Senator Deborah O’Neill said Central Coast schools stood to lose $79 million, or around $1,000 per child, as the Liberal Government withdrew the Gonski funding that created a level playing field for all students.
“That funding, a model introduced by Labor and agreed to by the Coalition, was based on the needs of every student in Australia, whether their parents are rich or poor, or if they are struggling with English, has been ripped away from our kids,” Sen O’Neill said.
“Australian school children have had four years of needs-based funding, that has produced some remarkable results, and now the Turnbull Government has walked away from the final two years of the agreement for 2018 and 2019,” she said.
“I stand by the analogy I used after the 2015 Budget when Tony Abbott announced the Gonski funding cut.
“It is like giving a child a new bike, letting them enjoy the ride for a while, then letting the tyres down.
“This is the critical year when the Liberals must be shown what the funding has done for students in NSW, and here on the Central Coast.
“The difference in funding between what Labor’s Gonski backing would have provided in 2018 and 2019 and what will be missing under the Liberals is worth $44 million in the seat of Dobell and $35 million in Robertson.
“That adds up to around $1,000 per student in lost resources,” Senator O’Neill said.
“What the Liberals are doing is taking away our children’s future.
“Their counterparts in NSW Government, under former Minister Adrian Piccoli, have been pleading with the Federal Government to continue the funding.
“Just this month, the state member for Cootamundra, Katrina Hodgkinson, confronted the federal member for her electorate, Michael McCormack, demanding the Gonski model be continued.
“Labor established the needs-based funding reforms with not only our children’s future in mind but also the future of our nation.”
Media release,
Feb 21, 2017
Scott Coomber, office of Senator Deborah O’Neill