Federal Education Minister Jason Clare announced today that the Federal and Northern Territory Governments have signed a bilateral agreement, to increase funding for all schools in the Northern Territory to 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by 2029.
Parents Victoria, along with the Australian Education Union and many other stakeholder groups under the umbrella of the For Every Child campaign, has long been campaigning for all Australian public schools to be funded to 100% of the SRS.
We join the AEU in calling on the Federal Government to step up and ensure that all Australian public schools have the funding they need.
Here’s a media release issued today by the AEU Federal branch:
RESOURCES DELAYED ARE RESOURCES DENIED: AEU CALLS ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR FULL FUNDING
The Australian Education Union acknowledges the significant $768 million funding deal struck between the Albanese Government and the Northern Territory.
However, the AEU is calling on the Federal Government to step up for the other states and fulfil their promise to provide full funding to public schools by increasing their contribution from 22.5% to 25%, rather than pressuring states to sign a deal which falls short.
However, the AEU is calling on the Federal Government to step up for the other states and fulfil their promise to provide full funding to public schools by increasing their contribution from 22.5% to 25%, rather than pressuring states to sign a deal which falls short.
AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said she is deeply concerned about the government’s approach to school funding citing the deal as an ultimatum.
“The critical funding and support needed for Australian public school staff and students should not be compromised amidst a political spat between governments which has the potential to deny long awaited promised funding for public schools,” said Ms Haythorpe.
“With only 1.3% of public schools funded at the minimum benchmark, the Schooling Resource Standard, the stark reality is that public schools have waited more than a decade for the vital resources that they need to deliver high quality education for every child.
“Students on the cusp of finishing Year 12 are amongst the first cohort of students who were promised this funding but have not had the full benefits they were entitled to.
“In the lead up to the last federal election, Prime Minister Albanese promised to ensure that every public school was fully funded. This current deal on the table, of an additional 2.5% or nothing, is inadequate and does not deliver on their promise.
“This has the potential to entrench inequality in a way that we have not seen since the Coalition Government changed the Australian Education Act in 2017. The Government cannot expect to implement a reform agenda without resolving the public school funding negotiations first.
“Delivery of full funding must be a joint commitment from both the Commonwealth and the State and Territory governments. The fact that five states and one territory are refusing to sign the current deal is a clear sign that the Albanese Government’s offer is not good enough.”
Time is quickly running out on this issue with school principals, teachers, education support staff and parents calling on all governments to work together to deliver full funding for public schools now.
“On the brink of a broken promise”
The Victorian AEU also published a media release today, saying that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is “on the brink of a broken promise” because the Federal Government funding offer to the states falls short of delivering 100% SRS funding to public schools.
Here’s the AEU Victoria media release
PUBLIC SCHOOL STAFF AND STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE USED AS POLITICAL PAWNS IN FUNDING SPAT
The Australian Education Union Victorian Branch says the Federal Government’s take it or leave it approach to Victorian public school funding puts the Prime Minister on the brink of a broken promise.
President Meredith Peace called on the Federal and Victorian Governments to resolve the funding agreement and provide the full funding required to ensure Victorian public school students have the resources to continue to receive a high quality education.
“In the lead up to the last federal election, the Prime Minister promised to ensure that every public school was on the pathway to 100 per cent of funding to the Schooling Resource Standard.“We are gravely concerned about the take it or leave it approach of the Albanese Labor Government, which puts the Prime Minister on the brink of a broken promise.
“The deal on the table, of an additional 2.5 per cent from the Commonwealth or a rollover of the current agreement with no additional funding, does not deliver this and could entrench inequality in a way that we have not seen since the federal Coalition government was in power.
“Resources delayed are resources denied,” Ms Peace said.“Victorian public school staff and students should not be used as political pawns in a school funding spat between the Federal and Victorian Governments.
“Victorian public schools are currently among the lowest funded in the country and have now waited over a decade for the resources they need to continue delivering a high quality education for every child.“Delivering full funding must be a joint commitment from both the Federal and State Governments, and right now, the offer from the Albanese Labor Government is not good enough. We support the Allan Government’s demand that the Commonwealth contribute a further 5 per cent in addition to the existing 20 per cent they already provide.
“It’s been more than a decade since a needs-based school funding model was established. Victorian public school students who are about to finish year twelve are among the first cohort who were promised this funding but have not had the full benefits they were entitled to.
“Time is running out on this issue and school parents, principals, teachers and education support staff expect the Federal and Victorian Governments to work together to deliver full funding for Victorian public schools now.”
For more background information on school funding and the Schooling Resource Standard, see the School Funding section of our website.
