The Teachers Federation is urging NSW Premier, Mike Baird, to act on Gonski funding following his re-election over the weekend.
Federation president, Maurie Mulheron, told the union's Principals' Conference on March 30 that Baird must pressure the Abbott Government to fund the 5th and 6th years of the needs-based schools funding program.
A workshop at the conference illustrated how Gonski funding had improved teaching and learning outcomes.
Principals also shared ideas on raising community awareness of the need for the implementation of the full 6 years of Gonski funding in the lead up to the next Federal election.
Earlier this month, NSW principals urged the Federal Government to address the inequitable levels of funding granted to the state’s public schools.
The statement, which appeared on the Secondary Principals’ Council (SPC) website, commended the Government on fulfilling its promise to provide direct funding to schools, but said a glaring inequity between public and private schools remains.
“Currently NSW provides 56% of Government capital funding to the non-government sector,” Lila Mularczyk, SPC president, said.
“In 2013 the NSW Government removed the requirement in the Education Act that funded non-government schools at 25% of government schools.”
Mularczyk pointed out that when measuring the funding levels between both sectors, private income must be taken into account.
“Capital works funding for non-government schools sits at more than $97m in combined State and Commonwealth Government funding each year.
“On a per capita basis, this is $243 per student. When private income is included, the non-government sector currently spends $618 per student, higher than the $524 per student spent in the government sector.”