Fears Gillard will go too soon on Gonski

TENSIONS are mounting in the non-government sector over the Gonski plans after NSW independent schools accepted extra funding.

TENSIONS are mounting within the non-government sector over the Gonski plans after NSW independent schools accepted $73 million extra funding from Julia Gillard.

As high-level teleconference briefings continued yesterday, representatives of state, Catholic and independent schools shared fears the government may introduce legislation before funding for schools is fully tested.

The states and Catholic education commissions are urging the government to delay the legislation - which will enshrine the funding formulas in law - until all information has been gathered and tested.

At a joint meeting on Thursday of officials from the NSW and Gillard governments and the Association of Independent Schools of NSW an additional $73m was pledged to the NSW independent schools sector from 2013-14.

"It is clear that the agreement signed by the NSW Premier with the commonwealth will provide a significant funding increase over the next six years for the independent sector overall in NSW," AISNSW executive director Geoff Newcombe said.

The National Catholic Education Commission has also welcomed the Prime Minister's pledge that the Catholic school share of funding will be maintained through to 2019.

But there are still fears the level of funding to the non-government school sector will not be detailed before the Prime Minister's June 30 deadline.

Even the NSW independent schools said details of funding would not be available for two weeks.

Parliament sits next week and then has only two sitting weeks in the second half of June before rising for the election in September.