AEU assessment of the first year of the Labor state Government

Thumbs up: 

1. Investing more in public education, including $610 million in new school buildings and upgrades.

2. Commissioning the Schools Funding Review led by former Premier, the Hon Steve Bracks AC, to examine future funding arrangements for schooling in Victoria. The recommendations from this review will form the foundations for public education into the future.

3. Removing religious instruction from our public schools to make way for a more inclusive curriculum on respectful relationships, different cultures and ethics.

4. Delivering the first real allocation of Gonski needs-based funding to our public schools – a $160m investment for 2016.

Thumbs down:

1. Guaranteeing private and independent schools at least 25% of the money public schools receive. This is against the very notion of needs-based funding which means public funding should be allocated on the basis of student need, regardless of the sector.

2. Reluctant to commit to Gonski needs-based funding for the final two years of the agreement between the Federal and State Governments; 2018 and 2019. Without long-term commitment our schools will find it hard to implement programs for our kids.

3. Victorian public schools students are still the lowest-funded in the country for education, with every Victorian student $1,836 worse off than the national average.

The Andrews Government has made a positive start but there’s still a lot of work for them to do!