Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed, it is important to remember that funding for children with disability should be sector neutral—it should not matter whether it is a government-funded school or whether it is an independently-funded school. Supporting children with disability, indeed, should be sector neutral and, in essence, much of the bill that we are debating here today goes to reinforcing that. Absolutely—as I was saying two weeks ago at 4.30, I think it was, on a Friday afternoon—funding is important, and funding is increasing over the next four years quite significantly. In my home state of Tasmania, the federal government's contribution to government schools over the next four years increases by nearly 46 per cent. So, indeed, from the federal government's point of view, we are doing our bit, remembering that the federal government's contribution is only 15 per cent of all of that funding that goes to the government school sector.

But there are other things that are important in making sure that children get the right sort of education. Teachers are very much a part of what makes great schools. The way that teachers are trained and the capacity for teachers to have the confidence and the competency to enter the classroom and feel that they can impart the knowledge that they have learnt through their training are very important. The whole issue of classroom readiness was highlighted recently. The Australian School Survey has been completed and reported on in the last couple of weeks and it confirms the concerns that many teachers have, particularly young teachers who have left training college and are entering the workforce for the first time. Many do not feel totally in control in terms of being able to confidently impart knowledge onto their students.

We have all seen wonderful teachers in our own experiences and the passion that they bring to their vocation—a vocation for many people that is a calling as much as anything else. But feeling unprepared in their ability to enter the classroom is something that we need to address. This is particularly the case for young teachers. Teacher quality is a critical thing alongside appropriate funding; as is school autonomy. That applies to the capacity of the school to be able to deliver the things that are often unique and relevant to the community where the school is based and the community where the students come from. That extends as much to the capacity of the leaders within that school community, not least of all the principal, to be able to make certain choices that are appropriate to the school environment. The best teachers in any system should be recognised and rewarded in the same way that teachers who are not up to the job—and they are a minority of course—should be appropriately dealt with by principals.

There is nothing more important than schoolchildren and making sure that our kids get the very best opportunities possible. That extends of course to the broader school community and to parental engagement. I was not necessarily engaged as much as I probably should have been over the course of my boys' school life, but my wife certainly did her share to participate and contribute to the schools where they attended over time. Having capacity within the school council and within the parents and friends association to support the school, the teachers and the academic staff is indeed very important. Finally, I welcome the work that is being done on the national curriculum. A strong and relevant curriculum is another component of making schools valuable. (Time expired)

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