NSW Teachers Federation demands more teachers, fairer funding for North Coast public schools

The NSW Teachers Federation is pushing for more public school funding, particularly in the regions, with metro private schools accused of splurging on “vanity projects“ like “Scottish castles”.

NSW Teachers Federation senior vice president Natasha Watt out front of Richmond River High school in Lismore this week. She wants to see more funding pumped into public schools.

School teachers and representatives on the North Coast say funding inequality between private and public schools is resulting in overcrowded classrooms and worse outcomes for regional students.

NSW Teachers Federation president Henry Rajendr and senior vice president Natasha Watt have visited the region as they continue a statewide campaign.

In Lismore, Ms Watt called for more teachers and a fairer share after damning reports revealed a $1.9 billion funding gap under the National School Reform Agreement.

The schooling resource standard, or SRS, is an estimate of how much total public funding a school requires to meet educational needs.

Ms Watt said “NSW is currently funded at about 89 per cent” and “the gap of 11 per cent is worth $1.9 billion this year alone”.

“That’s the equivalent of 10,000 permanent teachers for the system,” she said.

Ms Watt said teachers were struggling with large classes and unable to provide specialist support for kids in need.

The state government has contributed 75 per cent of the SRS, but public schools have still not been funded to levels agreed upon when the Gonski funding deal was struck more than a decade ago.

Ms Watt called on the federal government to chip in the extra 25 per cent and boost teacher numbers.

“We also want to see the Albanese government put money in for capital expenditure,” she said.

Ms Watt said a “big problem” was private schools receiving public funding to make their infrastructure “salubrious”.

“Private schools in Sydney, which receive substantial public funding, are splurging on unnecessary vanity projects such as equestrian centres and Scottish castles – while public schools are missing out,” she said.

An Australian Education Union report in February states “the average annual capital spending per student in private schools from 2012 to 2021 was more than double that of public schools”.

“Governments would have had to spend an additional $31.8 billion just to match the investment per student private schools made in new and upgraded schools,” it reads.

Ms Watt said the state has been pulling its weight by raising teacher salaries and it was time for the Albanese government to “step up”.

“This is not a ‘fair go Australia’. This is inequality,” she said.

A spokesman for Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car said the Commonwealth should “fully fund” all public schools.

“We are committed to reaching a funding agreement that will see all public-school students guaranteed a world-class education, in modern facilities, no matter their postcode,” she said.

Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car. Picture: Adam Yip

The NSW government has committed to reach 75 per cent of the SRS by 2025.

The federal government currently covers just one-fifth of the remaining 25 per cent required to fund public schools up to the Gonski standard.

NSW has been in discussions with the Commonwealth about bolstering funding.

Ms Watt added: “There’s no better investment than giving students the education they need and deserve.”

Education Minister Jason Clare announcing funding at Darwin on Wednesday. Picture: Lukas Coch/NCA NewsWire/Pool

On Thursday, federal Education Minister Jason Clare was asked on radio whether public schools should be fully funded by now.

He pointed the finger at the Opposition and said “My job now is to make sure that we finish the job.”

Mr Clare said he wanted public education to be “parents’ first choice” and the government was working to close the gap.

“At the moment we have one of the most segregated education systems in the world, not by the colour of your parents’ skin but by the size of their pay packet. That is just a fact,” he told the ABC.

Mr Clare said the deal the government “strikes this year is so important” and he was “making sure that we fix this funding gap”.