The Victorian Government has signed an interim bilaterial agreement with the Commonwealth Government, under the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement. This will secure Commonwealth funding for Victorian schools until a long-term agreement is signed in 2026.
According to a recent update distributed to schools, “The parties are committed to reaching a long-term Victorian bilateral agreement in 2026.”
Along with many other education and social-justice groups, we urge the State Government to fully fund all public schools to 100% of the SRS immediately. We’d like to make the following points:
- Victorian government schools are funded well below the SRS benchmark that governments themselves have endorsed as the minimum required to meet student needs.
- The failure of the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments to reach a long-term funding agreement for two consecutive years will have real and compounding consequences.
- Because of stalled negotiations, Victorian public schools will lose two years of progress toward adequate funding, while schools in other states move forward.
- Students currently enrolled in Victorian government schools — including those starting Prep, Year 7 or VCE during this period — will complete substantial portions of their schooling without ever experiencing full, needs-based resourcing.