Education

When I talk to parents, teachers and principals, I keep hearing the same thing over and over.

People want the Government to invest in schools so their kids get a quality education.

We know the world is changing. Over the last ten years, major economic, social and technological changes have been reshaping employment, the economy, society and individuals.

That means our education system has to respond to these changes.

This week, I invited local school principals to talk to Federal Education Minister, the Hon Dan Tehan MP, about the future of education in the Petrie Electorate, and in Australia.

Parents, teachers and principals want to know their school is getting enough money.

Funding is important, and that’s why the Morrison Government is providing record, needs-based funding of $307.7 billion for state schools, Catholic schools and Independent schools, including $65.8 billion for Queensland schools.

But common sense is one of our greatest natural resources in Queensland and there were plenty of principals who made the point that spending more money won’t improve results unless you have a plan on how that investment will improve outcomes.

I agree. When it comes to improving our education system, much work has been done but there is still more work to do.

In return for our Government’s record investment, the Queensland Government has committed to introducing important reforms recommended by David Gonski that will lift education standards.

These include: new tools for teachers, changes to the curriculum and a national student identifier.

The Federal Government will lead the way on data collection and research to further improve our understanding of performance and to guide future reform.

We are also ensuring our next generation of teachers are better prepared to provide a top-class education from day one.

Every teaching student must pass a test that puts them in the top 30 per cent of the adult population for literacy and numeracy before they can graduate. Starting this year, graduates will also be required to pass a teaching performance assessment before they graduate.

Like passing a driving test before being allowed on the road, teachers will be assessed on things like managing challenging behaviour and how they teach literacy and numeracy before they’re allowed in the classroom.

This year, the Federal Government has also embarked on a nationwide consultation to hear from parents, teachers and principals about what they want to see in the nation’s goals for education, which is called the Melbourne Declaration.

It’s timely to have a frank discussion and to ask: is our education system delivering the results we want? And just as importantly: what are the results that we want?

The feedback provided at the forum will be used as part of this process and there will be more opportunities for the people of Petrie to have their say. Everyone has a stake in our education system.