$325 million in school funding cuts over four years

Forget the hype - over the next four years it appears the Federal Government’s total investment in school funding will decrease by $325 million, said the Shadow Minister for Education Christopher Pyne today. “Only $2.8 billion of the promised $9.8 billion in funding will be paid over the next four years of the Forward Estimates as part of Labor’s school plan,” Mr Pyne said. “This additional $2.8 billion over four years will be offset by $3.126 billion in school education cuts and redirections over the same period,” he said. “The $3.126 billion comes from cuts from targeted funding and the ‘redirection’ of national partnerships funding. “Overall, education will lose $325 million over four years. Labor is relying entirely on the extra funding from State Governments to prop up their floundering school funding model. “After six years of promises and declining student outcomes, Labor is creating more uncertainty within the school sector. “This is supposedly the centrepiece of Labor’s Budget and election campaign. In truth it is a sneaky Budget trick from a Government that entirely undermines the credibility of Labor’s school funding changes,” Mr Pyne said. 15 May 2013