Next year too soon for Gonski: Catholic sector

CATHOLIC education administrators say Labor's plan to have the Gonski funding reforms ready in time for next year is unrealistic.

CATHOLIC education administrators say Labor's plan to have the Gonski education funding reforms finalised and approved for the 2014 school year is unrealistic unless its concerns are addressed, and the opposition has demanded a year's delay.

The National Catholic Education Commission has welcomed negotiations with Kevin Rudd and new Education Minister Bill Shorten over the wide-ranging school changes, but has warned the Catholic education sector still can't give the reforms unqualified support.

The non-government school sector has expressed deep concerns about the Gonski funding and management changes, which Julia Gillard passed through parliament, and is still worried about the federal minister's intervention powers and the lack of funding detail for 2014 planning.

The National Catholic Education Commission raised key objections to the Gonski reforms directly with the Prime Minister and Mr Shorten on Tuesday, including the autonomy of the Catholic education system, which educates 20 per cent of students, and the removal of constraints on how it can spend its money.

Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne yesterday demanded a 12-month delay in the reforms, but Mr Shorten ruled that out.

The NCEC's executive director Ross Fox said if the government took up the sector's issues, the new model could start on schedule. "We believe if our significant concerns can be addressed, there is sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements for 2014," Mr Fox said.

The NCEC wants the implementation plan to drop the requirement that funding allocations be approved by the minister. It also objects to the requirement that funding be contingent on specific outcomes that cannot yet be costed.

Yesterday Mr Rudd said he welcomed the progress of Gonski negotiations. "This means that the Catholic systemic schools are one step closer to guaranteed extra funding of around $3 billion over six years," he said.

"The full amount of extra funding will flow to every Catholic systemic school in Australia if all states and territories sign up to the Australian government's Plan for Better Schools and contribute their share."

Mr Pyne said voters were fed up with the uncertainty over Labor's school funding reforms.

"The Coalition has said from the beginning that the government has left it far too late. It is not possible to introduce a new school funding model on January 1 next year."