Christian schools have welcomed the appointment of Hon Jason Clare as Minister for Education and Hon Dr Anne Aly as Minister for Early Childhood Education and Minister for Youth.
Jason Clare is the Member for Blaxland in Western Sydney and has a long term relationship with the Christian schools in his electorate. Anne Aly is the Member for Cowan in Perth and has been deeply engaged with Christian schools in her electorate. We have written to both Ministers to extend our congratulations and seek a meeting when Parliament returns.
After the swearing in of the Albanese ministry a new Administrative Arrangement Order was made to take effect from 1 July. It is this order which determines the structural arrangements of the Federal Government, and is highly anticipated by printers, signwriters and graphic designers in Canberra.
Under the arrangement for the incoming government the current Department of Education, Skills and Employment will be replace by a Department of Education. The matters dealt with by this Department will be:
- Schools education policy and programmes
- Education transitions policy and programmes
- Youth affairs and programmes, including youth transitions
- Pre-school education policy and programmes
- Higher education policy, regulation and programmes
- Policy, coordination and support for international education and research engagement
- Co-ordination of research policy in relation to universities
- Creation and development of research infrastructure
- Research grants and fellowships
- Early childhood education and care policy and programmes
- Co-ordination of early childhood development policy and responsibilities
The new Minister for Education has already signalled his priorities in media comments where he 'has vowed to “stop the slide’’ in school results and make childcare cheaper'. He is also reported as describing education as “the most powerful cause for good in this country’’. Elsewhere in an interview with Sky News he outlines his background of being the first person in his family to finish high school and go to university.