ACT signs up to Gonski education reforms
THE ACT has joined NSW in giving Julia Gillard a victory by adopting her Gonski school reforms, but the PM's still struggling to win over other states.
THE ACT has joined NSW in giving Julia Gillard a minor victory in signing up to federal Labor's Gonski school reforms, but the Prime Minister is still struggling to win over the other five states.
Ms Gillard and ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher signed the national education reform agreement today, boosting funding for the territory's schools by $190 million over five years.
“I think every agreement gives momentum to these reforms,” she said.
But the deal comes amid growing concern among Catholic and independent schools that they will be disadvantaged by the new funding model.
Labor is yet to secure the support of the Labor states - South Australia and Tasmania - or the key state of Victoria, threatening the future of the reforms in the event of a change of government.
Victorian Education Minister Martin Dixon said today the process had been a farce and added:"We are not going to sign up to a slogan. We want a real funding deal."
But Ms Gillard said she hoped the ACT's move would encourage other states and the Northern Territory.
“Every agreement gives momentum to these reforms,” she said.
Ms Gillard said ACT schools will be better off under the Gonski funding arrangements.
“In simple terms, these indexation arrangements mean all schools in the ACT government, independent and Catholic will see fair funding growth each year,” Ms Gillard said.
Ms Gallagher said the extra money was “over and above” what the territory would have received from 2014 under the current schools funding arrangements.
“We have also been supportive of this (plan) nationally,” she told reporters. “There will be no school worse off in the ACT.”
Ms Gillard has given the states and territories until the end of June to sign up to the plan, which will deliver an extra $14.5 billion for public and private schools across the country over six years from 2014.
Of that, the commonwealth will stump up $9.4 billion with the states and territories covering the rest.
Additional reporting: AAP
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