Minister for School Education Peter Garrett and Federal Member for Blaxland Jason Clare today met with principals, teachers and community members at Regents Park to discuss the future of school funding and the Gillard Government’s National Plan for School Improvement.
Mr Garrett said it was important to meet with educators and parents to continue the grassroots, nation-wide discussion that has been taking place since February following the release of the Gonski review of school funding report.
“The Gonski review panel made a number of far-reaching recommendations on how we can develop a new, more effective way of funding every school in Australia,” he said.
“There has been some misinformation circulated by the Opposition about funding cuts and hit lists and we want to make it perfectly clear that those claims are just wrong.
“Funding for every school – government, independent and Catholic – will continue to rise under our plan for school improvement. We always said no school will lose a dollar of funding per student and that is what we will deliver.
“Our system will be fair, transparent and give all schools long-term certainty about their future funding levels.”
Mr Garrett said the Gillard Government will be outlining plans for school funding and school improvement reforms under the National Plan for School Improvement next week.
Mr Clare said schools in the electorate of Blaxland were already benefiting from the Gillard Government’s record investment in school education with 6884 computers installed under the Digital Education Revolution, National Secondary Schools Computer Fund.
“There was $115,852,390 approved for 143 Building the Education Revolution projects including the building or upgrading of 36 classrooms, 11 libraries,18 multipurpose halls and 11 science or language centres,” he said.
“There are also 42 schools participating in the Smarter Schools National Partnerships and 4 schools eligible to receive funding for chaplaincy services.
“I encourage everyone in Blaxland and around Australia to have their say on the future of our schools by visiting the school funding website and sharing their views.”
More information about the school funding review is available at www.schoolfunding.gov.au.
Media contact:
Minister Clare’s Contact: Veronica Lawler 02 9790 2466
