Schools ask how much?

Non-government schools around the country are asking how much additional Commonwealth funding they will get next year, said the Shadow Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne today.

“The Budget shows there is $325 million less forecast for school funding across the forward estimates than there was this time last year and a $4.7 billion cut to education overall,” Mr Pyne said.

“Faced with these numbers, Mary MacKillop College in my electorate has written to me very concerned about the lack of clear detail. As they plan their Budget and set school fees for next year, they still do not know how much funding they will be receiving.

“Today in Question Time I asked Schools Minister Peter Garrett how much additional funding Mary MacKillop College should expect in 2014. I gave Mr Garrett extra time to answer the question and he could not.

“The Gonski Review was handed down two years ago. The Government has left this process to the last minute – all Commonwealth recurrent school funding expires at the end of this year.

“There are now twelve House of Representatives sitting days and eight Senate sitting days before this Parliament expires and Labor has promised to introduce and pass a new school funding model in that time with no details on the table and no transparency.

“Little wonder schools are demanding answers. The losers in all of this will be the parents who are suddenly faced with higher school fees next year, because this Government has left it all too late,” Mr Pyne said.  

May 30, 2013