Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee) (15:02:30): My question is directed to the Premier. With 46 per cent of year 6 students failing the minimum performance standard in science, New South Wales is placing second last in the country. How can the Premier claim that education results are one of her priorities when the Government has produced this disaster?
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN (Willoughby—Premier) (15:02:49): I thank the member for her question and commend her because we are all passionate about education. At the education summit I attended last week, a number of experts presented and commented on the issues around core competencies of English, science and maths. They are being crowded out.
The SPEAKER: Order!
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: They said this was a trend that had been going on for the past two or three decades. It is not a new trend. I note from the tone of the question asked that the Opposition will therefore support all the education reform that the New South Wales Government is embarking on. There are three pillars to that reform.
The SPEAKER: Members will remain silent and listen to the three pillars.
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: The first critical pillar is to declutter the curriculum. The curriculum has not been reviewed for 30 years and, as a result, the core competencies of English, maths and science have been crowded out.
The SPEAKER: Order!
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: As a result, the core competencies of English, maths and science have been crowded out.
The SPEAKER: The member for Londonderry will be removed from the Chamber for the remainder of the day.
[The member for Londonderry left the Chamber at 15:07 accompanied by the Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms.]
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: The Government feels very strongly about that and it is something we will be addressing. We know where successful schools are producing results, notwithstanding that schools in a similar demographic are perhaps not doing as well. This Government has now introduced across all State schools a program called Bump It Up, which focuses on core competencies, to ensure that we identify school by school, student by student how we can elevate those core competencies. The third plank to our reform, which I have been discussing this week, is making sure we improve the transition from high school to work, high school to TAFE and high school to university.
A key issue in all of this is STEM—science, technology, engineering and mathematics. I am incredibly proud of the fact that we have not only introduced more STEM subjects in our schools but we have also made maths compulsory. Every student, no matter their level of understanding, will have to study maths to year 12. It was a battle getting that up because for too long our system has not focused on the core competencies it needs to focus on. That is something we are addressing in this curriculum review. Can everybody tell I am passionate about this? We are the Government that supports our students. We are the Government that supports our teachers. We want core competencies back in our schools. We want all students to study maths, science and English.
