Wednesday, 27 August 2025

 Iwan WALTERS (Greenvale) (14:46): (1267) My question is for the Minister for Education. Victorian students have achieved their strongest NAPLAN results ever. These lead the nation and are testament to our hardworking teachers and education support staff and the record investment this government has made in our schools, not just in new and upgraded buildings but in evidence-based resources that are being used in classrooms every day. I pay particular tribute to principal Dave Warren and the entire team at Bethal Primary School in Meadow Heights. As reported in the Age last month, over the last three years Bethal has launched itself from the bottom 10 per cent of NAPLAN performers among comparable schools to the top 10 per cent. It is always a joy to visit Bethal and to see its community in action, where explicit teaching and evidence-based learning have led to standout results. As Mr Warren told the Age:

… we don’t believe that postcode determines destiny …

…

When you combine that belief with passionate teaching and evidence-based practice, you can elevate student success beyond what many think is possible.

So I ask the Deputy Premier: how is the Allan Labor government’s investment in evidence-based practice empowering schools like Bethal Primary to provide the best start in life to our young people?