By Victoria Stone-Meadows
Minister for Education Simon Birmingham paid a visit to Hillcrest Christian College on Thursday 29 June to spruik the latest changes to federal school funding.
Along with member for La Trobe Jason Wood, Mr Birmingham defended the Gonski 2.0 funding model saying federal education funding would be distributed fairly to Victorian schools.
“All schools are set to benefit under our needs-based funding arrangement,” he said.
“The Turnbull Government is ensuring all schools are treated fairly, consistently, and equitably whether they are government schools, non-government, primary, secondary or integrated; all of them will receive funding according to a fair consistent needs-based formula.”
However, the Australian Education Union (AEU) has said the modified school funding model will mean state schools in the area will be worse off.
“Instead of delivering a full needs-based funding model, Turnbull’s plan to cut school funding means $13.6 million will be slashed from schools across the La Trobe electorate over the next two years,” AEU Victorian Branch president Meredith Peace said.
The AEU has publicly stated they would rather see the current federal education funding model continued into the future.
“The current Gonski needs-based funding agreement is already making a difference to students in local schools, delivering individual programs and resources that extend and support our children,” Ms Peace said.
Minister Birmingham claimed the AEU was running an untruthful campaign against the government, and state schools would be receiving more money under the new system.
“It is simply not true,” he said.
“Public education in Victoria will see funding growth over next few years of about 6.7 per cent per student whereas is non-government sector growth is at about the 4 per cent mark.”
“We can see from that the rate of growth under the needs-based model is stronger into the public education sector, and we are striving to provide equity of treatment across the board.”
He also lashed out at the AEU saying it has been running an untruthful campaign and engaging in tokenism.
“Frankly, the education union should be embarrassed about the campaign they have run,” he said.
“Having run around the country for the last six years wearing tokenistic green, ‘I give a Gonski shirts’ to then stand against the legislation and oppose the legislation that David Gonski endorsed is frankly embarrassing.”
