Federal Government hires Gillard government adviser David Gonski to conduct new education review

A DRAMATIC overhaul of school funding dubbed “Gonski 2.0” will end special deals across the nation and ensure equitable treatment for every student, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

• PM gives a Gonski — puts $18.6bn into schools

A DRAMATIC overhaul of school funding dubbed “Gonski 2.0” will end special deals across the nation and ensure equitable treatment for every student, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

The Federal Government has hired businessman David Gonski — whose name is synonymous with the recommendations he delivered to the Gillard government — to conduct the new review.

The move will help dilute attacks from Labor and the unions who gained mileage from a campaign featuring “I Give A Gonski” T-shirts.

Mr Turnbull on Tuesday said the Government would provide an extra $18.6 billion over the next decade for a “real, needs-based school funding” model.

Mr Gonski will determine exactly how that money is rolled out under the review, officially called “Quality Schools”.

“In the interests of our children and our grandchildren, the time has come to bring the school funding wars to an end,” Mr Turnbull said.

“And to focus with renewed energy on ensuring that all our children have great schools and great teachers so that they can realise their full potential.”

Funding for public and private schools will be $17.5 billion this year; that will increase to $22.1 billion by 2021 and $30.6 billion by 2027.

Businessman David Gonski speaking in Sydney on Tuesday. AAP Image/Joel Carrett

In 2013, Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard revealed the Gonski school reforms and embarked on an ambitious program of negotiating them with the states and territories. The Commonwealth mostly funds non-government schools while the states fund government schools.

Different agreements were made during the difficult negotiations with the states. The Coalition on Tuesday promised to end the “27 special deals” that were made.

Mr Turnbull declared them a “patchwork”.

“That inequity ends now,” he said, promising that “the same student with the same needs will be treated exactly the same in terms of Commonwealth funding no matter which state they reside in or the school system in which they’re being educated”.

The Government also revealed that 24 schools — mostly elite schools in Sydney — will “receive a small reduction in per-student funding” in 2018.

Mr Gonski’s Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools will recommend teaching and learning strategies proven to boost student results, the Government says.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham, fresh from revealing cuts to university funding, promised real growth in school funding “above inflation, above wages growth”.

He said the Government would consistently apply the recommendations of the original Gonski review to deliver a base standard, with extra help for disadvantaged students.

The new review under Mr Gonski would look at how to ensure that money delivered quality outcomes, he said.

Australian students’ performance has been falling when compared to other countries. The Government has argued that those statistics show that throwing money at the problem is not the solution.

Now, they are promising more money but say it is tethered to improvements in quality.

Labor immediately attacked the new plan, declaring it a $22 billion cut over the next decade, because when in Government they had promised larger funding increases.

Education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said it was “an act of political bastardry”.

“What we get today is a smoke and mirrors, pea and thimble effort to hide the fact that instead of cutting $30 billion over the next decade, the government will cut $22 billion over the next decade,” she said.

The final Gonski 2.0 report is due at the end of the year, with the Government hoping to reach agreements with the states and territories in the first half of 2018.

The Greens and Nick Xenophon Team will consider the details before declaring whether they will support it. Greens education spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the current model was flawed, but cuts to schools should not be a savings measure, while Senator Xenophon said it was “a step in the right direction”.

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