Minister for Education Bill Shorten, and Labor Candidate for Bonner Laura Fraser Hardy, today celebrated National Literacy and Numeracy Week in Queensland with a visit to St Catherine’s Catholic School, Wishart.

Now in its fifteenth year, National Literacy and Numeracy Week is an Australian Government initiative which aims to celebrate students learning basic reading, writing and mathematics skills.

Minister Shorten and Ms Fraser Hardy read the selected book for the week, titled Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon, which was yesterday the subject of a simultaneous read at schools throughout the country, Read for Australia.

Minister Shorten has used National Literacy and Numeracy Week to recognise the important contribution parents, teachers, Principals and the school communities make to the development of literacy and numeracy skills in our young people.

Key to the further development of literacy and numeracy skills in our young people is Labor’s Better Schools Plan, which would deliver an extra $3.8 billion to Queensland’s 1,706 schools if Premier Newman signs up.

On average this will mean around $2.2 million extra per school across all sectors in Queensland.

The Better Schools Plan is about more one on one, individual attention so for every kid can reach their full potential.

The Plan is about more help for kids struggling with literacy and numeracy to ensure they don’t fall behind as well as supporting our high achieving student to do even better.

The Rudd Labor Government has set an ambitious target for Australia to be in the top five in the world in reading, maths and science by 2025.

Tony Abbott and the Federal Liberal Party are opposed to the Better Schools Plan and will not deliver the additional $15.4 billion in schools that the Labor Government’s Better Schools Plan would.

The Rudd Labor Government is committed to working constructively with jurisdictions, including Queensland, to help ensure no Australian students are left behind.

To find out funding for individual schools please visit: http://ministers.deewr.gov.au/shorten/funding-figures-show-how-much-public-funding-qld-wa-vic-tas-and-nt-government-schools-could

Media Contact: Andrew Porter 0419 474 392