Summary of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.19    The committee recommends that all quarterly reports on state and territory spending on primary school infrastructure be released for public scrutiny immediately.

Recommendation 2

2.21    The committee recommends that all future National Partnership Agreements explicitly require states and territories to report publicly on the expenditure of funding received and to demonstrate in those public reports that funds have been used in accordance with the agreement under which they have been received.

Recommendation 3

2.23    The committee recommends strengthening accountability mechanisms for oversight of state expenditure of Commonwealth funding. This should include enhancing the powers of the Auditor General to 'follow the money trail' to ensure value for money is achieved by the Commonwealth for state expenditure of Commonwealth monies.

Recommendation 4

2.25    The committee recommends that the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority complete and publish the 2009 National Report on Schooling in Australia no later than 30 April 2011.

Recommendation 5

3.7       The committee recommends that all future National Partnership Agreements explicitly require states and territories to report publicly, using a standardised charging structure, on fees paid to managing contractors.

Recommendation 6

4.21    The committee recommends that the government accedes to the will of the Senate, in accordance with the motion of 9 February 2011. The committee recommends that the government review its decision to refuse to release the legal advice that leads it to conclude that there is no material difference between the Commonwealth's agreements with the Block Grant Authorities and with the state and territory education authorities (and that, in each case, monies can be withheld, suspended and required to be repaid in the event that Building the Education Revolution guidelines have not been followed).

Recommendation 7

4.23    To avoid any doubt, the committee recommends that when the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations establishes agreements with the states and territories and the Block Grant Authorities for the delivery of future programs, consistent language be employed in both sets of agreements.

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