Victorian Liberal Tim Smith brands David Gonski education review a waste

Victoria’s Liberal opposition has taken a public swipe at the David Gonski-chaired review of educational standards.

Victorian opposition education spkoseman Tim Smith, left, with Opposition Leader Matthew Guy. Picture: AAP

Victoria’s Liberal opposition has taken a public swipe at the David Gonski-chaired review of educational standards, slamming the report as a waste of taxpayer funds and “overthinking” what are ­already cluttered state and national curriculums.

In the week after Malcolm Turnbull urged state ministers to back the latest Gonski-led review, Victorian opposition education spokesman Tim Smith has branded the document as another in a succession that aren’t producing better learning outcomes.

The newly appointed frontbencher has been vocal since his ­appointment, calling for a “back to basics” approach focusing on literacy, numeracy and writing skills, over more nebulous concepts including “cross-curriculum priorities” such as sustainability.

He has attacked the latest Gonksi report for what he believes is a continued emphasis on broader “general capabilities” without addressing the burgeoning length, complexity and impracticality of national and state curriculums. “When it comes to schools and education, there’s too much overthinking going on and the Report of the Review To Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools, led by Mr David Gonski AC, is yet another example of that,” Mr Smith said.

“Parents are rightly becoming very impatient with putting extra taxpayers’ money into schools but seeing no corresponding improvement in standards and outcomes.

“Let’s stop the overthinking and declutter the curriculum. We don’t need more of an emphasis on general capabilities, nor do we need cross-curriculum priorities.

“We need young people to be equipped with sound literacy and numeracy skills, specific knowledge, explicitly taught by well trained and competent teachers.”

The report released last week found that children were being hamstrung by a prescriptive year-level system, and that they could benefit from individual study plans that allowed them to progress at their own pace, rather than in line with a specific year level.

The Prime Minister has urged state governments, teachers and parents to back the recommendations, saying the “focused, personalised” model advocated could help lift education standards.

Critics of the report include Centre for Independent Studies research fellow Jennifer Buckingham, who said its excessive focus on “general capabilities” such as collaboration and creativity didn’t have any evidence they could be taught or ­tested in isolation from particular disciplines. She also panned it for offering little or scant advice on how an extra $23.5 billion of taxpayer money over the next 10 years should be spent.

“Given the huge injection of more billions of taxpayer dollars into the school system, we were entitled to expect a more concrete justification of why this money must be spent,” she said.

Australian Education Union president Correna Haythorpe said she was concerned about how some of the recommendations would be implemented, including individual study plans.