New education minister Alan Tudge is not given to announcing absolutely everything – which means people might have missed something important

Mr Tudge has asked the House of Reps Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training to inquire “into adult literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills,” and the impact of their absence on people’s lives.

The committee is chaired by the astute Andrew Laming (Lib-Queensland), celebrated for his carefully constructed criticism of the Australian Skills Quality Authority in the Reps, which preceded reforms of the agency (CMM August 2 2019).

The new inquiry will be worth following, especially if Mr Laming and colleagues engage with teacher education experts in committee hearings. Illiterate adults did not get that way by themselves.