▁However , ▁Bishop ▁eventually ▁rejected ▁the ▁deal . ▁ ▁E lev ation ▁to ▁the ▁min istry ▁ ▁Bishop ▁was ▁appointed ▁Minister ▁for ▁Age ing ▁by ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁John ▁Howard ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁She ▁was ▁later ▁promoted ▁to ▁Minister ▁for ▁Education ▁and ▁Science ▁and ▁Minister ▁for ▁Women ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁and ▁served ▁in ▁those ▁positions ▁until ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁Howard ▁Government ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁federal ▁election . ▁ ▁As ▁education ▁minister , ▁Bishop ' s ▁policies ▁cent red ▁on ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁national ▁education ▁standards ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁performance - based ▁pay ▁for ▁teachers . ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁Australian ▁State ▁Govern ments ▁joint ly ▁expressed ▁opposition ▁to ▁Bishop ' s ▁pay ▁policy . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁budget , ▁the ▁Federal ▁Government ▁announced ▁a ▁$ 5 ▁billion ▁" end ow ment ▁fund " ▁for ▁higher ▁education , ▁with ▁the ▁expressed ▁goal ▁of ▁providing ▁world - class ▁t ert i ary ▁institutions ▁in ▁Australia . ▁Some ▁of ▁Bishop ' s ▁public ▁comments ▁on ▁education , ▁including ▁the ▁remark ▁that ▁" the ▁states ▁have ▁ide olog ically ▁hij ack ed ▁school ▁sy ll abi ▁and ▁are ▁was ting ▁$ 1 8 0   mill ion ▁in ▁unnecessary ▁dup lication ", ▁were ▁critic ised ▁by ▁teachers . ▁An ▁advance ▁media ▁k it ▁for ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁speech ▁claimed ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁contemporary ▁curr icul um ▁came ▁" stra ight ▁from