“Comments by Coalition sources about the position of ‘non-government school lobbyists’ in relation to current school funding arrangements and in particular funding maintained schools do not reflect the reality.”
“The fact is that the current non-government school funding arrangements, introduced by the Coalition government in 2000, would have seen a large number of non-government schools lose funding.”
“The funding maintained arrangements were a necessary fix because of the model that the Coalition government introduced, ” said Independent Education Union of Australia Federal Secretary Chris Watt.
“The IEUA has always been of the view that this fix needed to be reviewed over time to ensure the ongoing legitimacy of the SES funding arrangements.”
“It is an incorrect assumption that revision or removal of the funding maintained fix would necessarily mean a cut in funding to those schools.”
“What will be critical in the outcomes of the current funding review will be to guarantee that no non-government school loses a real dollar in funding and that any changes provide for sensible and funded transition arrangements.”
“It is disappointing that the conservatives in this debate, the AEU and the Coalition, seem intent on wanting to breath life into the old public/private debate.”
Contact:
Chris Watt
Federal Secretary Independent Education Union
Ph (02) 6273 3107 0419 259 143