Education system
Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (14:28): My question is for the Minister for Education. Minister, earlier this month the Age reported that your government has cut $2.4 billion from our public schools by delaying Gonski funding commitments by three years. Our state schools are already the lowest funded in Australia, receiving thousands less per student than all other states and territories. Our wonderful teachers are the lowest paid in Australia, and they are leaving the profession in droves because they are overworked and underpaid. Minister, will you reverse the decision to cut $2.4 billion from Victorian public schools?
Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:29): I do thank the member for Richmond for her question on what is such an important topic: public education. Can I say, not since Federation has a government invested more in public education than the Allan Labor government. We have made sure that every child, by 34 per cent, has increased their public school funding under the Allan Labor government. Add to that that one in two schools built across Australia are built right here in Victoria. Can I just say, the last budget handed down had $4.9 billion invested for our education system, beginning with 90 per cent of the brain being built right before pre-prep. Through the work of Minister Blandthorn right through to post secondary, including Best Start, Best Life, we are making sure every child, no matter their postcode, can live their best life.
What it also means is there is additional funding. The member for Richmond went to teachers. About $150 million is there to make sure Victoria’s best teachers are supported and get all the support they can. We also know the evidence shows that explicit instruction, teaching kids mathematics and phonics, helps those teachers, helps drive down behaviour and makes sure that all of our kids are equipped with all the skills they need.
It is no secret that when it comes to NAPLAN we are top of our class. On every NAPLAN measure Victoria is above the national average, and that is something we should be proud of. That is why we will continue to invest in the Education State and continue to make sure our public school kids get every best start. I remind the member for Richmond that since we have come to office, across all that infrastructure, 99 per cent of that infrastructure spend came from Victoria and 1 per cent from the Commonwealth. Through the Premier’s leadership –
Tim Read: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Deputy Premier has not gone near the question.
The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education was being relevant to the question that was asked.
Ben CARROLL: We will fund to 75 per cent our state-resourced students. We will make sure they get the funding they deserve. That is why since we were elected we have reversed the cuts that came on education. We will continue to make sure everyone from pre-prep to primary to secondary to post compulsory education continues to have their best life and gets every opportunity in the Education State.
Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (14:32): I thank the minister for his answer. Just to be clear, the $2.4 billion of cuts was to operational funding, but since the minister has mentioned capital works funding, let us talk about capital works funding. Spensley Street Primary is an example of a good community with dedicated teachers, but it is one of hundreds of schools across Victoria that have been neglected for decades by the state government and are desperate for upgrades. Families have donated and fundraised over $1 million to cover basic maintenance and upgrades, but their toilet blocks are in desperate need of an upgrade to make them safe and appropriate and their learning spaces have not had any upgrades for decades. Minister, will you fund urgent upgrades to make Spensley Street Primary a suitable environment for students and staff?
Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:33): I had the pleasure of meeting 19 brand new principals that will start teaching next year at our brand new schools. Not since free education was introduced back in the 1870s have we had a government that has invested more in public education. I challenge the member for Richmond to find any other year where one government opened 19 new schools in one year. The member for Richmond also went to capital: 2300 upgrades done under the Labor government and $18.5 billion invested in capital alone. When it comes to capital, we will not be lectured by the other side. We will make sure every person gets the opportunity and continue to invest in education.
Gabrielle de Vietri: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I asked a very specific question about a school that does not have suitable toilets right now because of funding cuts to its capital works.
The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education was referring to capital, which was in the body of the question. I cannot direct the minister how to answer the question. The minister was being relevant.
Ben CARROLL: There have been no funding cuts. There has only been record investment by the Allan Labor government in education, making sure every child gets to live their best life.