The Australian Greens are concerned by reports a ministry in Victoria may have breached federal guidelines covering the chaplaincy programme in public schools.Access Ministries has been accused of trying to convert students into "disciples", contrary to federal regulations.

"We await the review of Access Ministries by the Federal Education Department, something Peter Garrett has indicated will happen because the federal guidelines as 'crystal clear' on proselytising in schools," the Greens' education spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said today.

The Australian Greens encourage and support excellence in the teaching of our children.

"We want our school environments to be the best possible," Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on education, said.

"We don't believe a one-off payment to teachers, based on the performance of students according to NAPLAN test results, is the best way to reward them.

The Australian Greens are committed to making Higher Education a priority, even if the old parties won't.

Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Education, says the cornerstone of the Greens' policy is a series of initiatives to help Australia meet its target to have 20 per cent of higher education enrolments at undergraduate level coming from low SES backgrounds by the year 2020.

Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia) (3.40 pm) - I move:

That the Senate -

(a) notes:
(i) the first same-sex marriages were celebrated in Mexico City in the week beginning 7 March 2010, following the recent passage of legislation removing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, under that city's Marriage Act, and

(ii) Mexico City joins Portugal, Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Spain, South Africa and many states in the United States of America that already recognise same-sex marriage as a reality;

The collapse of ABC Learning has presented an opportunity to reform systems of care for our youngest children, now the Federal Government must show the commitment to make it happen, according to Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Youth, Childcare and Education, says the report of the 12-month inquiry into childcare tabled in the Senate has shown that reliance on corporate providers has not resulted in an appropriate quality of care.

A new survey showing overwhelming public support for quality childcare reinforces the message to the Federal Government that childcare is an essential service which needs appropriate funding, according to Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Childcare, says 84 per cent of people surveyed wanted the Federal Government to make quality childcare a priority, emphasising the growing dissatisfaction with the pace of reform in early childhood education and care.

The Government must release the economic modelling it has relied upon when formulating its changes to Youth Allowance, according to the Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

"The Government has been more than happy to sell the winners of these reforms, but when it comes to talking about those who are going to miss out, they are reluctant to tell the whole story."

"How can the Government continue to claim its youth allowance package is budget neutral, when it says it doesn't have detailed modelling at its disposal?"

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says more information – including figures on the funding schools receive – must be included in the publication of school testing results to ensure that simplistic ‘league tables’ cannot be created to disadvantage some schools.

The Federal Government has pushed ahead with plans to publish every school’s literacy and numeracy results online, without information on school funding to contextualise the results, as was promised by Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

That the Senate calls on the Federal Government to:

a) release the protocols for The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority's reporting information and publication of national schools data; and

b) amend The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority Act to provide for these protocols as a legislative instrument; and

c) conduct a review of the impact of the testing and reporting regime on resourcing, educational outcomes and teaching workforce after 2 years.

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of this land, the Peramangk people.

I also acknowledge Minister for Health, the Hon John Hill; Mayor of the District Council of Mount Barker, Ann Ferguson; Professor Mark Daniel; other distinguished guests and speakers; and, members of the Environmental Health Profession.