State schools are expected to receive an estimated $10 billion in extra funding from the Victorian government over the next decade as part of a major breakthrough in the Gonski 2.0 funding deal.
For the first time, Victorian Education Minister James Merlino has declared he’s serious about reaching a new school funding agreement with the Turnbull government.
He has promised to significantly boost Victoria’s contribution towards the Schooling Resource Standard – the bedrock of the Gonski review into school funding which measures how much funding each school needs to support its students.
Mr Merlino said he's prepared to lift Victoria’s contribution from 66 per cent, the lowest share in Australia, to 75 per cent.
“This means Victoria will deliver the most significant increase of any other state or territory in the country,” he said.
It's understood that meeting this 75 per cent target could result in Victoria shelling out an extra $10 billion to its state schools over the next 10 years.
This target is set out in federal legislation, but states and territories have not yet signed up to any long-term funding agreements.
The Victorian government refused to comment on the exact cost of meeting this benchmark.
The extra funding will not be included in next month's state budget because a long-term agreement has not yet been signed.
Mr Merlino is also demanding that the Turnbull government increase funding for state schools so they receive 100 per cent of their student resourcing standard.
“There is no logic or fairness in the current proposal by the Turnbull Government that increases non-government schools to 100 per cent yet leaves government schools at 95 per cent,” he said.
Mr Merlino made the comments ahead of an Education Council meeting in Adelaide, which state and federal ministers will attend on Friday.
He said states had been left in the dark about the Gonski 2.0 review, which is expected to be released this month and recommends evidence-based methods to boost student outcomes.
This review will inform final funding arrangements.
Mr Merlino said it was "appalling" that the review had been left off the agenda for Friday’s meeting.
“It is appalling that Simon Birmingham has received a report that states and territories were key contributors to and is designed to support better outcomes for students and is refusing to provide it to states and territories,” he said.
Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Meredith Peace welcomed the state government's commitment, saying it would ensure public schools were fairly and properly funded.
“This is about the support and programs that kids need,” she said.
But she said the money should be delivered to schools over six years, instead of 10, and called on the federal government to cough up more funding for state schools.
“We don’t want another generation of kids to miss out while we wait for funding over a 10 year period,” she said.
Under the new Gonski 2.0 formula, the federal government must provide 80 per cent of the resourcing standard to non-government schools and state governments are expected to fund 15 per cent.
When it comes to state schools, the federal government must provide 20 per cent of the resourcing standard and state governments must fund 75 per cent.
The federal government's model will inject an extra $25.3 billion of federal funding into Australian schools over the next decade and was described by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as the "the biggest reform in Commonwealth school funding ever".
While Gonski 2.0 has been welcomed by the independent sector, it has been criticised by Labor, teachers' unions and the Catholic sector.
From The Age
Good intent but most of today’s school students will be finished by the time this takes full effect. Why only 95% when we know some non government schools are already overfunded?
No comments:
Post a Comment