Qld schools lash out over govt’s failure to release key funding report

The Education Minister has been accused of failing to properly provide the sector with what it needs to run schools amid a delay in releasing a major report meant to overhaul the way schools are funded, despite it being finalised last year.

Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

A major report meant to overhaul the way schools are funded in Queensland has not been released by the state government, despite being finalised last year.

The ongoing delay has prompted teachers’ unions and the Opposition to accuse Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek of failing to properly provide the sector with what it needs to run schools.

The landmark Comprehensive Review of School Resourcing (CRoSR) report was set to examine the funding of schools, teacher shortages and workload, and staff and student welfare.

It was completed in December after more than two years of work, but the state government has refused to say when it would be released.

Mr Langbroek denied the report had been delayed, saying it was subject to cabinet discussions.

President of the Queensland Teachers' Union Cresta Richardson. Picture: Richard Walker

“I can’t give you any more details but it’s something that we are working on and we’ll be revealing in the relatively near future,” he said.

Asked if the resourcing review had informed the government’s decision making around the budget, Mr Langbroek said “no.”

Queensland Teachers’ Union President Cresta Richardson accused the Crisafulli government of trying to hide the report to strengthen its position ahead of enterprise bargaining negotiations.

“This demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the key elements of teacher and school leader working conditions and salaries, and the report’s relevance to enterprise negotiations,” she said.

“The CRoSR report offers comprehensive insights into our state schools, from allocation of resourcing and funding and what’s causing key issues like chronic teacher shortages, increased workload, and occupational violence and aggression.

“In simple terms, this government is hiding a detailed report to ignore the true issues because it doesn’t fit its agenda.”

Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP) President Pat Murphy said the current allocative model in schools was “no longer fit for purpose”.

“A more modern approach to resourcing of Queensland schools needs to occur,” he said.

Opposition education spokeswoman Di Farmer called for Mr Langbroek to listen to teachers and the sector and release the report.

Queensland Association of State School Principals president Pat Murphy.

“Every day this report sits on David Crisafulli’s desk gathering dust is another day he spends sitting on solutions while teachers cry out for support,” she said.

“John-Paul Langbroek doesn’t want to release this report because he either doesn’t want to listen to what teachers are saying, doesn’t want to fund solutions or can’t convince David Crisafulli to give the sector what it deserves.”

Teachers Professional Association Queensland President Scott Stanford said the government had been “building themselves on being clear and transparent”.

“That’s great, but we need to make sure we tighten up these release projects and reports and don’t fall into the traps of previous governments, where they take things to cabinet, they just sit there,” he said.

Originally published as Qld schools lash out over govt’s failure to release key funding report