Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 1:43:44 to 1:47:42
Discussion of the 'digital detox' initiative to reduce screen distraction in classrooms and the ongoing overhaul of the F-10 mathematics curriculum to improve student performance.
Topics: Education
Speakers: Senator Matt O'Sullivan, Mr. Tony Cook, Ms. Meg Brighton, Senator Marielle Smith, Senator Paul Scarr
>> while ago?
>> Yeah. So, um, Senator, I think that when we when we got the last PISA results, so the 2022 Pisa results and particularly what that was saying about the impact of digital disruption in classrooms, overlaid that with what we were hearing from um, principles and teachers about the impact on devices. So, the first step minister's talk around that was the mobile fan phone ban in schools. And then as that evidence has continued to build over time and we have been looking at the impact of screens, Minister Claire has been hearing from teachers on the ground, principles on the ground about the impact of screens. Uh we've started to coalesce around uh this notion of digital detox. So started with mobile phone bands but we've started the um policy work this year um a couple of months ago. I probably couldn't be specific about what date we started it but in the last few months we've been doing a deeper piece of work around digital detox
>> but the curriculum work the maths work for example was was last year so um uh >> um so the work that we were doing around curriculum have to do maths we started that last year and all miners agreed to do that start that work last year and as Miss Brighton said on Monday next week education ministers will meet um they'll consider that work that's now completed
>> so we um And I'm going to have to rotate. I've been asked to rotate the course. I'll just finish with this and the the um seems we've come away uh because back in 2013 when the then education minister Christopher Pine um he he really pushed for phonics uh and it was u almost immediately after being elected. uh he was criticized at the time quite roundly by uh the Australian Education Union, the Australian Association for Research in Education and indeed from colleagues here and across other jurisdictions such as Senator De O'Neal, the then Premier Jay Weatherall in South Australia and others uh with vested interests. It's it's it it's it's not something that's been championed by the Labor Party, by this government. Uh but now it seems that it's uh that the focus on phonics is now been accepted as the right way to go. Was were was Christopher Pine right all the way back then?
>> Oh, that's a bit of a political question. He was also my minister. I was the dev sec >> of schools at the time.
>> Was he the best minister? Yeah. I
couldn't possibly >> senator
>> but well maybe maybe like
>> excellent ministers both at state and
>> and and fair enough not after not meant to be a political question. I get that it sounds that way but like is it is it am I right to take from the evidence that we're hearing here today that this is something that is now being championed. >> Yes. uh it is accepted that this is the right path that this is what we need for students for them to be able to excel and achieve in their education pathway.
>> So Senator thank you for the question. Absolutely. Uh Minister Clare has been again his comments are the reading wars are over. The readings wars was this motion about whole language versus phonics. uh which is why as a um as a requirement to get Commonwealth funding and school funding you'll see the words phonyx are in the better fair schools agreement I believe but I I will stand corrected if I'm wrong I believe it's the first time it's been in in an agreement that level of specificity um and the evidence is overwhelmingly that that approach is an approach that is best learning for students
>> thank you um Senator got man pain your second block