Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Parramatta for her question. As people know, the government commissioned an independent review into school funding led by the Sydney businessman Mr David Gonski, with a number of eminent panel members from across the political spectrum, because we care about the future of education. Importantly, the panel found that our existing school funding system is broken, leaving too many schools and too many students behind. It also found that funding should match student need, so that all students—whatever school they are in—can reach their potential. Those at the coalface of education—the parents, the principals and the teachers—have overwhelmingly agreed with these findings. Some members of the coalition, it seems, are tending that way too.

Despite the findings of this independent panel, the Leader of the Opposition disagrees, saying very clearly—and he repeated it just in case somebody missed it—that 'the current funding for government schools is an injustice'. It seems that 'justice' in the mind of the mind of the Leader of the Opposition would be if school systems were funded purely on their share of enrolments. He does not agree that there should be additional funding according to need—just a straight split in funding between school systems based on enrolments.

I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to visit schools working in difficult circumstances around the country and repeat his comment that their funding represents an injustice. He should turn up at a few P&C meetings over the next couple of months—he could move for a suspension of standing orders, because that is what he knows something about—and then address the P&C and say, 'There is no question of injustice to public schools; if anything the injustice is the other way', and then repeat it: 'If anything the injustice is the other way.' Perhaps the members for Parkes, Mallee and Durack would welcome the opposition leader to an awards ceremony at one of their schools in remote or rural Australia, schools that receive additional funding based on their circumstances rather than just the number of students. The opposition leader could open his remarks to those schools by telling the parents gathered there: 'You know what? The great injustice in school funding in Australia is that public schools, such as the schools in regional Australia, receive too much money.' I think if he opened his address in that way, he would not get too many return invitations. The fact of the matter is that the opposition leader is suggesting that if in fact we have a split in funding based on school enrolments that would represent a cut to government schools of $2.5 billion a year. On top of the $2.8 billion that the opposition has on the slate for cuts to school funding, the opposition leader, by saying it is an injustice to fund government schools, has added to that figure. (Time expired)

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