Australia’s peak teachers’ union and the Greens are calling for the Federal Government to rethink its school funding plan, with concerns that public schools will be left underfunded.
On Thursday last week, the Federal Government introduced legislation removing the funding ceiling that stops the Commonwealth providing more than 20% of funding to public schools. This means the 20% contributed by the Commonwealth will become the minimum, not the maximum, that it contributes to public schools.
However, the Australian Education Union (AEU) said the 20% cap sets the floor at the Coalition government’s cap instead of the full 25% that is needed to ensure public schools get the funding they need.
The union says the government also needs to answer the question about what the regulations currently allow them to do in terms of delivering funding to schools in Northern Territory, Western Australia, and Tasmania.
“The floor should not be set until all states and territories have signed bilateral agreements, then a true floor can be set rather than cementing in the previous government’s position,” AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said, adding there has been no genuine opportunity for consultation on the draft legislation.
“Further, we have the astonishing situation whereby NSW, VIC, SA, QLD and the ACT have been told that they will receive status quo funding for next year, therefore no additional money for these states.”
Haythorpe said this can only be viewed as “a cynical political move” against states that have held firm for a full 100% SRS on behalf of their public schools.
“This approach entrenches inequality for the students, teachers and families of these jurisdictions,” she said. “There is an urgent need for the Albanese Government to show leadership and return to the negotiating table with a “better and fairer” school funding offer for states and territories.”
The Greens are backing the union’s calls for the government to lock in minimum 25% federal contribution and fully fund Australia’s public schools.
“I am seriously concerned that the Government intends to set and forget the Commonwealth’s contribution to public schooling at 20% – which is what Labor’s Bill enables – when it should be at least 25%,” Greens spokesperson on Primary and Secondary Education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne said.
“The federal government’s offer is woefully inadequate, and it will consign another generation of young people to an underfunded education. Labor’s deal is not a deal for full funding and independent fact checkers have labelled Mr Clare’s claims as misleading.”
“Let me make this clear: public schools, students and teachers cannot be left to scrape by on less than the bare minimum. It's time for the Government to join with the Greens and state Labor Premiers to lock in full funding for public schools, and lock out the Liberals.”
Responding to ongoing concerns about the government’s ‘Better and Fairer Schools Agreement’, Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare said its investment represents “the biggest extra investment in public education by the Australian Government in this country’s history.”
“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 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.”
Holding firm, the Australian Education Union has placed an immediate nationwide ban on the implementation of the BFSA, 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.”
Andy Mison, President of the Australian Secondary Principals Association, called the situation “deeply disappointing”.
"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."