Tammy Tyrrell (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

None of us want public schools to be underresourced or underfunded. We've all heard about the teachers using their own money to buy stationery supplies for their classrooms so that their kids don't miss out, or the playground equipment that is broken and needs replacing so it's off limits for the kids of that school. These are clear examples of when funding is falling short, and it's our kids who are missing out.

Kids who go to public schools deserve the same resources as those who go to private schools, but we know that it isn't always the case. Education should not be something we quibble about. Education should be equitable. Private schools don't need more money—I agree with Senator McKim on that point. Between the funds they receive from the government, the fundraising they do themselves and the fees they charge, private schools are doing alright for themselves. But we have to be careful where we're talking about who gets what when it comes to pots of money for education.

Under the Australian Education Act the government gives block grant authorities capital funding for independent schools. Those authorities disperse that money to independent schools around the country based on grant applications the schools submit. The term 'independent school' covers private schools—sure—but also religious schools, special assistance schools and schools for Indigenous students. Independent schools don't automatically equal a school that educates children of wealthy families.

Giant Steps Tasmania is an independent special school in Deloraine for children on the autism spectrum. There are nine indie schools across Tassie's three regions offering alternative kinds of education for kids who don't learn best in traditional learning environments. These schools fill a gap in our education system, and they do it really well. They provide education for Tassie kids who might otherwise fall through the cracks, and they do it with funding from multiple sources, including grants provided under the Australian Education Act. Cutting funding to independent schools would be bad for Giant Steps Tasmania and for Tassie's nine indie schools. They're helping our most vulnerable kids. Denying funding to those independent schools would mean denying our kids opportunities, and that I cannot support.