Independent Schools smell a rat

The Schools Minister, Peter Garrett should heed the calls of the non-government school sector and guarantee school funding in real terms said Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education.

“The Association of Independent Schools in New South Wales has confirmed today some non-government schools will be worse off under Labor’s proposed model,” Mr Pyne said.

Early estimates indicate if the Gonski model was to be adopted, schools fees would rise in NSW between $280 - $1300 per student per year. Some schools may even be forced to close. 

“Geoff Newcombe, the head of the NSW Independent Schools Association has called on Mr Garrett to give the simple assurance that funding will be maintained in real terms, but Mr Garrett continues to stonewall,” Mr Pyne said. 

“At last week’s Council of Australian Governments meeting, no new funding principles were agreed to by Governments for a new model. State Government’s obviously know that the Gillard Government has no plan for school funding beyond 2013 and no money to pay for it,” he said.

 “The New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australian, Western Australian and Victorian Governments have all expressed concern about aspects of the Gonski model. 

“Schools simply cannot plan for the future based on Mr Garrett’s deliberately tricky refrain of ‘no school will lose a dollar of funding’. 

“There needs to be funding certainty beyond 2013, so the Government must move to extend the current funding model immediately allowing schools to effectively plan for the future" Mr Pyne said.

April 16, 2012