Opposition education spokesman Julian Leeser calls for inquiry into boys’ education and demands unis undergo ‘soul-searching’
The Opposition is calling for a national inquiry into boys’ education as frontbencher Julian Leeser tells universities to start exporting Australian values to the world.
The federal Opposition has called on the government to hold a parliamentary inquiry into boys education as the education gap between the two sexes continues to grow.
It also plans to export Australian values to the world through the $51bn international education sector, and called on public universities to do some “soul-searching”.
New Coalition education spokesman Julian Leeser – who was included in this masthead’s recent national education power list – addressed the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) parliamentary forum on Thursday, clearly signalling the Coalition’s education agenda.
Mr Leeser said he was worried boys could be “left behind by our education system”.
“I am concerned about trends and outcomes we have been seeing in relation to education for boys,” he said.
“Boys trail girls in every NAPLAN literacy assessment – reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation – in every age group.
“Average achievement of boys falls short of girls in every NAPLAN domain except numeracy.
“By year 9, in writing, there is a 37-point gap between the performance of boys and girls – which roughly equates to 1-2 years of learning.”
Mr Leeser said the gap existed in higher education too.
“By last year, 37 per cent of women between the ages of 15 and 74 had a degree at bachelor’s level or higher, compared with 30 per cent of men in the same bracket.
“If you drill down into the 25-34 age bracket, 41 per cent of men, but 54 per cent of women, have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
“It is fair to say now that not only are Australians better educated in general than they were 30 years ago, but that women are better educated than men.”
Mr Leeser said these discrepancies were cause for a parliamentary inquiry into boys’ education to “get to the bottom of the issue”.
The Opposition education spokesman said Australia should also “take advantage” of the international education sector to export Australian values.
“I would like to see international students in Australia learn about democracy, rule of law and Australian values as a standard and uncontroversial part of studying in this country,” Mr Leeser said.
“Let those who study here receive a top-quality education, be treated well, and learn about our culture and the things that make this country so wonderful.
“And when those students return to their families and communities, let them take those ideas with them.
“Let Australian values be part of our export to the world.”
Mr Leeser took aim at public universities too, which he said had “some soul-searching to do”.
“Our universities are in the midst of a teaching, funding and identity crisis,” he said.
“The challenges facing Australia’s tertiary education sector are not simply about funding structures, but about the core of their purpose.
“Free inquiry, debate, research, teaching and learning.
“We have seen an erosion of these fundamentals of education at some of the large, public universities over recent years.
“Alarmingly, antisemitism has been able to gain a foothold on too many of these campuses too.”
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Originally published as Opposition education spokesman Julian Leeser calls for inquiry into boys’ education and demands unis undergo ‘soul-searching’
