House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time National Literacy and Numeracy Tests NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY TESTS Mr PISONI House of Assembly Unley NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY TESTS Mr PISONI (Unley) (15:06): My question is for the Minister for Education. Now that South Australia's latest NAPLAN results have fallen even further below the national average, does the minister now concede— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Mr PISONI House of Assembly Mr PISONI: If I may start again, Madam Speaker. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Mr PISONI House of Assembly Mr PISONI: My question is to the Minister for Education. Now that South Australia's latest NAPLAN results have fallen even further below the national average, does the minister now concede that he was wrong to cut $8.1 million worth of numeracy and literacy funding in last year's budget? The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly Cheltenham Minister for Education Minister for Early Childhood Development Minister for Science and Information Economy The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:07): The patterns that we have observed in these NAPLAN tests are very similar to the tests that we have seen in recent years. There has been a dramatic increase in the amount of funding that has been supplied into the areas of numeracy and literacy. Some programs had been in place before and they have been replaced by many more dollars being placed in the area of literacy and numeracy. Just to name a few so that those opposite can understand, we have the Primary Mathematics and Science Strategy, which is being rolled out to all of our schools; we have the Principals as Literacy Leaders strategy, which is being rolled out to all of our schools; and we have the Teaching for Effective Learning Framework, which is being rolled out to all of our schools. All of these very specific programs are rated as a much more likely proposition to lift standards in relation to our schools. They replace some other programs which were less targeted and less likely to achieve those results.