Good afternoon. Today’s NAPLAN results are a national embarrassment and they reflect the Coalition’s deep concerns about declining Australian school standards.
The fact that one in three students is failing NAPLAN is absolutely appalling and that’s why we are calling on the Albanese Government and Education Minister, Jason Clare, to take urgent action. Our clever country is declining into mediocrity.
This is not about funding. We have provided more than $600 billion of funding to schools since NAPLAN began, and yet we are seeing a decline in school standards. Urgent action is required and that means that explicit instruction, evidence-based teaching and learning must be introduced into every Australian classroom. We know what works and some schools are doing this and are seeing incredible results. But the government must work with the states and territories and mandate explicit instruction and evidence-based teaching and learning in every Australian classroom.
Jason Clare’s proposal to provide tutors and catch-up classes is all well and good, but it’s tinkering at the edges. It does not address the root cause and we know what is causing this. The Australian Education Research Organisation has also confirmed it.
We’ve had an era of inquiry-based learning, loose learning, that does not serve Australian students and frankly, Australian students and their families, and our country deserves better.