Committee Details

Committee's consideration

In its Report No. 24, 57th Parliament – Annual Report 2021-22, tabled on 6 September 2022, the committee reported on its consideration of Auditor-General’s reports referred to it, including Auditor-General Report 1: 2021-22—Enabling digital learning. The committee did not resolve to hold further inquiries into these audit reports and made no recommendations to the Legislative Assembly.

OVERVIEW

Role of the Auditor-General

The role of the Auditor-General is to provide Parliament with independent assurance of public sector accountability and performance. This is achieved through reporting to Parliament on the results of financial and performance audits.

About the Auditor-General Report

View:  Auditor-General Report 1: 2021-22—Enabling digital learning
View:  QAO report webpage

This report is an audit brief that shares key facts about how the Department of Education is reliably connecting learners and staff of state schools to digital resources and online content. It focuses on:

• student access to the internet and devices (such as computers, laptops, and tablets)
• technology infrastructure that connects schools to the department, to the internet, and to learning and student administration systems
• required planning and investment to improve internet speeds and digital technologies.

The Auditor-General’s findings in the report include that:

• the department’s benchmark for internet speed is 25 kilobits per second which is well below benchmarks in other states
• most students report they had access to the internet and a device during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, though the percentage of students without access was higher in lower socio-economic areas
• 28 per cent of students reported receiving mainly paper-based learning materials during the lockdown
• the speed of the information technology network that connects the department to schools will not be sufficient in a few years as the demand for internet speed grows
• the department understands its technology gaps for digital outcomes and prepared its digital strategy and implementation plan, which had an estimated cost of $754 million over six years. Given the changes in technology in the market since the plan was developed (February 2020), and the current economic environment, funding was not made available to the department
• the department has not yet revised the digital strategy to what is achievable using current technologies and within the current funding environment.

The report made seven recommendations for Queensland Education to implement to address the issues identified.

Referral to Committee

Standing Order 194B provides that the Committee of the Legislative Assembly shall as soon as practicable after a report of the Auditor-General is tabled in the Assembly refer that report to the relevant portfolio committee(s) for consideration.

The Education, Employment and Training Committee is responsible under section 94 of the Parliament of Queensland Act 2001 for assessing the integrity, economy, efficiency and effectiveness of government financial management by examining government financial documents and considering reports of the Auditor-General.

The Committee of the Legislative Assembly referred this Auditor-General report to the committee on 2 September 2021.  

PUBLIC BRIEFING

The committee held a public briefing with the Queensland Audit Office in relation to the report on 14 March 2022.  

Watch:  Broadcast
View:    Transcript