OUR country is at a crossroads. As a nation, we can decide to give our teachers in public schools the resources they need or we continue to advantage those private schools that are overfunded.
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According to president of NSW Teachers Federation Maurie Mulheron, a principal of Keira High School (2001-2011): "The original Gonski review of school funding established a benchmark, the minimum level of recurrent funding and resources teachers in a particular school need in order to do their job. It is called the Schooling Resource Standard.
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"It recognised that in some schools the demands on teachers were more complex, more onerous, requiring greater resourcing, and so additional funding through equity loading was to be delivered.
"These resources started to arrive in early 2014, before the then-Abbott Coalition government cut a massive $30 billion from schools in its first federal Budget.
"Fast forward to 2017, and then-Treasurer Scott Morrison delivered a Budget that resulted in a $14 billion funding shortfall for public schools.
"It was his Budget that effectively tore up the signed funding agreements with state and territory governments."
Exacerbating this gap in the resourcing of Australian schools, last September the Morrison Government gifted an additional $4.6 billion to private schools only.
When it comes to the TAFE system, the Morrison Government policies have resulted in:
- 140,000 fewer apprenticeships
- Cuts in funding to vocational education and training of $3 billion
- Morrison, as Treasurer in 2018, cutting apprenticeships by $270 million
- This year's federal Budget failing to even mention TAFE.
"We continue to defend public education for all our children. Our two national campaigns, Fair Funding Now! and Stop TAFE Cuts, have reached millions of Australians," Mr Mulheron said.
"Because of this, Federal Labor has committed to restoring the $14 billion lost to public schools and will guarantee that at least two-thirds of public funding will go to TAFE. The Greens have also committed to the necessary lift in funding for public schools and guaranteed funding for TAFE.
"Our work to secure these commitments must continue right up to the federal election.
"The evidence is clear: the Morrison government is refusing to fund our children's future. It is refusing to support public school teachers in the work that we do. It is a government that has no sense of a fair go - and it is time for it to go."
Find out more on the website at nswtf.org.au
This article is authorised by John Dixon, NSW Teachers Federation, 23-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills, NSW.