1. What is your party's vision for science education at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels?
2. What does your party think science is for?
3. What is the social purpose and significance of science and science education in Australia?
4. Given that 50% of the teaching population is within retirement age in the next 7 years, how would you encourage able recent graduates into science teaching?
5. How would you address declining enrolments in senior secondary and tertiary science studies?
6. Do you have any special plans for special programs targeting science education?
7. Should beginning science teachers pay a differential HECS to non-science teachers?
8. Given that 25% of beginning science teachers abandon plans to teach within 3 years of teacher training, how can we keep excellent teachers teaching?

Science is an essential part of Australia's future. It can provide answers to social and economic problems, as well as being a keystone in the personal development of many people's lives. The Coalition recognises that the wealth and prosperity of Australia will continue to be enhanced by a strong science sector.

Although the Commonwealth has no control over the operational aspects of schooling, it can play a leadership role in key areas that affect the sector. Ensuring that every Australian school child has the opportunity to read and write properly has been the Coalition Government's top educational priority. The Coalition has provided strong national leadership in the area of literacy and numeracy. The Coalition is committed to achieving and realising Australia's first national literacy goal: that every child leaving primary school should be numerate, and be able to read, write and spell at an appropriate level. To support this goal the Coalition has:

• Provided $680 million over four years for literacy funding targeted at students in greatest need.
• Achieved Commonwealth, state and territory agreement on national literacy standards in writing, spelling and reading for Years 3 and 5. The national literacy standard will enable parents, teachers and governments to assess the improvement of students and assist students who are having difficulties.
• Provided $5 million over 1998-2000 for 17 literacy pilot projects in secondary schools targeted at young people who have reached secondary school without achieving acceptable literacy and numeracy standards.

These achievements are in contrast to Labor's record. After 13 years of a Labor government, thirty percent of our school children could not read or write properly. They continually ignored basic skills like reading, writing and arithmetic during this period.

As part of the national literacy and numeracy plan, there has been developmental work undertaken in relation to speaking, listening and viewing benchmarks. Such basic skills are very necessary if young people are to undertake study or pursue a career in science.

A Second Howard/Fischer Government will also:

• Provide an additional $72 million over three years to further improve literacy and numeracy standards in schools.
• Provide $40 million over four years to ensure high literacy and numeracy standards in the middle years of schooling.
• Provide an additional $90 million over three years for the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools Strategy.
• Provide greater assistance for isolated families who do not have adequate access to schools.
• Place the Catholic education systems in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory into funding category 11.

There are currently record numbers of tertiary science students, as well as in related fields such as computing, engineering, health sciences and agriculture. Science education will also benefit from the increases to research infrastructure spending, announced in the Coalition Higher Education policy, of $90.5 million over three years (1999-2002) and an additional $58.1 million over the same period for the Strategic Partnerships - Industry and Research Training scheme, which gives postgraduate science students the opportunity to work with industry. The Coalition will also provide $25 million over three years to establish new Science Lectureships in areas such as information technology and biotechnology.

In relation to science teaching, there is no evidence that HECS is a deterrent to science teachers or the study of science. The number of enrolling science students went up by 9% between 1996 and 1997, after the introduction of differential HECS.

The Coalition does believe that teachers are a critical component in the learning partnership with parents, students and the community. Teaching skills are fundamental to the attainment of higher levels of student achievement. The ongoing professional development of teachers is therefore of critical importance.

The Coalition will provide $75 million over three years to strengthen the skills of the teaching profession. These funds will be used to update and improve teachers' skills and help lift the status of teaching in both government and non-government schools. The focus will be on professional development in literacy, numeracy, mathematics, science, information technology and vocational education in schools. Assistance will be targeted to the seventy percent of the teaching force (140 000 teachers) who completed their formal training 10 or more years ago, casual teachers and teachers seeking to re-enter the teaching force.

Responses from Claire Dace - on behalf of Lynton Crosby (Federal Director of the Liberal Party)