2018-11-09
Today, Schools Councils from across the electorate of Northcote have launched a unified campaign for better school infrastrucuture funding and for a transparent, needs based system of funding to ensure maintenance upgrades and investment is happening when required.
After being elected in late 2017, Northcote MP Lidia Thorpe visited schools across the electorate to find that almost every single one was in desperate need of basic maintenance, as well as investment for school halls, reducing portables and sports facilities. Currently funding is promised to schools based on vote buying and political expediency, rather than a fair and transparent system. Because Northcote was a safe Labor seat for decades, it has been neglected.
Instead of advocating for one school over another, Lidia choose to bring all schools together in a collaborative space to share their experiences and what could be done about it. From this Northcote Electorate State Schools Alliance (NESSA) was born.
Quotes attributable to Lidia Thorpe, Greens MP for Northcote:
“It’s a tribute to this community, that rather than compete against each other for funding, School Councils across the electorate have united to advocate for better facilities for all schools and a transparent system of funding.
“I’ll continue to work with and support these School Councils and the community to pressure the government for better facilities for our children.
“Unfortunately, whether you are a member of the government or an independent voice, it is lobbying and vote buying that gets schools infrastructure funding. This has got to change. We need a transparent, needs-based funding system.
Read more about NESSA here: http://nessa.org.au