With Labor’s school funding war set to escalate, the Albanese Government has been caught out for failing to deliver hundreds of teachers under the High Achieving Teachers Program, according to Shadow Minister for Education, Sarah Henderson.
In 2022, Education Minister Jason Clare, promised Labor would provide $68.3 million to fund up to 2,260 high achieving teachers who would be fast tracked into classrooms most in need.
However, the government’s announcement today that it will spend $70.9 million to deliver 1,497 teachers is hundreds of positions short of what was promised. This is even after accounting for 105 teachers funded under round one of the program.
“In the face of Australia’s teacher shortage crisis, this is too little, too late from Mr Clare,” Senator Henderson said.
“Labor could not deliver the 2,260 teachers it promised two years ago, let alone fix acute teacher shortages particularly in regional and remote Australia.”
“Mr Clare has been missing in action on urgent reforms needed such as better teacher training and including the explicit teaching of behaviour in the curriculum. It is no wonder teachers are leaving the profession in droves,” Senator Henderson said.
This comes at a time when Mr Clare is threatening to cut billions of dollars of funding for public schools in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, after he demanded the states sign up to his ‘Better and Fairer School Agreement’ by 30 September.
“Rather than secure the national teaching reforms he promised to raise school standards, Mr Clare has delivered a school funding war which is only set to get worse.”
“Australian parents, teachers and students are paying the price for Labor’s incompetence,” Senator Henderson said.