The Australian Senate has set up an inquiry into the Weatherill Labor Government’s TAFE SA debacle. Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham welcomed the Senate agreeing to the inquiry that the Turnbull Government had proposed. “Jay Weatherill won’t do his job and hold Susan Close to account so the Australian Senate will,”…
DetailsAustralian Year 4 students have shown marked improvement in reading literacy outcomes, according to a new international comparative study. Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) showed Australian students improved their ranking from 27th (out of 45 countries) in 2011 to 21st (out of 50 countries)…
DetailsJoint media release with Interim Parliamentary Leader of the Nationals Nigel Scullion Applications open today for a new program to make access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) easier for 1200 students living in regional and remote areas of Australia. Interim Parliamentary Leader of the Nationals Nigel Scullion said all Australians deserve to have…
DetailsJoint media release with Interim Parliamentary Leader of the Nationals Nigel Scullion Students in Darwin will gain valuable real-world skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), thanks to the Turnbull Government’s new Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) pilot program. Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said Casuarina Senior College in Darwin would be the…
DetailsStudents across Bennelong are set for an average boost of around $2,125 each under the Turnbull Government’s Gonski funding plan. That’s an extra $19.7 million we’re delivering for Bennelong schools. There are no cuts. The figures being peddled by the NSW Teachers’ Federation are a desperate attempt to push for an unfunded Labor promise we…
DetailsThe Education and Training Minister has called on universities to keep a “laser focus” on the outcomes of the students they enrol following the release of new data on graduate completions and job outcomes. Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said the new reports showed six-year completion rates for university students had dropped to…
DetailsMinister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, and Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, have announced 120 New Colombo Plan scholarships to talented undergraduates to live, study and work in the Indo-Pacific region in 2018. These New Colombo Plan scholars will study in 20 host locations, including for the…
DetailsA Year 12 student from Canberra has been selected from more than 8000 entrants across the country as Australia’s Young Historian of the Year. Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham presented the award to Hawker College student Ineka Voigt in a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra today. Minister Birmingham said Ineka’s essay about…
DetailsAustralian students are among the world’s best collaborative problem-solvers, according to a new international report. Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said the OECD’s inaugural report on collaborative problem solving showed nearly twice the number of Australian students were highly skilled in problem solving compared to the OECD average. The report ranked…
DetailsNew Federal Government data shows student dropout rates are still among the highest in a decade despite dipping slightly since 2014. Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said the latest Higher Education Student Data revealed a 14.97 per cent attrition rate for the 2015 cohort compared to 12.29 per cent in 2009. “Australia’s universities…
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