2017-06-05
The Australian Greens have reaffirmed their commitment to Australian public schools during today’s Senate inquiry hearing into the government’s proposed schools funding plan.
"We stand with public schools and their principals who have told the Senate today that the current law is not good enough, but that it's also not fair to make kids in underfunded schools wait ten years to catch up to their peers in wealthier schools,” the Greens’ education spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“For years public schools have been let down by political bickering and game playing from Federal politicians.
“Julia Gillard walked away from key recommendations of the original Gonksi review and then refused to even lock the promises that the Labor government did make into legislation. Those promises aren’t being honoured by the current government and the decision not to protect them in law is having disastrous consequences.
“Malcolm Turnbull has gone some way towards genuine needs based funding reform in his proposed model, but what has been put on the table so far simply isn’t sufficient.
“Public schools need to receive more money, sooner, and a National Schools Resourcing Body should be created as an absolute priority, just as David Gonski recommended. We also need to see accountability, transparency and a sense of mutual obligation from the State and Territory governments injected into the current debate.
“In this inquiry we’ve heard from many groups including the Australian Primary Principals Association, the Australian Government Primary Principals Association, Australian Secondary Principals Australia and the Australian Council of State School Organisations who all want to see genuine needs based funding achieved.
“While some politicians are only interested in running a protection racket for certain sectors and overfunded schools, we will stand up for public education in this country each and every time.”
Media Contact: Amy Moran 0427 604 760