ALI CLARK: We are talking about this report that has been handed down by the Australian Council of Educational Research. Professor Geoff Masters is my guest, he has analysed this report and has found five challenges in the Australian school education system. Simon Birmingham has actually picked up the phone and called in, the Federal Education…
DetailsJULIE DOYLE: Minister, thanks for coming in today. Lets talk firstly about Labor’s focus today has been about $1.8 billion in funding to close the gap between regional and city schools; what’s the Government’s plan to do that? SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Well Julie, this is yet another repackaging of the very old announcement from the Labor party in…
DetailsINTERVIEWER: Minister, can you confirm, Anthony Albanese says this is money was promised, then Tony Abbott didn’t like it so it was shifted to freight at Goodwood, now Malcolm Turnbull likes trains, its coming back to be used for this purpose, is that a fair timeline? SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Well I’m surprised Anthony Albanese is being so negative…
DetailsEMMA ALBERICI: Education funding was indeed the subject of our poll this week. We asked you whether more money would improve outcomes in Australian schools. History doesn't find a relationship between funding and performance. The first tests comparing international school achievements were conducted in the year 2000. Back then, Australia ranked 6th for maths, 8th for…
DetailsJOURNALIST: We’ll have an opening statement chat with Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham and the Labor member for Adelaide Kate Ellis. We’ll start with you if we can Birmo. Now, this Newspoll this morning, I guess, the logic of changing leaders last year when Tony Abbott was replaced with Malcolm Turnbull was that you wanted a better communicator, you wanted a…
DetailsKieran Gilbert: With me now though to discuss the Government’s education funding plans and the rest of the politics of the day at the start of this very important week is the Education Minister Simon Birmingham. Let’s start first of all on this plan that you’ve announced yesterday. Labor says it’s coming in at $3.5 billion…
DetailsMichael Rowland: Okay let’s go to the other hot button issue of the forthcoming Federal Election campaign, that is education funding. The Government announced yesterday that it will increase funding in tomorrow’s budget but the pledge falls well short of Labor’s commitment under the Gonski plan. Education Minister Simon Birmingham joins us now from Parliament House.…
DetailsLisa Wilkinson: Well the Turnbull Government will head to the election promising a $1.2 billion boost to school funding from 2018, but the back to basics approach isn't without a catch. Schools will only gain access to the new money providing they commit to a long list of conditions, including literacy and numeracy checks for children…
DetailsMichael Brissenden: One part of the Budget that has been confirmed is spending on education. The Government is committing an extra $1.2 billion for schools between 2018 and 2020, partially reversing the $30 billion cut to education funding in the 2014 Budget. Funding will be tied to new literacy and numeracy checks. The commitment falls short…
DetailsAlan Jones: Simon Birmingham, good morning. Simon Birmingham: Good morning Alan, good to be with you. Alan Jones: Thank you. How do these arguments stack up? On the one hand, a wonderful articulation of the fact that spending more money doesn’t produce appropriate educational outcomes, and then in the next breath you spend more money. Simon Birmingham:…
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