I often say that being Minister for Education is the most important job I have ever had. Of course, I can only say that because I have never been a teacher. But as Minister, I do have a profound sense of my responsibility as a leader in education.
I know what important work is done by the Canberra region of the Council. And I know what important work is done by each of you, individually, as leaders in education.
For that, a simple “thank you”.
Friends, I believe education is a powerful force for change. Education changes our nation – making a fairer and more harmonious society. Education changes our economy – building skills and preparing our kids for the work of the future. But above all, education changes lives.
I think of this as that ‘light bulb’ moment …
… when a teacher in the classroom sees a puzzled expression on a child’s face, transform into one of understanding.
… when mum hears a kid talk all the way home about what they learned today.
And in that light bulb moment, a child’s life is changed forever.
But my message to you as leaders is this:
Education cannot be this great force for change if we do not force change in education.
Governments must listen and consult. We must work with parents and teachers, principals and communities. But believe me when I say: change is inevitable and desirable.
That’s why the Stanhope Government has an ambitious reform agenda in education. So I will range widely this morning.
I want to pass on some of the good news for education in the recent ACT Budget; share my thoughts on the curriculum debate as it stands; and finally talk about the national agenda for transparency and school reporting.
Much to discuss! For there is much to do.
THE ACT BUDGET … GOOD NEWS FOR EDUCATION.
Through the Budget, the Government is investing in the practical measures which will improve education in the ACT.
Quality teaching. Better classrooms. Smaller class sizes.
Quality teaching
The Territory Budget made it clear that the Government is asking public sector workers to exercise wage restraint. As you know, we are currently negotiating a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement with teachers. Tough negotiations are underway, and underway in good faith, and I’m grateful to Penny Gilmour and her team at the AEU for the way they’ve approached the task.
I am also determined to ensure that in negotiating a fair and affordable outcome on wages, we don’t lose sight of big picture reform. Above all else, we must get the best possible teachers into the classroom.
As Joel Klein puts it, “teacher quality is the magic ingredient”. And on that point, at least, surely no one can argue with him.
This is the only way to raise the status of the teaching profession, so it is equal to that of lawyers, doctors and engineers. As the standard rises, the status will rise too.
How do we get there? Graduate teachers must be able to see a clear career structure. Frankly, the days of promotion by exhaustion are at an end.
Seniority – out. Merit – in.
Yes, high professional standards. Yes, independent assessment of teacher quality. But also, competitive selection for promotional classroom teaching positions. Because the best pay should go to the best teachers.
And this is the only way that the best classroom teachers can be paid what they deserve. Make no mistake. I was elected on a promise to pay the best teachers more, and it’s a promise I’ll fight to keep.
Better Classrooms
The Budget invests in better classrooms. Better classrooms to teach in. Better classrooms to learn in.
I am pleased that the ACT Labor Government is working so well with the Federal Labor Government to improve education in this way. And as the Minister for all students and all schools, I am proud that we are upgrading every single school in the Territory.
$370 million from the ACT Government. $230 million from the Commonwealth.
And we are ahead of schedule on our Building the Education Revolution projects. Building new classrooms and libraries. New school halls, gymnasiums and performing arts centres.
In this year’s Budget we’re investing:
- $43.5 million in Harrison High School;
- $7.6 million over three years for a new performing arts theatre at Canberra College Woden;
- $7.5 million for state-of-the-art information technology equipment; and
- An additional $5.4 million, bringing the total investment in Gungahlin College to $72.4 million.
We also have practical initiatives to improve all schools.
We’re investing $4 million in rainwater tanks and solar panels. Creating more sustainable and energy efficient schools. Giving us new ways to teach about conserving water and using renewable energy. And we’re investing over $1.4 million each year, in the next four years to support an additional 100 new Australian School-based Apprentices across a number of industry sectors.
Smaller Class Sizes
The Budget also delivers on our key election commitment: to reduce class sizes. I have consistently argued that the research shows us that there are four factors which affect student achievement. These factors are: the right school size; a challenging curriculum; smaller class sizes, and teacher quality.
As educators, you all know the importance of one-on-one time with students better than I. That’s why since 2001, Labor has put more than 320 extra teachers into our classrooms and lowered class sizes to 21 in the early years. But there is more to do. And so we promised to reduce average class sizes to an average of 21 students in primary and high schools and 19 students in colleges.
This Budget delivers.
That’s why we are spending $28 million over four years to hire 70 new and highly qualified educators. The great bulk of them in high schools, where they’re needed most.
We will provide over half a million dollars for scholarships to Year 11 and 12 students who may like to train as teachers and teacher’s assistants. A number of these scholarships will be specifically directed at Indigenous graduates. We will spend over $6 million to ensure we appoint up to 17 specialist literacy and numeracy executive teachers, who will coach and mentor teachers.
That’s Labor’s way.
Better teachers, better classrooms, smaller class sizes.
Our Budget invests. Improving “how” and “where” children learn.
“WHAT” KIDS LEARN
Let me turn to the curriculum.
I believe the content of curriculum matters. Yes, students need critical skills. But what they learn is critically important. Our kids need to be ready for their future. For a carbon neutral economy, for closer links with Asia, for freer trade.
To be ready, our kids don’t just need skills … they need knowledge.
This doesn’t mean just teaching to the test or rattling off facts. In fact, it is precisely how we go about making our children the most critical and innovative of thinkers.
Our Curriculum, Our Approach
ACT teachers are busy embedding a new curriculum, Every Chance to Learn, in our classes. The new curriculum requires that students think and learn in different ways, make considered decisions and contribute to group work.
All bases have been covered. We need to improve our literacy and numeracy results. So English and Mathematics Learning Achievements will guide and inspire our teachers. We also include languages, science, civics and citizenship, the arts, information technology and importantly, health and physical education.
We are raising our expectations of teachers and focusing on accountability and transparency.
I believe the best teachers know what works and what doesn’t. The best teachers see what isn’t working and try something new. And they keep trying … until they find that “light bulb” moment for every child.
Teachers have this responsibility sitting squarely on their shoulders. So they must also have the corresponding autonomy and freedom to design the most effective teaching strategies for their schools, for their kids. This is a key principle of Every Chance to Learn.
The National Debate
While I believe the ACT has a first-class curriculum in place, I also believe that Australia has a complex problem on our hands. As a nation, we need to do better.
Australian student results must improve.
We should be working together on this one. And that’s why I welcome the development of a national curriculum. The decision of the Federal, State and Territory Education Ministers to establish the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) in Sydney is good news. And the release last week of the Shape of the Australian Curriculum: English, Mathematics, Science and History paper is good progress.
History
I am extremely pleased that history is included in the national curriculum.
The study of history does build key skills. Finding reliable evidence, solving problems logically, engaging in rigorous public debates. But knowing history means knowing the stories which bind us together – and the stories which highlight our diversity.
The national curriculum framework is right to teach history chronologically. We should explain causal relationships and themes to students. Students should know how World War I led to World War II. How The Guns of August help explain Why England Slept.
We should allow teachers to reveal broad patterns in history. Students should be able to compare the rise of Rome to the Meiji Restoration.
We should understand, as this new curriculum document says, that “History is a story, told by many storytellers”. Students should know the importance of understanding our indigenous, colonial and multicultural heritages.
English
I’m also excited by the focus on literature in the national curriculum.
An essential learning achievement in the ACT’s curriculum is that a student critically interprets written work. The national curriculum underpins this with a strong emphasis on the aesthetic value of literature.
I must say I’ve never understood the “text message versus Shakespeare” debate. I’ve never understood how developing critical reading skills is opposed to reading work of great aesthetic value.
Shakespeare, Austen and Dickens are great texts and hard texts. Great works, and also works which many kids find hard to read … so they experience great art and build critical skills. The best teachers will teach these writers in an interesting way and show that their stories are still relevant today.
Evidence-based policy for a modern education demands a curriculum which is knowledge-based. And nation-building for a modern economy demands a curriculum which is truly national. There is much still to resolve in the national curriculum. For instance, I’ll certainly continue to advocate for local history as a component of teaching in Canberra schools.
But these are questions of how we go national, not whether we go national.
TRANSPARENCY AND SCHOOL REPORTING … WHAT PARENTS KNOW
Transparency and accountability are hallmarks of good government. They should also be hallmarks of a good education system.
When I speak to parents, there is one question they really want me to answer. How can they decide what school is best for their child. As Minister, it’s not good enough for me not to have a decent answer.
Bad enough if I don’t know. Worse still if I know but can’t or won’t say.
That’s why the Education Ministers’ Council met in Adelaide last month and finally agreed to parents, teachers and communities getting nationally consistent information about schools: results, workforce, financial resources and student population.
So Ministers are getting on with it.
First, we agreed on a framework for publication of comparable information about school performance and context: a vital collaborative reform. Secondly, we made sure that from this year, ACARA will be responsible for publishing relevant, nationally comparable information on all schools. Including the 2008 NAPLAN data and associated contextual information. Defining “like schools’ is complicated but cannot be an excuse for inaction and delay. Thirdly, Ministers agreed to release the ‘Reporting and Comparing School Performances’ report prepared by the Australian Council for Education Research which we drew on in making our decisions.
I am particularly impressed by the innovative proposal to publish the best-performing school in each cohort of ‘like schools’ as a benchmark.
It’s a great way to have a race to the top – a virtuous circle of evidence and excellence.
I am also impressed that the results will apply to both government and non-government schools. It’s a great demonstration that the old public-private debate is over.
There’s no doubt these reforms are hard. So why are we pressing ahead?
Because I sincerely believe more and better information is good for schools and their students, good for parents and families, and good for the community as a whole.
More information is good for schools and students. If we don’t know where students are up to, how can we help them get to where they need to be? Schools have the primary accountability for improving student outcomes. So they need reliable, rich data on the performance of their students. This is how they can improve outcomes for all of their students. It supports effective diagnosis of student progress and the design of high-quality learning.
And it’s the factual basis for schools’ approaches to everything from program design and school policies, to resources, relationships with parents and partnerships with community and business.
More information is good for parents and families.
Information about the performance of individuals, schools and systems helps parents and families make informed choices. And it helps them engage with their children’s education and their school community. This is important. Parents and families should have access to data on student results.
If they want to assess a school’s performance overall and its work in improving student outcomes, I support them. If they want to consider the philosophy and educational approach of schools, and their facilities, programs and extracurricular activities, I support them. If they want information about a school’s enrolment profile I support them.
More information is good for the community as a whole.
Information helps the community to engage with the decisions taken by governments and the status and performance of schooling in Australia. Schools should be accountable for the results they achieve with money from the public purse, just as governments should be accountable for the decisions they take.
We owe it to the community which ultimately pays for education. And I also want the community as a whole to know more about how we deliver education in Australia. We’ve got a good story to tell.
I know many good people are nervous about where these reforms will lead. Last week the national AEU even said that teachers could boycott national tests for literacy and numeracy next year – the NAPLAN testing – because of their fears of league tables. That would be a very regrettable step. And not one which would find widespread community support.
Nothing in these reforms will help those who want simplistic league tables which rank schools according to raw test scores. And of course, we all know that results currently published in ACT school annual reports and available under ACT Freedom of Information laws can already be used by media organisations to derive “league tables” if they want.
The league table obsession – for and against – is a distraction.
The real question is what do parents want? Recent research by Colmar Brunton shows that parents want to see a comparison of how their child performed relative to their own school, as well as personalised information and feedback on their child’s individual performance. The results of parent evaluations of new information are irrefutable. Irrefutable. They love it. And I agree with them.
EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP
The Canberra Social Plan sets ambitious targets for what education will achieve in the society of our city.
We aim to reduce inequalities in children’s first five years and improve the transition between home, early childhood settings and kindergarten. We aim to increase education participation, engagement, and achievement of children and young people. We aim to increase literacy and numeracy levels, particularly for students at risk. We aim to improve the transition between school, further study, and the workforce. And to provide opportunities for lifelong learning. In the way of these things, the Social Plan tells you more about what we’ll do than why we’ll do it.
So my vision in education?
Hard decisions.
Change for the better.
The poor kid keeps up. The bright kid is challenged. Every kid becomes their best.
Big reforms to teacher quality.
Pay the best teachers more. Better teachers. Better classrooms. Smaller classes.
Delivering on that vision will call for many qualities from all of us.
One quality above all. Leadership. I look forward to working with you all.
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