2018-03-24
The Australian Greens have slammed the Catholic Education Commission’s continued bastardisation of Gonski, following new Fairfax reports it is keeping poor schools poor.
“The Catholic sector argues it doesn’t get enough money, but happily continues to overfund rich schools at the expense of poorer ones,” Greens education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Australians would be fuming that, despite the Catholics constantly crying poor, they’re making sure some schools go without to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is public money being spent and the public have the right to know where it is going.
“Robbing Peter to pay Paul favours prestige over quality education. Gonski should have been about getting great outcomes for our kids, so they have the best chance at succeeding in their schooling regardless of where they live or what their parents’ bank balance is. Gonski’s needs-based, sector-blind education model is being completely undermined.
“It’s appalling that both the Liberal Government and the Labor Party continue to grovel to the Catholic sector while it does the wrong thing by families, and while the public sector goes without.”