Funding for Non-Government Schools Confirmed for 2013

Media Release, The Hon. Julia Gillard, MP and The Hon. Simon Crean, MP, 4 August 2010; Media Release, The Hon. Christopher Pyne, MP, 4 August 2010; Media Release, Australian Education Union, 4 August 2010; Media Release, Catholic Education Commission of Victoria, 4 August 2010; Media Release, Independent Education Union, 4 August 2010; Media Release, Independent Schools Council of Australia, 4 August 2010; Media Release, Independent Schools Victoria, 4 August 2010; The Age, Katherie Murphy and Dan Harrison, 5 August 2010; The Australian, Patricia Karvelas, 5 August 2010

The Prime Minister, Ms Julia Gillard, and the Minister for Education, Mr Simon Crean, have announced that they intend to extend the current funding quadrennium to the end of 2013 in order to provide schools with funding certainty.

They confirmed that existing funding conditions for all government and non-government schools, including indexation arrangements, ‘will be kept in place for the entire term of the next Parliament’. They also announced that the ALP would ‘maintain current arrangements for capital funding to 2014’, although it is unclear at present whether Block Grant Authorities will be able to forward-commit funding for capital works beyond 2014.

The Prime Minister stated that ‘I want every parent who votes in this election to know what funding they will get for their local school from me as Prime Minister. I want that to be absolutely transparent.’ She also reiterated that, following receipt of the recommendations of the Review of Schools Funding, she would ‘forward its proposals for future funding for consultation with schools, education systems and parents’. Mr Crean emphasised that the extension would provide greater time to plan and prepare once the recommendations of the funding review were released.

The Australian Education Union criticised the Prime Minister’s announcement, arguing that ‘it was clear Labor had caved in to pressure from non-government schools and put their interests before those of...students who attend government schools.’ By contrast, the Independent Education Union welcomed the announcement, arguing that funding certainty for school would ‘ease the fears of millions of Australians – parents, teachers and support staff’.

Both Independent Schools Victoria and the Independent Schools Council of Australian welcomed the reassurance for schools, but indicated that indexation of schools funding needed to continue in the long term as well. Independent Schools Victoria stated that ‘we agree with the Prime Minister that school communities need funding certainty for forward planning. But...Mr Crean, has been reported as saying that while no school would lose a dollar of funding as a result of the review, there was no commitment that funds would rise in real terms to cover costs.’

The Shadow Minister for Education, Mr Christopher Pyne, also argued that ‘Julia Gillard must immediately guarantee that beyond the next election, no non-government school will be worse off in real terms’.

Click here to read Independent Schools Victoria’s Media Release (PDF).

 

 

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