Catholic sector warns Birmingham over the wrath of his colleagues

Stephen Elder has warned Simon Birmingham to expect his marginal-seat colleagues to knock down his door.

Catholic Education Commission Victoria, executive director Stephen Elder. Picture: Kym Smith

Victorian Catholic education chief Stephen Elder has warned Simon Birmingham that while the Education Minister has a comfortable berth in the Senate, revelations about his school funding changes will see his marginal-seat colleagues knocking down his door.

Mr Elder says a departmental memo is ammunition in the fight to convince the government to reverse a last-minute amendment to the $23.5 billion Gonski 2.0 school funding changes the Catholic sector says leaves their systemic schools $1.1bn worse off.

The memo, he said, was proof the government had finally admitted its funding model permanently disadvantaged schools that belonged to a system and had locked in their second-rate status with a retrospective measure. He said the memo read: “While government policy should not restrict schools from joining or leaving systems, decisions about system arrangements should be based on the benefits of such arrangements and not to maximise commonwealth funding entitlements.’’

Mr Elder said the memo also said the government had decided the starting share of the funding would be worked on the system arrangements in place in June: “Senator Birmingham might have a comfy berth in the upper house, but he can expect to find his lower house colleagues in marginal seats knocking at his door at these revelations about the impact of his ‘reforms’.’’

Senator Birmingham said the reforms ensured that after “the 10-year transition, all schools and systems are treated in a consistent manner, phasing out decades of inconsistencies and special deals’’.