Inquiry chair Sharan Burrow and Australian Education Union Federal President Correna Haythorpe launched the national inquiry on Tuesday morning in Adelaide.

Ms Haythorpe said the inquiry had been established to examine the current state of public school buildings and facilities, look at what teachers and students need for the future and create a road map for governments to follow.

“This is a nation-building project. It’s about planning not just for the next budget cycle but for the next generation,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“Public school teachers in every community need high-quality learning environments that complement the high-quality teaching they deliver.

“But right now we don’t have a national plan for public schools or national funding.”

Ms Burrow said the inquiry would visit every state and territory.

Teachers, principals, support staff and families will be consulted along with governments, education groups and a wide range of organisations representing young people, students with disability, rural and remote Australians, Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people.

The SA visit included three days of consultations and school visits.

Among those taking part were SA Minister for Education, Training and Skills Blair Boyer and the chief executive of the Department for Education Martin Westwell.

A roundtable discussion with representatives of SA Unions and education groups took place on Tuesday.

A consultation was also held with principals and representatives of the AEU SA branch.

A wide range of primary and secondary schools in Adelaide and country areas were also visited.

The issues paper for the inquiry was released during the SA visit.