Education unions reboot campaign for fair needs-based funding

The teachers’ union is urging that you don’t dispose of your green Gonski t-shirts just yet.

The federal government’s new school funding proposals have been revealed as little more than a “smoke and mirrors” tactic to hide their cuts to school funding.

Queensland Teachers’ Union President Kevin Bates says the Gonski 2.0 announcement made last week made no consultation or reference to the hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, parents and community members who have campaigned tirelessly for the full Gonski promised in the 2014 federal election, or even the state and territory governments who are responsible for schools.

Prime Minister Turnbull’s proposals reveal a frightening new plan for schools funding, particularly for Queensland schools.

State government analysis of the funding data provided by the federal government reveals that over the decade of the proposed model Queensland schools will lose $300 million.

In addition to Queensland’s concerns over $300 million in cuts to state school funding and losses for Catholic schools, Victoria has announced that it would lose $630 million over the decade and New South Wales is threatening court action to enforce the agreement it signed for the full six years of Gonski.

Stay tuned for more on this issue – education unions have widely panned the proposal and have vowed they will not stand by and allow the future of Australia to be so easily squandered.