Labor will provide extra funding for every public school in Australia should it win the next federal election.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And from today parents can see for themselves how much extra funding their local public school will get.
A new website has been launched which gives each school an estimate of the extra funding it can expect in the first three years of Labor’s plan.
Schools in the Gilmore, Whitlam and Cunningham electorates stand to gain an additional $60 million under the initiative.
“We now have a website where parents and carers can get direct information about how that will make a difference in their local school and that’s really important,” Cunningham MP Sharon Bird said.
“Going into an election people locally have a right to know how a national policy actually translates to the school that their kids go to. They will be able to look that up and find exactly what that funding will mean over a three-year period.”
The website shows schools in Whitlam will get $21,430,000, with Warilla High School slated to receive $1.35 million in the first three years.
Gilmore schools stand to gain $21,610,000, led by the $1.65m for Vicemtia High School.
Schools in Cunningham will also be almost $19 million better off under the plan, with Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts set to gain about $1.35 million over three years.
“That's $61,330,000 for schools between Helensburgh in the north and Moruya in the south,” Ms Bird said.
“This will make a huge difference in our community. It will mean every child, in every school will get a great education – because the things that make a difference in our schools, like individual attention and excellent teaching, require more funding.”
Ms Bird said importantly Labor has committed to putting $14 billion nationally into public schools.
“We are very frustrated that the government did a special deal for the catholic education sector but has forgotten about the public sector, which is where the vast bulk of students go across the country.”
Ms Bird said some tough decisions around negative gearing and capital gains tax had been announced to fund the plan.
On Wednesday Labor stated it was also closing tax loopholes for the top end of town and making multinationals pay their fare share.
Investing in schools, Tafes, universities and preschools to give “young people the best opportunities” was a priority for Labor.
“We’ve made the savings but we're also proving that we are genuine about investing that to things that are really important to the community,” Ms Bird said.
“The really significant thing is we did have the first roll out of Gonski money before Tony Abbott had his first budget and cut all the money.
“Schools in this area used that money for great programs around language and literacy as well as the HSC program at Woonona High School.
“Great results were being achieved so parents and teachers knew that that money made a difference.
“That’s why it is so important to put that money back.”
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
