Today I have joined our NSW Labor Leader Jodi McKay MP and the Shadow Minister For Education Prue Car MP, in condemningthe Berejiklian-Barilaro Government for failing a generation of school children after this week's global standings show NSW scores for maths, science and reading are at an all-time low.

Jodi and Prue have spoken about this in a video on Facebook here.



This week's results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) uncovered that just only half of NSW students reached the National Proficient Standard for maths and literacy. A total of 79 countries took part in the PISA tests, including 3,315 students from 166 schools in NSW. Embarrassingly, NSW has gone backwards against other OECD countries since 2012.



Relative to other Australian states between 2012 and 2018, NSW students have:


Dropped from 4th to 6th in reading;
Dropped from 3rd to 5th in maths;
Dropped from 3rd to 5th in science.


You can watch more here on Facebook.

Jodi McKay has said,

A childs worth is measured by more than numbers. However, after nine years of Liberal-National Government in NSW, this report is evidence of a systemic crisis in our education system.Premier Gladys Berejiklian has failed an entire generation of schoolchildren. She has no feel for education whatsoever. I wish she was less preoccupied with stadiums and toll roads and more focused on our kids learning.

The Liberals and Nationals have tricked communities with faraway promises of school upgrades but all they are doing is stringing these out over multiple election cycles to buy votes in marginal seats. This is no substitute for a proper education policy and our students results across NSW have never been worse. Education was meant to be one of the Premiers top priorities and she must be held accountable for this absolute disaster.



Shadow Minister for Education Prue Car MP noted that the States children are now more than a full academic year behind where they were in 2000 when Labor was in Government. She has said,



The Berejiklian Government must explain how nine years of Liberal Government has sent education results back two decades. These results prove this Liberal-National Government is not giving our students the skills they need. We need to know how the Government plans to bring NSW up to international standards, and to stop NSW students from falling even further behind.

Teachers have a tough job. They are working longer hours, with less support and less funding. If there is an issue with results in NSW schools, that is the fault of government. Gladys Berejiklian is responsible for the curriculum, school resourcing, overcrowded classes and teacher pay. So if theres an issue with students results in NSW the real question is What is Gladys Berejiklians plan to make NSW schools number one.



Schools are more than just buildings. Gladys Berejiklian doesnt get that and shes failing to deliver what our children and what parents want better learning outcomes."