Tuesday, June 23, 2015

NSWTF: Imagine a government that did not fund government schools.

Crazy right? Yes, but that is what the Abbott Government has on the table right now.

Leaked documents show it has produced an education plan that includes the options of ending the federal funding of public schools or ending the provision of free public education.

When news got out yesterday, Mr Abbott abandoned the plan to end more than 100 years of free public education.

But he did not rule out ending all federal funding of public schools. State Governments would either fund and manage all schools or just public schools. Not one word about how the shortfall in funding would be made up.

Of course, Gonski would be demolished as well.

If you oppose this add your name to our petition calling on Mr Abbott not to abandon Gonski and our public schools.

Almost $6 billion a year in federal funding goes to public schools. That is $1 out of every $8 spent and it will be a lot more than that if we can get Gonski in full.

Unfortunately, we know the Federal Government doesn’t believe it has a responsibility for public schools. As Education Minister Christopher Pyne said last year:

"Having talked to the Prime Minister about this matter many times, it is his view that we have a particular responsibility for non-government schooling that we don’t have for government schooling.”

He added that the “emotional commitment’’ of the Abbott Government was to continue a relationship with the private school sector.

Please make sure your name is on this petition when we send it to Mr Abbott telling him the primary obligation of all governments is to adequately and appropriately resource government schools.


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