Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. According to the PISA 2018 results released overnight, Australia has recorded our worst-ever international test results in reading, maths and science. Earlier this week, the minister said that government reforms will 'lift student outcomes'. Minister, when?

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister for her question, because it enables me to tell the House how we are not only providing record funding for public schools, record funding for Catholic schools and record funding for independent schools but also focusing on turning that record funding into better outcomes and better results. For too long, especially from those opposite, all we have heard about is funding, funding, funding and funding. And that comes from a party who, when in government, had 27 different funding arrangements in place. We now have needs based funding in place and we are focusing on getting better results and better outcomes. That is why next week's COAG meeting is so important.

Mr Thistlethwaite and Mr Gosling interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, the member for Kingsford Smith and the member for Solomon.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Leader of the Opposition would just listen for once, he might just learn something. Next week's COAG, as I said yesterday, is going to be one of the most important COAG meetings of the year. What we need to see from state and territory governments is a commitment to reform and to turn around our outcomes and results. What we need to hear from state and territory governments is a commitment to put students first and to ensure that those basics, those fundamentals, of literacy and numeracy, are at the heart of everything that we teach. If we do that, we will turn these results and these outcomes around.

Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kingsford Smith is warned!

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are taking a proposal to state and territory education ministers. We want to ensure that there are progressions in place so that we can map, for every student across the nation, their progression when it comes to literacy and numeracy. This was something that was never done on that side.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney, on a point of order?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's on relevance. I said, 'When are the reforms that he claims he's made going to work?' It's a very clear question. When?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being relevant. I'll just say to the member for Sydney, I shouldn't have to remind her of everything she asked in the question. I think the fact her point of order was much shorter than the question illustrates the point.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Next week's COAG is going to be incredibly important. Can I say to those opposite that, rather than coming in here and lecturing us about this or that, why don't you actually encourage the state and territory ministers to come to that meeting next week and be bold? Be ambitious. Put students at the heart of the agenda. Put literacy and numeracy at the heart of the agenda.

Ms Plibersek interjecting —

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney is warned!

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is what we want to see. The results that we've seen overnight mean that we need to take action, and take action now. That is what the federal government wants to do next week. (Time expired)

Mr Gosling interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just before I call the member for Lyne, in case they didn't hear it over their own shouting, the members for Kingsford Smith and Sydney are warned. So too is the member for Solomon. And since the member for Cooper is looking at me, I'll remind her she was already warned at about 9.33 this morning.