House Standing Committee on Education — hearing of 2 November 2026: transcript & video · Polyfact

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House Standing Committee on Education

1 November 2026

Contents updated on 2 Nov 2026

Public hearing of the House Standing Committee on Education examining factors driving educational attainment in Australia.

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Standing Committee on Education — Inquiry into factors driving educational attainment

16:53

Opening of hearing and participant introductions

16:53

Tim Watts, Chair — Opening of the hearing and procedural remarks

16:53

David Coleman — Self-introduction

17:27

Zoe McKenzie — Self-introduction

17:34

Renee Coffey — Self-introduction

17:41

Tim Watts, Chair — Self-introduction and welcome to witnesses

17:51

Intervenant 7 — Order of witness introductions

18:14

Professor Jill Blackmore (Deakin University) — Self-introduction

18:43

Intervenant 5 — Transition to Melbourne witnesses

18:59

Intervenant inconnu — Greeting

19:03

Professor Therese Hopfenbeck (University of Melbourne) — Self-introduction

19:04

Professor Pasi Sahlberg (University of Melbourne) — Self-introduction

19:12

Tim Watts, Chair — Procedural status and invitation for opening statements

19:21

Opening statements

19:58

Professor Jill Blackmore (Deakin University) — Opening statement on intersectionality and structural deficiencies

19:58

University of Melbourne representative — Opening statement on family background, early intervention and assessment

22:17

Opening of hearing and participant introductions (cont.)

25:07

Tim Watts, Chair, and Professor Martin Nakata (James Cook University) — Late joining, preliminaries and self-introduction

25:07

Opening statements (cont.)

26:44

Professor Martin Nakata (James Cook University) — Opening statement on Northern Australia workforce pipelines

26:44

Questions on data indicators and targeting intersectional disadvantage

27:26

Question of Tim Watts, Chair, to Professor Nakata — Leading indicators in a Year 7 classroom

27:26

Question of Tim Watts, Chair, to Professor Nakata — National learner capability indicators

30:30

Question of Tim Watts, Chair, to Professor Blackmore — Targeting disadvantage without isolating gender

32:46

Question of Tim Watts, Chair, to Professor Blackmore — Diverging STEM aspirations between girls and boys

35:49

Questions of Ms McKenzie and other members to all witnesses — Conditions where boys succeed and limits of gender-focused analysis

39:37

Question of a committee member to Professor Nakata — Socioemotional foundations and timing of interventions

46:14

Question of Mr Soon to all witnesses — Curriculum and school-based responses to socioeconomic disadvantage

50:51

Question of Mr Perrett on gender gaps in STEM and literacy programs

01:03:33

Questions on senior secondary pathways and vocational education

01:05:35

Question of the Chair to University of Melbourne witnesses — International VET classifications and valuing vocational pathways

01:05:35

Question of the Chair to University of Melbourne witnesses — Measuring successful post‑school transitions under the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement

01:11:04

Question of Mr Birrell to Mr Sahlberg — Finnish secondary and tertiary pathways versus Australia

01:14:48

Panel with Dr Sally Larsen and Dr Pete Goss

01:17:21

Opening of panel and opening remarks

01:17:21

Opening of panel with Dr Larsen and Dr Goss and opening statement by Dr Goss

01:17:21

Questions on interpreting assessment data, gender differences and system improvement

01:20:15

Question of the Chair to both witnesses — Common misinterpretations of NAPLAN data and gender differences

01:20:15

Question of the Chair to Dr Larsen — Family background, gender gaps and role of inattention in reading

01:25:34

Question of the Chair to Dr Goss — Systematic use of NAPLAN value‑added analysis and institutional roles

01:28:58

Question of Intervenant 20 to both witnesses — Framing ADHD, mental illness and neurodivergence

01:35:02

Question of Mr Birrell to Dr Larsen — Reconciling PISA and NAPLAN results

01:40:20

Question of Mr Soon to Dr Larsen and Dr Goss — Standardising assessment data analysis and building holistic school capability

01:44:35

Question of the Chair to Dr Larsen — Delaying school entry and later NAPLAN outcomes (audio issue)

01:55:08

Question of the Chair to Dr Goss — Mental health, Young Minds Matter and SES learning gaps

01:56:34

Question of the Chair to Dr Larsen — Delaying school start, fade‑out and age variability

02:03:36

Question of Intervenant 1 to Dr Larsen — Measuring success of targeted support interventions

02:08:43

Question of Intervenant 1 to Dr Goss — Reporting outcomes for students in out‑of‑home care

02:11:25

Question of Intervenant 1 to Dr Goss — Intergenerational effects of parental education and vocational qualifications

02:12:53

Panel with Australian Parents Council

03:00:37

Opening of panel, introductions and opening statement

03:00:37

Chair — Welcome, witness identification and procedural statements

03:00:37

Jennifer Branch‑Allen — Opening statement on limits of data‑driven measures of attainment

03:02:03

Questions on parental engagement, community evidence and boys’ disengagement

03:04:37

Question of the Chair to Jennifer Branch‑Allen — Capturing representative parent and community knowledge

03:04:37

Question of the Chair to Jennifer Branch‑Allen — Technical fixes versus adaptive, community‑driven approaches

03:07:49

Question of Mr Birrell to Jennifer Branch‑Allen — Boys’ disengagement and research perspectives

03:11:16

Question of Mr Birrell to Jennifer Branch‑Allen — Parental involvement in school councils and parents and friends associations

03:13:54

Question of Intervenant 1 to Jennifer Branch‑Allen — Limits of quantitative evidence and valuing parent observations

03:15:45

Question of Ms Scrymgour to Jennifer Branch‑Allen — Growth in homeschooling and school refusal

03:18:37

Question of Intervenant 25 to Jennifer Branch‑Allen — Parent‑reported trends, effective feedback mechanisms and belonging

03:20:49

Panel with Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success, Professor Rebecca Collie and Professor Andrew Martin

03:34:57

Opening of panel, introductions and opening statements

03:34:57

Chair and witnesses — Opening of panel and opening statements

03:34:57

Questions on teaching quality, gender differences and leading indicators of engagement

03:43:03

Question of the Chair to Professors Collie and Martin — Whether teaching should differ for boys and girls

03:43:03

Question of Intervenant 1 to Professors Collie and Martin — Intentions to complete school as leading indicators and role of clear pathways

03:46:10

Question of Intervenant 1 to Professors Collie and Martin — Early externalising behaviour, prosocial skills and effective early intervention

03:50:10

Question of Mr Birrell to Professors Collie and Martin — Whether gender gaps in boys’ engagement and achievement are real or overstated

03:53:32

Question of Intervenant 85 and Mr Birrell to Professor Collie — Whether effective teaching must be tailored to specific cohorts

03:58:02

Question of Intervenant inconnu and Intervenant 85 to Professors Collie and Martin — Explaining divergent NAPLAN and PISA trends

04:00:16

Question of Intervenant 25 to Curtin and UNSW witnesses — Collecting expectation data and strengthening professional learning

04:03:09

Question of Intervenant 20 to Professors Collie and Martin — Hidden learning disabilities and teacher capability

04:11:01

Questions on higher education pathways, enabling programs and VET–university connectivity

04:15:38

Question of Intervenant 1 to Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success — Outcomes for non-ATAR and VET entrants and need for linked data

04:15:38

Question of Intervenant 1 to ACSES and Professor Martin — Expanding non-ATAR pathways, especially into STEM, and strengthening VET transitions

04:25:21

Panel with Children's Policy Centre (ANU) and Valuing Children Initiative

04:45:08

Opening of panel, introductions and opening remarks

04:45:08

Chair and Valuing Children Initiative witnesses — Opening welcome and initial introductions

04:45:08

Chair and witnesses — Resumption of hearing and completed introductions

04:47:38

Sarah Quinton (Valuing Children Initiative) — Opening statement on child poverty and educational attainment

04:49:09

Chair and Larisa Moir (12 Buckets) — Opening statement on place-based partnerships and child poverty

04:55:00

Professor Sharon Bessell (Children's Policy Centre, ANU) — Opening statement on child poverty framework and education

05:01:17

Questions on poverty, school responsibilities and school meal programs

05:07:40

Question of Intervenant 1 to Professor Bessell — Limits of school responsibilities and cross-system policy links

05:07:40

Question of Intervenant 1 to Professor Bessell and Valuing Children Initiative — Systemic school meal programs and child food insecurity

05:11:54

Question of Intervenant 1 to Valuing Children Initiative — European progress on child poverty strategies

05:23:14

Question of Intervenant 25 to Professor Bessell and Valuing Children Initiative — Primary school scaffolding and flexibility in school rules

05:25:00

Opening of panel, introductions and opening remarks (cont.)

05:34:06

Conclusion of panel with Children's Policy Centre and Valuing Children Initiative

05:34:06

Appearance of Ms Yuxi Zhou

05:35:18

Opening of appearance and opening statement

05:35:18

Chair and Ms Yuxi Zhou — Opening formalities and opening statement

05:35:18

Questions on aspirations, classroom environments and Australian implications

05:38:11

Question of the chair to Ms Yuxi Zhou — Gender differences in response to high-aspiration classrooms

05:38:11

Question of the chair to Ms Yuxi Zhou — NAPLAN ranking versus growth-based reporting

05:40:05

Question of the chair to Ms Yuxi Zhou — Supporting culturally and linguistically diverse families

05:41:48

Question of the chair to Ms Yuxi Zhou — Replicating research in Australia

05:43:42

Question of committee member to Ms Yuxi Zhou — Differences between Chinese and Australian schooling contexts

05:45:33

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House Standing Committee on Education

1 November 2026

House Standing Committee on Education Mon, 2 Nov 2026 Parliament of Australia

Follow its sittings

16:52 - 17:27

Speaker 1

I declare open the public hearing of the Standing Committee on Education's inquiry into the factors driving educational attainment. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land that we are all meeting on today and pay respect to elders past and present of the Indigenous peoples across all of Australia. This hearing will be broadcast, and the transcript of proceedings will be published on the Parliament's website.

I now invite members of the committee joining us online today to introduce themselves.

17:27 - 17:34

Speaker 2

David Coleman, the member for Banks in South Western Sydney.

17:34 - 17:41

Speaker 3

Good morning. It's Zoe McKenzie here, the member for Flinders in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.

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