Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. Since 2013, the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government has denied that it's cutting school funding. Today the Prime Minister stood up and admitted cutting funding to Catholic and independent schools and pledged to restore part of that funding. Will the Prime Minister and the education minister also restore the $14 billion that has been cut from public schools over the next decade?

Mr Frydenberg interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer will cease interjecting.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister for her question. It gives me the chance to inform the House that, when it comes to government schools, they're getting record funding levels. When it comes to Catholic schools, they're getting record funding levels. When it comes to independent schools, they're getting record funding levels. And it also gives me the chance just to mention to the House what that funding looks like. Commonwealth funding for state schools was $6.8 billion last year. It will be $7.3 billion this year, it will be $7.9 billion next year and it will be $8.6 billion the year after that.

A government member: It's going up.

That is going up. As a matter of fact, it's quite interesting: from 2017 to 2027, Commonwealth funding to state schools will grow by 86 per cent. According to the Productivity Commission, since 2006 on a per-student basis, Commonwealth funding to state schools has increased by 78.5 per cent. This is an incredibly important point: this is compared to a 7.7 per cent increase in the contribution from the state and territory governments. So, if we need to be encouraging anyone to increase their funding for state schools, it is state and territory governments.