Labor’s MYEFO statement has confirmed what more than 80 per cent of public school principals and teachers were dreading – there is no additional funding and no agreed school reforms for government schools in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
Shadow Minister for Education Sarah Henderson says Education Minister Jason Clare has abjectly failed to deliver “full and fair funding” and evidence-based teaching reforms for 5,563 government schools as he promised.
Mr Clare’s humiliating failure has left these schools with an interim one-year deal only at the existing Commonwealth share of 20 per cent.
“After nearly three years, Jason Clare has shown he is not up to the job of supporting Australian schools including delivering explicit instruction, the Year 1 phonics and numeracy test, performance targets and other evidence-based teaching reforms to ensure every child can reach his or her best potential,” Senator Henderson said.
“In the face of declining student achievement, the government has also not addressed the need for a behaviour curriculum which is crucial given the extent of classroom disruption and even violence in so many Australian schools that is fuelling our teacher shortage.”
Senator Henderson said $2.5 billion announced under MYEFO for additional new funding mechanisms at universities was another typical Labor cash-splash lacking in detail.
“A critical component of the Universities Accord panel’s recommendation for needs-based funding was that the funding model be used to incentivise student completions – on this Jason Clare has remained silent,” Senator Henderson said.
Labor must also explain how adding another layer of bureaucracy through the establishment of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) will benefit students at a cost of $54 million over the medium term.
“Labor’s last-gasp MYEFO ahead of next year’s election represents just more inaction and misplaced priorities which is failing Australian students,” Senator Henderson said.