2024-04-22
Ahead of the Education Ministers Meeting this week the Greens say they will use their numbers in the Senate to push Labor to end systemic underfunding and save our public schools.
Federal Labor has doubled down on its refusal to increase its share of public school funding to 25%, despite calls from the states, teachers unions and the Greens to do so.
With Labor saying it will introduce legislation to lock in new funding deals, and the Coalition ideologically opposed to public education, the Greens are likely to be in balance of power on any future bills.
The Greens will use their numbers to fight for 100% SRS funding to all public schools by January 2025, an end to the public overfunding of wealthy private schools and ongoing capital funding from the Commonwealth.
Comments attributable to Greens spokesperson on Primary and Secondary Education Senator Penny Allman-Payne:
“Labor can easily find another $50 billion to spend on war but are crying poor when it comes to providing an extra $3 billion a year to invest in the education of our kids.
“The Greens already have a bill before the Senate that would axe the so-called 20% cap on Commonwealth funding of schools and replace it with a floor of 25%. This is what the states and the unions are calling for and it’s what Labor could deliver if it backed our bill.
“But even if we get to 100% of the SRS, we need to be very clear that this is not full funding by any measure. It’s not even the bare minimum.
“The SRS is based on the funding a school needs to get 80% of students above the minimum NAPLAN standard. Calling that ‘full funding’ isn’t just misleading, it’s an out-and-out lie.
“We need to end overfunding of privileged private schools and ensure that our public system is fully funded, fully staffed and inclusive for all students.”