The interim report of the Liberal-dominated Senate inquiry into so-called “school disruption” fails to meaningfully address the underlying causes of challenging teaching environments, the Greens say.
Link to Greens dissenting report
Greens spokesperson on Education (Primary & Secondary), Senator Penny Allman-Payne said:
“The Greens opposed this inquiry from the outset, and this interim report proves that we were right to do so.
“It’s no surprise that we’re seeing an increase in behaviours of concern in the classroom. The vast majority of socioeconomically disadvantaged kids and kids with a disability attend public schools, and nearly every single public school in the country receives significantly less than the bare minimum funding they need.
“Students are forced into an environment that is not inclusive, where the support and the resources they need do not exist, and it’s left to overworked teachers to try to hold it all together.
“The report’s focus on training and pedagogy really misses the point. We should be addressing the causes of disadvantage and properly resourcing our schools so that teachers have the time to plan properly and provide proper support to every student.
“The Liberals can bang on all they like about the curriculum and ‘evidence-based instruction’, but it’s all beside the point while kids are coming to class on an empty stomach or sweltering in demountables, and teachers do not have the capacity to give disabled students the care and attention they need and deserve.
“Labor must seriously tackle poverty and housing insecurity, and they must deliver full funding to all Australian public schools at the start of the next National School Reform Agreement, in January 2025.”