Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House is of the opinion that the Government should raise the Commonwealth contribution to public schools to at least 25 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard, so as to ensure that all public schools in Australia are fully funded in 2025".

Public schools in this country are in crisis. They've been left to flounder, abandoned by both state and federal governments, which seem neither interested in nor capable of delivering 100 per cent of the schooling resource standard, the level of funding that means a fully funded school. Only 1.3 per cent of public schools nationally receive the full SRS funding they desperately need, while 98 per cent of private schools are overfunded. This government is throwing more money at private schools while our public schools, where the majority of Australian kids study, are left behind.

Let's be very clear about what the schooling resource standard, or SRS, is. It's the absolute bare minimum of funding. The SRS is designed to get only 80 per cent of students across the line. The impact is very real. Across Ryan, we see this underfunding play out in schools every day. Our public schools are known for their fantastic teachers and engaged communities, but that goodwill isn't enough to keep them running without adequate funding. We have the latest numbers, and they're damning. Ashgrove State School is $1.7 million short per annum. Kenmore South State School is $2.5 million short. Ferny Grove State High School is $5.3 million short. Kenmore State High School is $5 million short. Mitchelton Special School is $1 million short, and that's nearly $12,000 per student. Ironside State School is $2.3 million short. And Indooroopilly State School is underfunded by a staggering $6.3 million.

What does this dire underfunding mean for the students? At Indooroopilly State High School, kids queue for the bathroom during their entire lunchbreak because there aren't enough toilets. Some have yet to see the inside of a science lab, a pivotal part of learning, purely because there's no space or funding for specialised classrooms. At Kenmore State High School there isn't enough space to hold an all-school assembly or ceremony. Other schools are relying heavily on already overburdened and overworked parents on the P&C to fundraise for basic classroom and school essentials. It's truly a testament to the amazing community in Ryan that these parents and these P&C members work so hard for the school communities. But they shouldn't have to beg for the bare necessities. It's shameful. Meanwhile, private schools rake in taxpayer money to build elaborate facilities like state-of-the-art science labs, Olympic sized pools or drama theatres. Every day this year, the federal government will give $51 million to private schools—that's every day!—while leaving public schools underfunded every day. How is that a fair system? It is not.

The SRS, remember, is a bare minimum standard. It's designed to fund only 80 per cent of students adequately, and still 98 per cent of public schools can't even reach that minimum. Under existing funding arrangements, the federal government contributes just 20 per cent of full funding to public schools, but it gives 80 per cent of full funding to private schools. The legislated 20 per cent default is a coalition relic. When the Prime Minister at the time, Malcolm Turnbull, introduced the original agreement, he was looking to completely end the federal government's involvement in public schools. At the time, Labor railed against this policy, so it's astounding that this bill does not guarantee more funding for public schools. It's just a recycled version of bad coalition policy.

This deal risks locking in the terminal decline of public schooling in Australia. Successive governments are eroding our public schools, forcing Australians to accept poorer standards or pay for a private system. Frankly, I find this embarrassing from a Labor government—no, more than embarrassing. It's absolutely destructive and an abandonment of the everyday Australians their party was set up to serve. What the Greens are proposing is common sense. Just ensure that all public schools are fully funded, and start by lifting the Commonwealth contribution to a minimum of 25 per cent.

Let's look at underfunding in Queensland. Public schools will be underfunded by $1.7 billion this year. That's $3,000 per child. This isn't just a dollar amount in a column in the budget. It's kids missing out on essential parts of their education—kids going without music classes or sports. It means there are just not enough teachers. Teachers are working themselves to utter exhaustion, even spending their own money—and I have seen this—on classroom basics.

Let me remind you here that schoolteachers are actually paying more in income tax than the entire oil and gas industry pays in PRRT. In the last decade, Australian teachers have forked out an average of $9.5 billion per year in tax; the oil and gas industry, $4.6 billion in PRRT. Teachers are getting squeezed and bearing the brunt of the underfunding crisis. The government will happily hand out billions in subsidies to fossil fuel companies but are unwilling to realistically meet the bare minimum standard for schooling across the country. It's a harrowing indictment of where the government's priorities lie.

Let's not forget the skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs for parents in our free public school education—and in a cost-of-living crisis. Families pay thousands each year for laptops, stationery, textbooks and excursions, all to close that gap left by government inaction. The average public school in Australia charges $409 in fees per student per year. Yet this government actually has the funds. They're boasting about an $18 billion surplus. They find billions for fossil fuel subsidies which worsen the climate crisis, they pour billions into tax breaks for investors that worsen the housing crisis and they're forecasting nearly half a trillion dollars for nuclear submarines—but the bare minimum for our public schools, for our kids' education? It's absolutely appalling.

This funding crisis is taking a toll. School infrastructure is actually falling apart, teachers are exhausted and burning out, kids are missing out on the most basic educational opportunities and, if we keep going down this road, public schools face decades of decay. Every child in Australia—every child—deserves access to a fully funded high-quality public school. Public education is the bedrock of a fair society. It opens doors, builds communities and lifts kids up. It's an investment in Australia's future, but Labor and the coalition have failed time and again to deliver this essential service—this essential right. They have deprioritised it. Shame! This is a rare chance to end a decade of shameful neglect and fully fund public education.

There is a simple solution. Lift the Commonwealth contribution to a minimum of 25 per cent and ensure 100 per cent SRS funding for all public schools by 2025. Without it, we'll watch another generation of young people miss out on the education they deserve. The government has a choice. Will they keep entrenching a two-tier system that leaves public schools struggling, or will they finally invest in every child's future and fully fund public schools?

The Greens will support the passage of this bill through the House, but we reserve our position in the Senate and will be seeking amendments to this bill.

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