Backing Australia's Ability

As indicated last week, an additional $130 million over four years will go to government schools in those States where the Enrolment Benchmark Adjustment (EBA) is triggered. These funds will be exclusively and strictly applied to raise the standards of science, maths and technology.

While the bulk of funding responsibility for government schools has historically been one for the states, the Federal Government provides substantial additional funds for these schools.

With this new initiative designed exclusively to improve science and maths education, the Federal Government will be further increasing its already high level of commitment.

And finally, in a meaningful and practical move to enhance student access to quality learning opportunities and provide experience of ICT as a learning tool, $34 million over five years will be provided to help develop online curriculum content in schools.

Next steps

I won’t linger further on specific detail. However I do want to stress three important things.

Firstly, the entire program will be subject to a comprehensive and rigorous implementation plan, overseen by a high level Ministerial Committee that I will personally chair. I have taken great pleasure in my involvement with the Prime Minister’s Science Engineering and Innovation Council.

Secondly, I wish all to understand this is an important step for Australia but we acknowledge that it is a single milestone in a long and unending journey. This government recognises that more must be done, on a continuous basis, to build our national capacity for innovation.

This statement further illustrates the government’s continuing policy energy and our determination to be active in policy reform and development. In the highly competitive global environment in which we all live, no government can afford to be policy lazy or idle.

Over future months, we’ll be closely examining other areas affecting the capacity and willingness of individuals and organisations to engage in serious innovative and entrepreneurial activity. Employee share ownership, the attractiveness of teaching as a profession and the ways to enhance it, the remaining barriers to commercialisation, philanthropic encouragement of innovation are just some of the areas where Australia could benefit government review and action.

That brings me to my last point. The Government can play an important role, a strategic role but equally, it is and indeed should be limited in its reach.

The greatest challenge before all of us, and those we represent, is to pull together – to make this happen.

I’ve got no doubts we can. Just as we have a proud heritage in inventiveness and innovation, as we’ve been reminded so often in recent months, we can draw upon a past rich in examples of unity and shared endeavour.