Media Release – Tue 6 September
School funding research papers released last week by the Gonski review are favouring cuts to funding to non-government schools across Australia.
Federal Secretary of the IEU said a cut in the Average Government School Recurrent Costs (AGSRC) would mean a cut to school funding, a loss of teachers’ jobs, and a decrease in the standards of education.
“The AGSRC is critical in ensuring teacher job security and employment conditions and overall education standards, said Mr Watt”
“The cost of education a child has gone up in both government and non-government schools, and it is fair and right that increases in funding should meet these increased costs.
“Schools and teachers are nervous about reports that the Gonski review will recommend slashing funding for some of the poorest schools in the country.
“It is the fact that the cost of education is increasing way ahead of inflation which is the reason for any increase to non-government schools,” said Mr Watt.
The AGSRC funding model is based on a percentage of funding given to government schools and does not transfer the “higher average cost of educating students” as some would want the public to believe.
“A change to the indexation to inflation could mean a massive cut to educating children across Australia,” said Mr Watt.
“These reports have reflected a fundamental misrepresentation of the way in which schools are funded.
“The teachers and schools we represent rely on fair funding to provide a decent education for Australian children.
“The debate should be about an increase in funding for all Australian schools, not some kind of thinly disguised and uninformed war against families who choose to send their children to a non-government school.
“Minister Garrett keeps telling the public that no school will be worse off, but these reports seem to be sending the opposite message,” said Mr Watt.
Media Contact: Evan Langdon 0429 020 409 or elangdon@ieu.org.au