all families to access up to three days of subsidised child care a week regardless of how many hours they've worked. Secondly, the government must do more to improve career and qualification pathways for early childhood education, and we need to fix the pay that childcare educators receive. They need to be paid more. Fixing workforce shortages is critical to setting Australia on a path towards universal child care. As the Productivity Commissioner has said:

Without addressing the educator and teacher challenges we can't do anything.

This statement was in relation to early childhood education and care, but it could be said of teaching at all levels. Both the Productivity Commission and the ACCC are telling us what we already know: our childcare system and our schools need help. The status quo is holding back regional Australian, and the government must respond and respond fast.

Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the member for Lalor, I'm incredibly proud to represent one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. Not just are we growing quickly; it is a global community that I represent now. In the city of Wyndham, people come from over 100 countries to build a house, create a family and have their children educated. That's why I thank the member for Robertson for bringing this motion to the chamber today. It is in the gamut of education, from early education and child care through school education and TAFEs and the VET sector and higher education, that this government has gotten to work quickly. I want to acknowledge Minister Clare, Minister Aly and Minister O'Connor for their incredible work since taking government and their attention to detail across all of our education sectors.

Due to the cheaper child care we have introduced, 1.2 million Australians are paying less for child care. In fact, we have seen a reduction of 11 per cent. This means that more women are accessing early education and child care for their youngsters and more women are working. In an electorate where 100 babies or more are born a week to mums who live in my electorate, I am really proud of this commitment and proud to see this being enacted across the country.

That takes me to school education, which is absolutely critical. As a former educator and teacher of 27 years and a principal for the last eight years in the state sector in Victoria, I am incredibly proud of the way Minister Clare has tackled the first 20 months of being in government, getting down to addressing some of those critical areas. First and foremost is the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan, which was set up to address two areas, both the quality of our teachers and the quality of teacher training and the teacher shortage. In an electorate like mine, that's causing enormous stress to principals, teachers and families. We are now in our second year of schools reporting to me that they are struggling with the teacher shortage not just in terms of subject areas but generally in terms of the number of teachers that they require. I am proud to be a member for Lalor who advocates on their behalf at both the state and federal levels.

In Lalor, there are 21,000 primary school students this year. There are 13,300 secondary school students this year. Education is about partnership. It's a partnership between state and federal governments. I am proud to say that the Victorian state Labor government has in the last 12 months opened seven new schools in the city of Wyndham. Fifty per cent of all new schools across Victoria were opened in the growth area that I represent.

I am proud of the way those schools are being presented. They are absolutely ready to roll on the first day, with a gymnasium, a library, beautiful classrooms and administration areas for staff. Gone are the days in our growth corridor when a school opened with four portables and a toilet block. Now children and families walk into a brand-new school that's fit for purpose.

The teacher shortage is something that I am working on every day. It's something that we will need to keep working on. But I'm proud of the things we as a government have done to date. I'm proud of the support we have received from other ministers around visas for overseas teachers to arrive in my community and take up teaching posts. I see that every time I walk into a school. I am proud, too, of the support being given to graduate teachers or those going into teaching with a scholarship of up to $40,000. I'm also really proud of what's happening in the national partnership agreement. I'm proud of the WA agreement, where Western Australian schools will all meet the SRS. I'm hoping that that extends across the other states, and I'm sure that Minister Clare is working on that every day.

Finally, I'd like to quickly mention that on Friday in my electorate I attended Total Window Concepts, where 80 of their workforce received a cert III in blinds, awnings, security screens and grills. This was delivered by a reputable RTO and supported by ITHEA, the Institute of Tertiary and Higher Education Australia, and the Frontline Group. Congratulations to those 80 apprentices for the completion of that certificate III.

Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Robertson for his motion as, like him, I also want to see a better and fairer education system from early education right through to university. But, while the government has been espousing cheaper child care, one of the biggest challenges families in my electorate is that of accessibility. I'd like to read an email I received just before Christmas, one that sums up the experiences of too many families in my electorate. It says:

Over the past 7 months, I have been actively seeking suitable day care options for my little one, who is set to start in February …

Unfortunately, the waiting lists for these facilities are proving to be excessively long, making it challenging for parents like me to secure a spot for our children.

This situation has left me feeling disheartened …

…   …   …

Additionally, I want to emphasize that the current difficulties in accessing timely day care services may force families like mine to make difficult decisions, such as one parent having to stop working.

This potential loss of income could be a significant financial blow for us and, I imagine, for many other families in our community.

I am also concerned about how families with lower levels of income or single parents are managing this situation.

The challenges they face are likely even more daunting.

Of course, I note that meaningfully tackling the issues that sit around early learning education and care is difficult, and this is a particularly challenging policy egg to unscramble. But let's not pretend that by making it cheaper it magically fixes the myriad problems that have sat around this policy area for at least the past two decades. I believe all parties have the best intentions, but we have to do away with tinkering at the edges and embrace bold structural reform that might deliver on an equity of opportunity.

Tasmanian public school students returned for term 1 last week, ready for another full year of learning. Anecdotally I'm hearing of unprecedented teacher shortages across both public and independent schools, where demand is far outstripping supply. I remember hearing from one local school in my electorate last year who tried and failed to find a relief teacher after calling 24 different teachers. I acknowledge the efforts that the federal government has taken to address the shortage through the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan, which was agreed to by all state education ministers at the end of 2022, and I understand that progress reports will become available this year. I'll be interested to see how this plan is working on the ground in Tasmania, particularly in my Northern Tasmanian electorate.

We know that truly making our education system fairer and better comes down to full funding, an issue that I have advocated, joining the Australian Education Union late last year and calling on the federal government to commit to filling the 10 per cent funding gap in my state. I will be addressing this in response to the member for Pearce's private member's bill later this evening.

Lastly, I want to briefly cover the priority actions raised by the member for Robertson regarding the AustralianUniversities Accord:interim report. I commend the government's measure for demand driven places for First Nations students from metropolitan areas, as it's a step towards addressing the higher education accessibility gap for Indigenous Australians. But, as someone who grew up in a regional and rural area and now represents that electorate, I know that there's more work to be done to ensure that students in these areas have the same educational opportunities to attain higher education if they want to. According to the ABC, in May 2021, 48.6 per cent of people aged 25 to 34 years in major cities had a bachelor's degree or above, compared to 26.9 per cent in inner regional areas, 21.1 per cent in outer regional areas and approximately 16.6 per cent in remote and very remote areas.

I understand the reasoning behind the regional study hubs, but I do have some concerns. These are shared by those in my community—by a group of committed and engaged members who have been involved with the university for many years, who, while in support of many of the measures outlined in the interim report, raise reasonable and relevant concerns regarding the hubs, particularly how hubs will be defined and implemented in a way that won't be detrimental to what's already offered by the University of Tasmania.

There is unease about the possibility that larger universities may be able to set up so-called hubs in areas of Tasmania and qualify for regional loading benefits without offering any of the necessary wraparound support services or engagement opportunities offered by institutions like UTAS. I urge the minister to engage with local stakeholders and address these concerns.

I'll always fight for the best interests of Northern Tasmania, and I don't want to see any measure implemented that would disadvantage students in my region or our single higher education institution.

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired.