2017-01-30
The Liberal Government’s plan to test Year One students is merely a distraction from their unwillingness to adequately fund and resource early childhood education and schools, the Australian Greens say.
“The best way to prepare children for success at primary school is high quality, well-funded early education and care. Evidence shows children between the age of 0-5 are at a crucial stage in their learning and development, which makes it more disappointing that the Government would rather introduce Year One testing rather than fund early childhood education adequately so it can provide a solid foundation for Australian kids,” Greens’ education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Test after test and report after report shows us that Australian schools are underfunded and under resourced, and those factors are failing our students and teachers. All that testing Year One students will do is provide more evidence our schools need genuine needs-based funding, and we all know how much this government likes to ignore evidence.
“In the first year of Turnbull’s new government, is he going to fail students by continuing towards the education funding cliff in 2018 or set students up for success by adequately funding their schools?”