Federal minister Peter Garrett joins education protesters at NSW Premier's office

FEDERAL School Education Minister Peter Garrett has joined teachers and parents at a protest to demand NSW funding for Gonski education reforms.

FEDERAL School Education Minister Peter Garrett has joined about 60 teachers, principals and parents outside the Sydney office of NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell at a protest to demand the state government commit to funding the education reforms recommended by the Gonski report.

As part of the Australian Education Union's “I give a Gonski” campaign, protesters arrived in a green wrapped bus equipped with caps and placards with pro-Gonski slogans.

The protesters were greeted by Mr Garrett who warned that students nationally will be worse off by $5.4 billion dollars if the reforms are derailed because state governments won't agree to pay their fair share.

Mr Garrett said that such a failure would equate to half a million dollars less per school in NSW, or $1500 less per student.

This would be on top of the $1.7 billion dollar cuts to school funding announced by the O'Farrell government last year.

However Mr Garrett said the federal government would not make a dollar-figure commitment until they were sure that the states would support the Gonski funding model.

“The commonwealth will not be publicly delivering a funding offer until such time as we are certain that the state and non-government sectors are on the reform road with us on those agreed components of reform.”

“It is not a question of a lack of commitment on the part of this government but the states have to be clear about their commitment to reform.”

“If we are going to invest extra money in education from the federal level and seek extra investment at the state level then every political leader, every principal, every parent and every student needs to know that that money is going to do the things that will make a different in the future,” Mr Garrett said.

AEU President Angelo Gavrielatos, the rally's second keynote speaker, called on the NSW state government to commit to the education reforms.

“The current funding arrangements are failing our children and leaving too many schools under-resourced,” Mr Gavrielatos said.

“Today we are calling on Mr O'Farrell to get onboard with Gonski.”

“Barry O'Farrell: reverse the cuts, invest in schools and give a clear commitment today that you'll put politics aside and sit down and negotiate a new funding deal for out kids, for our schools, for our state and the nation as a whole.”

The AEU's campaign is beginning its second week and involves television and newspaper advertisements, as well as sponsored green buses in Sydney, Brisbane and the Central Coast.