Budget 2024: Teachers cane ALP for ‘Gonski gap’ failure

Teacher unions and parent groups have marked down the federal budget for failing to fill the ‘Gonski gap’ in needs-based funding to public schools.

The federal and state governments are fighting over funding for government schools.

Teacher unions and parent groups have marked down the federal budget for failing to fill the “Gonski gap’’ in needs-based funding to public schools.

Parents and Citizens federal president Yvonne Hilsz said the federal budget revealed a “stark neglect of our public school kids and their fundamental education needs’’.

“The federal government makes all the right noises, and says all the right things, but they refuse to put their money where their mouth is and deliver for our kids,’’ she said.

“Our children’s education should be at the top of our national agenda, yet once again we see a shortfall in the commitment to fully fund schools to the standards set by (businessman David) Gonski a decade ago.’’

Australian Education Union president Correna Haythorpe said the Albanese government was favouring private schools. “The public knows there is deep inequity in how public schools are funded compared with private schools in Australia,’’ she said.

“There are unacceptable achievement gaps between children from different backgrounds and locations, acute teacher shortages and alarming declines in student wellbeing and engagement.”

Australian Education Union President Correna Haythorpe says the government is playing favourites with private schools.

Ms Haythorpe called on the government to reconsider its “unacceptable’’ decision to discontinue capital works funding for public schools beyond this year, while giving private schools $1bn in funding for new buildings and facilities over four years.

“For schools which have benefited from this funding, it has meant new facilities such as toilets and outdoor learning areas,’’ she said. “At the same time, private schools have raked in $1.25bn, some of which went to the richest schools in the nation.

“Private schools will now get an additional $1bn over four years; public schools will get nothing.”

In the budget, federal recurrent funding to schools was frozen in real terms over the next four years.

For public schools, spending will rise 15.1 per cent over the next four years, from $11.1bn this financial year to $12.78bn in 2027-28, largely due to an increase in students diagnosed with a disability.

In private and Catholic schools, federal funding will rise 16.2 per cent from $18.1bn this fin­ancial year to $21.05bn in 2027-28, due to “revisions to enrolment projections’’ as more families choose independent schooling.

The school funding figures in the budget papers exclude $16.2bn in bonus funding that Education Minister Jason Clare has offered states and territories for public schools over the next decade. Western Australia and the Northern Territory have accepted the deal, but NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania are demanding the commonwealth double the money.

Mr Clare on Wednesday said he had “put $16bn on the table’’ for the states and territories but they must commit to educational and transparency reforms in return for the extra cash. “We’ve got to strike a new National School Reform Agreement this year,’’ he told ABC Radio.

“Funding is part of it …. (but also) tying that funding to the sort of things that help kids who fall behind to catch up and keep up, and then more kids finishing school and then getting a chance to go to TAFE or get a crack at university.’’

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare is insisting the states sign up to teaching reforms in return for $16bn in extra funding. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Swift

Independent Schools Australia chief executive Graham Catt said more children were attending private schools so “all sectors will need resources to enable them to deliver on the government’s ambitions and agenda for education reform’’.

Federal opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson called on the government to “deliver the reforms required to raise academic standards’’.

“This requires an unwavering commitment to evidence-based teaching methods, not billions of dollars,’’ she said.