Coalition increases pressure on SA education minister Susan Close to sign new Gonski school funding deal

A FIGHT over $1.3 billion in school funding has heated up with one politician being told “your understanding of maths suggests we really do have some failings in the education system”.

• SA Education Minister refuses to sign new Gonski school funding deal

A FIGHT over $1.3 billion in school funding has heated up with one politician being told “your understanding of maths suggests we really do have some failings in the education system”.

Federal Labor has stepped in to back the State Government’s decision to refuse to sign up to the new national school funding agreement — known as Gonski 2.0.

South Australian Education Minister Susan Close claims the new deal rips $210 million from schools over the next two years.

But in a perverse outcome, her decision has put in limbo $1.3 billion of federal funding desperately needed for schools to open their gates next year.

On ABC radio this morning Federal Labor’s childcare spokeswoman Amanda Rishworth backed Dr Close.

“You can dress it up any way you want Simon; a cut is a cut is a cut,” she told Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham.

To which he responded: “Amanda, your understanding of maths suggests we really do have some failings in the education system.”

Simon Birmingham

Amanda Rishworth

The usually diplomatic Senator has clearly been frustrated by the SA Government’s defiance.

“SA Government school sector will receive some 10 per cent extra next year compared with this year. That’s hardly a cut ... and it keeps growing thereafter,” he said.

The new funding deal passed federal Parliament with the support of the Nick Xenophon Team and other crossbenchers in June.

Under Gonski 2.0, SA schools stand to receive an extra $800 million in federal funding over the next decade when compared with the funding levels committed to in the Budget.

But Dr Close has argued that under the original deal struck with the Gillard Government, SA schools would have received $210 million more over the next two years.

State education ministers, including SA’s Susan Close, left, ahead of a meeting with federal education minister Simon Birmingham in May. Picture: AAP/David Mariuz

NXT education spokeswoman Rebekha Sharkie has said the State Government was “comparing apples with imaginary pears” because the $210 million was never really funded.

Senator Birmingham said the State Government had until next Tuesday to sign up to the deal otherwise under law the Federal Treasury was unable to provide a single dollar to SA schools.

“December 5 is when the Federal Treasury tells me they need to have all the paperwork signed off to make sure that SA schools start getting paid in January next year,” he said.

“If the SA Government refuse to sign the very basic statement of principles that is part of the Education Act that ... is a trigger for ... the Federal Government to make payments to the different states and territories.

“If the SA Government refuses to sign them, that will in effect be the State Government denying South Australian schools access to around $1.3 billion in federal school funding next year.”