Ministerial Statement

NATIONAL EDUCATION REFORM AGREEMENT

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:05): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Last Friday, I was pleased to sign the National Education Reform Agreement, also known as the Gonski school funding reforms. I signed this agreement with the Prime Minister at the Mitcham Primary School. It will deliver an additional investment in Australian schools of $1.1 billion over the next six years. Total new funding of $717 million will be invested in public schools, $197 million for our Catholic school sector and $186 million for the independent school sector. This will ensure that every school—public, Catholic and independent—will receive significant new resources to better support the individual needs of the more than 250,000 school students in South Australia.

As any parent with more than one child will know, every child is different. Even if they grow up in the same loving household, their personalities and temperaments are unique. That is why they need an education system that caters to their individual education and care needs. Through these reforms, we are providing additional resources to make sure that the individual needs of every child—wherever they live and whatever school they go to—are better met through a new student resource standard.

The state and federal governments are investing $656 million over six years to bring per-student funding to this new school resource standard which, together with better rates of indexation, brings the total extra funding to $1.1 billion. This will mean that every student will receive the same base level of funding wherever they are going to school in Australia. More resources will also be provided to school communities and students with particular needs such as disadvantaged students, regional students, Aboriginal students, students with disabilities and students from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Of course, the National Education Reform Agreement is not just about funding. It also outlines changes which will drive the improvements required to boost Australia's education performance into the top five internationally by 2025. This includes increased information and support for parents so that they can better engage in their child's learning, greater flexibility for principals, support for aspiring principals and school leaders, and more support for teachers to be the best educators they can be.

While these reforms are about more than money, the additional funding is crucial. Ultimately, there is only so much schools can do without additional resources, and that is what these reforms deliver. Because South Australia has one of the most decentralised education systems in Australia, schools will be able to decide for themselves how this additional funding will be allocated—whether it is for additional teachers or more support officers, or new literacy and numeracy programs, or extra classroom resources.

The signing of this agreement is good for students, it is good for school communities and it is good for the long-term interests of the South Australian budget. For the first time, the agreement secures a commitment from the commonwealth, the arm of government with the strongest fiscal resources, to being a funding partner for education. However, as important as this reform is, there is a huge risk that these additional resources will not be delivered. This is because the federal opposition has indicated it will cut this funding if it is elected. I am proud that South Australia is delivering this important investment in our children's future and I call upon all members of this place to get behind this important reform.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Bragg to order. I remind members that the Minister for Education and the member for Torrens were warned before question time and those warnings carry over into question time.