States are in a better position to deliver education, says Queensland Minister

FEDERAL schools funding should be distributed as general revenue to the states and territories based on their population.

FEDERAL schools funding should be distributed as general revenue to the states and territories based on their population under a radical decentralisation of education, which was outlined by the Queensland government yesterday.

At a conference of state school principals in Brisbane yesterday, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek told the federal government to "give up on Gonski" and quit meddling in education policy, which was the domain of the states and territories.

Mr Langbroek said Canberra's creeping interference in school education had been happening for decades "regardless of the government's colour", citing the Howard government and its policy tying school funding to flagpoles.

"Education should not be a central power; the states are in a better position to deliver it, given our unique circumstances," he said.

"We have our own jurisdiction with our own challenges, that's why we need to come up with our own plan that suits us.

"We've seen the Australian government imposing their wishes and their demands, which just leads to more red tape and doesn't lead to better outcomes."

Queensland is the latest state to reject Julia Gillard's attempts to introduce a new school funding model based on the recommendations of the Gonski review, as frustration grows among school sectors about the lack of detail provided by the federal government of the new model one year after the report was released.

Victoria announced last week it would implement its own reforms to overhaul the school funding model and the independent and Catholic school sectors have grave concerns about the impact of the model on their schools.

Queensland's position is also a change in heart for Mr Langbroek, who last July was photographed in support of the Gonski model as part of the Australian Education Union's "I give a Gonski" campaign, saying Canberra would have to find the money.

School Education Minister Peter Garrett said Mr Langbroek was out of touch with Queensland parents and teachers, who supported the Gonski reforms.

"The minister claims the commonwealth should have nothing to do with education but before the Gillard government there was no national curriculum, no way of tracking literacy and numeracy standards, and very little information on how schools were performing," he said.

"We have no intention of taking over responsibility for schools but we will continue our role of setting national directions for school improvement and providing fair funding arrangements because that's what's best for Australia."

Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne said the Gillard government had failed to bring the states to reform education funding in any meaningful way.

"They have delayed sharing essential modelling details until the last possible minute and failed to consult properly," he said.

AEU federal president Angelo Gavrielatos said it was "deeply disappointing" that Coalition leaders in Queensland and Victoria were putting politics ahead of the needs of children.