A major spanner has been thrown into the works of the Federal Government’s ‘Better and Fairer Schools Agreement’, just weeks after Tasmania, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory signed on to the federal deal.
On Wednesday, the Australian Education Union announced an immediate nationwide ban on the implementation of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, saying it will not be rolled out until all public schools have “a genuine pathway” to achieve the minimum 100% of the School Resourcing Standard (SRS).
“We have an extraordinary situation in Australia right now where SA, NSW, VIC, NSW and the ACT have been told that if they do not agree to the Albanese deal of an additional 2.5 %, then they will get status quo funding next year,” AEU Federal President, Correna Haythorpe told The Educator.
“This means that for schools in these jurisdictions, their funding will be the same as in 2023 and 2024. Further, the Albanese deal locks in inequality as it sets a ten-year time frame for funding to roll out.”
Haythorpe said this will increase the workload burden for principals, and the financial burden in every school.
“You can’t run a system on an oily rag and that is what is being asked of states right now. The consequence of this is passed onto every school, every principal and teacher at a time when we have increased workloads and chronic staff shortages,” she said.
“This ban relates to future initiatives that are in the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement that have additional workload and are not funded.”
'Every day we argue amongst ourselves is another day wasted'
When asked what the union’s decision to block the rollout of the BFSA means for Australia’s school principals, Andy Mison, President of the Australian Secondary Principals Association, highlighted the troubling reality that equitable, needs-based funding remains a contentious issue in Australia.
"It’s deeply disappointing that the principle of needs based equitable funding for every Australian child should be so contested in our national life," Mison told The Educator.
"The amount of money required is not beyond our governments to find, and the focus of all our effort should be on working together to build the best education system we possibly can for the benefit of all Australians. Every day we argue amongst ourselves is another day wasted."
‘We have a right to say no to unreasonable workloads’
Haythorpe said AEU members in schools “should not be expected to carry the burden of new reforms when their schools are not fully funded.”
“This does not relate to current work practices. It relates to future reforms which the Federal Government has asked state and territory governments to implement in order to get their school funding allocation,” Haythorpe said.
“Given that SA, VIC, NSW, and QLD in particular are facing status quo funding next year as the negotiations have stalled, the Albanese government cannot expect our members to implement reforms when they don’t have the funding that they need for the reforms.”
Haythorpe said the reforms will only increase AEU members’ workloads.
“They have a right to say no to unreasonable workloads,” she said. “The only solution is for the Albanese government to put more money into their negotiations with states.”
'Not a blank cheque'
Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare, said the $16bn that the Government has just put on the table is “not a blank cheque”.
“This isn’t a blank cheque. I make no apologies for tying this additional money to reforms that will support teachers and help students catch up, keep up and finish school,” Clare told The Educator.
“If delivered, this would represent the biggest extra investment in public education by the Australian Government in this country’s history. If a state or territory does not sign on to the Government’s public school funding offer, the current funding arrangements will continue for another 12 months.”