Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

He did not speak in public to him on the media. And I now know why, because here are the facts: full-time enrolment at Holy Family School is 360 students. As for all parents in Chisholm, the quality school reforms program—the needs based funding model—is all good news. This is clearly not what the opposition leader wanted to have happen in the press. The needs based funding model is all good news. The total increased funding for Holy Family School in Chisholm, from 2018 to 2027, is $4,306,600.

Needs based funding is important, because it allows schools to do things like invest in more specialist teachers to help kids who are falling behind in their classes. In this regard, let's talk about Berengarra School in Box Hill North, also in my electorate. Berengarra is a nonprofit, co-educational secondary school which meets the individual needs of students of normal intelligence but with social and emotional problems. They will receive a total increase in funding of $11,540,800. At Salesian College there will be a total increase in funding of over $17 million and the fantastic Mount Waverley Secondary College will get an increase in funding from 2018 to 2027 of over $14 million.

The question, 'Which school is your child going to?' is likely asked of every parent in this great land, or 'Which school do you go to?' is often asked of children. At some stage in their lives, it is probably asked of every Australian child. The importance of providing choices for parents to decide on which school for their kids is a defining and critically important element for Australians, regardless of their socioeconomic status or faith.

Like the thousands of people in Chisholm, my parents were like many—of hardworking immigrant heritage. They certainly were not rich, elite or privileged. In fact, they were the opposite.

However, they embraced the fact that they were lucky enough to live in this country, where fairness underpins our values and philosophy. To have the choice of schools is a principal and continuing tradition wholly embraced by liberalism. Every Australian child deserves to be the recipient of an education that is needs based. The Turnbull government's bold plan will transform Australian schools. It will set Australian students on the path to academic excellence and achieve real needs based funding for students from all backgrounds in every town, every city, every region and every state, in every classroom. Ultimately, every child needs quality teachers and schools with the right resources and the right tools and programs in place so they can succeed. That is exactly what the Turnbull government's Quality Schools plans will deliver. Just because Labor wants to secure a special advantage for certain schools is the antithesis of the Turnbull government's Gonski reforms. Importantly, our increased funding will be tied to reforms that evidence shows make a real difference to supporting our teachers in schools and to improve student outcomes.

This is a fair system that is good for students, good for parents and good for teachers. The Turnbull government is delivering a uniform model for school funding. Under that uniform model we are able to invest more into students who need it most. For example, students with disability will receive funding growth of 5.9 per cent per student through the life of the Turnbull government's reforms. The Turnbull-Birmingham reforms are sensible, pragmatic and fair. They are based on facts, not fiction. The principals and teachers who I have spoken to are quite justifiably alert to the changes, but they are not alarmed by rhetoric and emotive, baseless language, because there is absolute, total transparency in these reforms. Most importantly, these reforms are needs based, so regardless of which name, which faith or sector is on the school gate, every Australian kid has the same opportunity.

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