Restoring Excellence: Why Our Schools Need an Urgent Reality Check

In my years as a GP, I learned a simple truth: if you misdiagnose the ailment, you cannot possibly prescribe the cure. This is exactly where we find ourselves with our current education system. The evidence is clear: our children are falling behind. Literacy and numeracy scores are slipping, and the foundational skills required for a prosperous future are being buried under an avalanche of administrative requirements.

The weight of the system

The situation in our schools is not just a policy failure; it is a human one. Teachers, who enter the profession to shape young minds, are being crushed by a non-teaching workload that serves bureaucracy rather than students. As a doctor, I have seen the damage that burnout causes. When the systems supporting our frontline professionals are broken, the entire structure falters. It is not just about paperwork. It is about a system that ignores the expertise of those in the classroom while forcing them to implement methods that yield poor results. This isn't just bureaucracy; it is a system that compromises the potential of every child in the state.

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Technology and the return to basics

We are told that education must evolve with technology. Yet, we see a global pivot—look at Sweden’s recent moves—to recognise that excessive screen time for young children often hinders cognitive development, focus, and genuine comprehension. If we want kids to think, not just react to short, digital bursts of data, we must embrace spaces where pen and paper are the primary tools. Real education creates an independent mind, capable of holding complex, even opposing, thoughts simultaneously. That is the mark of a truly educated citizen, something we are losing in favour of simple narratives.

A future built on critical thinking

Education is not merely the transmission of data; it is the cultivation of wisdom. True education allows a child to manage their own life, understand their tax, master their budget, and navigate a complex world with critical awareness. Our current curriculum risks producing students who know how to consume information but not how to stress-test it. We have a collective responsibility to reverse this decline. I encourage you to read the full details of this important parliamentary motion in the official Hansard record. If you believe, as I do, that our children deserve better, I invite you to join our growing movement at Legalise Cannabis WA as we fight for a smarter, more evidence-based future for our state.