And like other parents the Mercury has spoken to, the Shadow Minister for the Illawarra is disappointed families have to foot the bill for basic classroom supplies such as glue, tissues and paper.

Mr Park is correct in stating that parents are now expected to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for whiteboard markers, erasers, paper towels and hand soap.

Some Illawarra parents are paying upwards of $70 per child to purchase these basic classroom supplies.

This extra cost is a burden for many families, who already have to buy school uniforms, shoes, books, bags, diaries and basic stationery.

Read more: Labor plan promises a fair go for Illawarra schools

“Something is seriously wrong when families are footing the bill for basic school supplies while the government splurges billions of taxpayer dollars, knocking down and rebuilding perfectly good Sydney stadiums,” Mr Park said.

“Back to school budgets are already tough enough on households; we shouldn’t be slugging parents for hand soap and whiteboard markers.”

With federal and state elections to be held this year, Mr Park joined with Labor colleagues Stephen Jones, Sharon Bird, Paul Scully and Anna Watson to outline the party’s vision for the future.

“Labor will fight for families’ right across Illawarra and the south coast to ensure our schools are properly funded,” he said.

“Parents are right to be outraged by the Berejiklian Government’s attempt to slug them for basic school supplies.”

Mr Park said instead of building new Sydney stadiums and cuts to payroll tax, as promised by the Liberals, a Labor government would spend the “extra billions” on schools and hospitals.

“Every new school that is built will see a new or established child care centre located on the site of that school,” he said.

Read more: Five sets of twins to start kindergarten at Woonona Public School

Mr Park said Labor would look at building new schools in growth areas such as West Dapto, Appin, Picton and Camden.

But NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes said on Tuesday that Labor was simply re-branding the Government’s 2015 election commitments as their own promises.

“We are already delivering before and after school care facilities, with every new and upgraded school build now including space for before and after school care facilities for school communities that want them, to make life easier for working parents,” Mr Stokes said.

The government has committed $6 billion over the next four years to build more than 170 new and upgraded schools.