Page 6091 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 2010
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MR BARR: The member would, of course, be wanting to be cautious in relation to the standard errors associated with sample sizes as small as from the ACT in this context. A better measure will be the NAPLAN data, because every student is tested. But that is not to say that we do not have challenges. Of course there are some students within the Australian Capital Territory who are not meeting the minimum national benchmark. Our national partnership with the federal government directs additional resources to those students. The most crucial thing in terms of policy making that governments can determine is where we will direct extra resources in response to those issues.
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker—
Mr Doszpot: You’ve had nine years to do this.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Doszpot.
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, my question was: why did the proportion increase—that is, what were the factors that led to this increase, not what he is going to do about it in the future. I want to know why this has happened.
MR SPEAKER: Minister Barr, perhaps you could focus on the historical aspect.
MR BARR: I indicated that a failure of the federal government to invest in these areas in partnership with the states and territories over this decade, with the notable exception of the last two years, is clearly the driving factor in these results. Since 2007, particularly since 2008 with the national partnerships, we have been able to direct funding into those areas of greatest need. That is the difference in the latter part of this decade as opposed to the 11 long years of neglect, particularly of public education, by the federal Liberal government.
MRS DUNNE: A supplementary question, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, why did the proportion of students not achieving the mathematical proficiency benchmark increase from 11 to 14 per cent over the period 2000 to 2009?
MR BARR: I refer the member to my previous answer. Again, at a national level we have seen a decline in performance of Australian students in this PISA testing. Across all Australian jurisdictions there have been states and territories that have had governments of different persuasions over that period. What is the one common factor across—what?—eight-tenths of that decade?
Mr Doszpot: Andrew Barr.
MR BARR: No, it is not me, Mr Doszpot. It is a federal Liberal government that neglected education and neglected public education.
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