Budget Summary - Support Gonski on Public Education Day, 28 May 2015

By NSW Teachers Federation 20 May 2015

Education has low priority in the Abbott Government’s 2015 Budget.

The only significant education investments are existing initiatives inherited from the previous Labor Government, 15 hours early childhood education, the disability loading and school funding growth contained in the first four Gonski years.

Schools funding

School funding will decline in real terms after 2017 when the Abbott Government’s commitment to Gonski lapses.

Indexing by CPI, rather than by the Gonski growth rate of 4.7%, will result in a real funding cut.

This decline will be exacerbated by the winding down of School education specific funding. This is funding targeted at disadvantage and educational priorities through National Partnerships and other support measures. By 2018/19 only three National Partnerships will remain.

By 2018 there will be virtually no Commonwealth education funding targeted at poor and disadvantaged students

Disability funding

There is no additional funding to help schools meet the needs of all students with a disability. In fact there is less as the Support for Students with Disabilities National Partnership is one of the first to be wound up at the end of this financial year.

VET

VET funding to the states will decline in real terms.

Training costs will be shifted from government and onto students. The VET sector will be the main driver of growth in overall student debt.

Universal Access to Early Childhood

Funding to continue this Labor initiative is only guaranteed to 2017.