Greens call on Education Minister to hold the line for NSW
Greens Education Spokesperson and Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith MP today joined the NSW Primary Principals’ Association, NSW Secondary Principals’ Council, the NSW Teachers Federation and the NSW P&C Federation in calling on the NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes to hold the line on needs-based funding for schools. (see letter below)
Ms Smith said “The pressure on our NSW Minister to cave in to the wheeling and dealing of the Morrison government and abandon the Gonski reforms and sector blind needs based funding for NSW schools is high,” said Ms Smith
“We need to unite Australians rather than divide them on school funding policies. The Coalition’s $4.6 billion increase to private school funding is inequitable and unfair and doesn’t put the needs of students first..
"In contrast with the Morrison government's divisive approach, NSW has shown that support for fair needs-based education funding unites parents, teachers and their school communities, because the benefits of fair schools funding reaches every child.
"Greens in NSW have long supported the efforts of the state government here to deliver needs-based funding to public schools. The Morrison government should follow the example of NSW to make schools funding fairer, instead of playing favourites among different schools sectors, and setting parents and communities against one another."
"Greens in NSW believe that fair funding should be extended to every sector of education so that public schools, TAFEs, pre-schools and universities are all within reach for every student,” said Ms Smith.
ENDS
Open Letter to the Minister for Education, Rob Stokes MP.
26 September 2018
Hon. Robert Stokes, MP
NSW Minister for Education
Level 18
52 Martin Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Dear Minister
We write to you on behalf of parents, principals and teachers in the NSW public school system.
We share a passion and commitment to ensuring the needs of all students are met.
The Prime Minister’s announcement last Thursday of a $4.6 billion special funding deal for Catholic and Independent schools ignored the majority of Australian children who are educated in public schools.
Not one single dollar was promised to students with the greatest need.
By 2023, under the current federal funding legislation, 87% of public schools will fall below the minimum level of funding required to meet the educational needs of their children, while 65% of private schools will be funded above it.
The funding announcement last Thursday will exacerbate this inequity.
We note your recent public statements rejecting the Morrison Government’s special deal for private schools calling for a funding model that meets the needs of all students.
Therefore, we call on you as Minister to remain steadfast in your opposition to the Morrison Government’s special deal and demand the Commonwealth commit to a sector-blind, needs-based model that will fund all schools to 100 per cent of the agreed Schooling Resource Standard.
Yours sincerely
Phil Seymour
President
NSW Primary Principals’ Association
Chris Presland
President
NSW Secondary Principals’ Council
Susie Boyd
President
NSW P&C Federation
Maurie Mulheron
President
NSW Teachers Federation