Major advertising campaign targeting Morrison govt’s public school funding cuts starts

A national Week of Action to highlight the impacts of the Morrison government’s $1.9 billion in funding cuts to Australia’s public schools will hit the streets today across the country.

The Week of Action will be kicked off today with a $200,000 advertising blitz across roadside billboards and shopping centres in marginal federal electorates in several states. The advertising blitz will also include major national media outlets and social media platforms.

Thousands of campaign volunteers will spend the ‘Fair Funding Now! Week of Action’ educating parents and the rest of the community about the importance of fair public school funding for their children’s futures.

The Week of Action will conclude with a community doorknock across a selection of marginal seats on Saturday and Sunday 8/9 September.

Australian Education Union (AEU) Federal President Correna Haythorpe said public schools are missing out on billions of dollars of urgently-needed funding due to the Morrison government’s cuts.

“Our Fair Funding Now! Week of Action will send a message to Prime Minister Scott Morrison that our community wants his government to fund schools based on need, not on politics,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“Our thousands of volunteers are sending the message to Mr Morrison that he must restore the $1.9 billion in funding he took from the public school budget for 2018 and 2019.”

“We want Fair Funding Now for our public schools so that our children have smaller class sizes, more one-on-one support, and additional teachers and support staff,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“Our Week of Action will be delivering a clear message: our local public schools are missing out on billions in urgently-needed funding because of school funding cuts by the Morrison government.”

“The 2.5 million students who attend public schools have been forgotten by the Morrison government. Our public school students deserve better,” Ms Haythorpe said.

Under the Morrison government:

• $1.9 billion has been cut from public school funding in 2018 and 2019
• the federal government has arbitrarily capped public school funding at only 20 percent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) while private schools receive 80 percent
• only 13 per cent of public schools will receive enough funding to reach the minimum Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by 2023

“Our public school system welcomes each and every child that arrives at the front gate. Public schools are our universal education choice, a path to success for all,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“It is critically important that the Morrison government gives public schools a fair go with their funding.”

For more information and to sign up for the Fair Funding Now! Week of Action community doorknock, please visit http://www.fairfundingnow.org.au/weekofaction.