You have got to attract the brightest and the best, but the brightest and best won't stay unless they see real career options.

By creating useful job descriptions and making clear what qualifications should be expected, the Department aims to help improve schools' ability to recruit the right people.

I am confident that the vast majority of teachers will work with us towards achieving that goal.

I do recognise that, where recruitment difficulties persist, teachers can be put under great pressure.

In a world as competitive as ours, the child who does not get a decent education is condemned to the fringes of society. I think all Australians agree that this is intolerable. So we must demand as much of our schools as we do of our sports teams - and ensure that they keep the Australian dream alive for every child.

I absolutely think the Seattle grunge sound was instrumental to my music education.

My focus is mainly on education. I believe education made all the difference for me, and it is certainly going to make all the difference for other children, too.

My dad remembers being in school with my uncle, and the teacher would say outright to the class that the Japanese were second-class citizens and shouldn't be trusted.