23 July 2013 By NSW Teachers Federation
The Australian Education Union has said the Catholic sector’s endorsement of Gonski
means that the hold-out state and territory leaders must act immediately to ensure
public schools don’t miss out on the benefits of extra Gonski funding.
“Premiers Napthine and Newman have been holding out on Gonski, over imaginary
concerns the Catholic and Independent schools sector would be worse off. With both
sectors now endorsing Gonski, there is no excuse but for them to sign up without
delay,” Australian Education Union Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said.
Extra Commonwealth funds will now be delivered to private and Catholic schools,
whether or not a state or territory has signed up. Public schools will not receive a
single extra Gonski Commonwealth dollar in any state or territory that refuses to
sign.
“It would be nothing short of a travesty if those leaders chose to entrench
disadvantage and inequity by letting the resource gap widen between public and nongovernment
schools by refusing to sign up,” said Mr Gavrielatos.
The AEU said today’s announcement showed the federal Coalition were choosing
politics over evidence on the issue of schools funding.
“Today’s announcement exposes the hysterical claims of impacts of Gonski on the
Catholic sector by Opposition Education spokesperson Christopher Pyne as the
cheap-shot politics it’s always been” said Mr Gavrielatos.
“Tony Abbott must stop denying the facts and evidence that shows the current system
is broken. He must embrace the Gonski schools funding reforms,” said Mr
Gavrielatos.
“Australia’s public schools teach 77% of low income students, 86% of Indigenous
students, 80% of students with a disability and 84% of remote students. It is these
students who will benefit most from Gonski,” said Mr Gavrielatos.
“It’s time for Newman, Barnett, Giles and Napthine to get serious on Gonski. If they
fail, it’s only the public school kids in those states and territory that will miss out,”
concluded Mr Gavrielatos.
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