Labor’s school funding war is continuing to wreak havoc for more than half of Australia’s public schools with Prime Minister Albanese failing to secure funding agreements with New South Wales and Queensland, an effective multi-billion dollar funding cut over ten years.
The NSW Labor government has called out the Prime Minister for not showing the leadership needed to lock in a long-term school funding agreement.
In an interview on Sky News this morning, NSW Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Carr said:
“We’re saying to Jason Clare the minister, the Prime Minister and the Treasurer we need you to come to the table because our kids are behind the starting block to begin with.”
Shadow Minister for Education Sarah Henderson said the lack of leadership from the Prime Minister was remarkable.
“Here we have a state Labor minister, a so-called friend, calling out the Prime Minister for failing students,” Senator Henderson said.
“With one in three students failing NAPLAN, the failure of leadership to get a deal done with all states is costing our kids dearly.
“We don’t just need leadership on school funding but on how this money is spent.
“This Prime Minister has been too weak to make the tough decisions needed to get Australian schools back on track.
“Labor’s school funding agreements fail to deliver explicit instruction in schools or fix escalating classroom disruption which is crucial for teacher safety and raising student achievement,” Senator Henderson said.
The Coalition is determined to get back to basics by focusing on evidence-based teaching which prioritises reading, writing, maths and science.
Under the previous Coalition government, annual school funding nearly doubled – from $13 billion in 2013 to $25.3 billion in 2022.