AEU to back Gonski with new TV advertising campaign

The AEU will spend $2 million on Free-to-Air TV advertising as part of its campaign to secure bi-partisan support for the full six years of needs-based Gonski funding.

AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe will use the AEU’s Annual Federal Conference, which begins in Melbourne today, to formally announce the ad campaign.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver the funding that disadvantaged schools need. Funding our schools properly should be beyond politics.

“These ads are part of our campaign for bi-partisan support for the full six years of needs-based Gonski funding.

“The ads will begin on March 6 and be shown on Free-to-Air TV in Sydney, Brisbane and regional NSW. They will be backed by a print and digital media campaign letting people know that Gonski is getting results.

“This builds on our target seat campaign which has seen full-time co-ordinators working on the ground since July last year to build support for Gonski funding in local communities.

“Gonski funding is delivering more resources to schools, with the greatest increases targeted to schools which educate the most disadvantaged students.

“The more we tell people about what Gonski is delivering, the greater the public support. Polling taken in marginal seats earlier this month found voters supported Gonski by a margin of 2-to-1.

“Malcolm Turnbull needs to match Labor’s promise of funding the full six years of Gonski, which would invest an extra $4.5 billion in schools in 2018 and 2019.

“Instead he plans to index schools funding to inflation after 2017, which would mean that no public school is funded according to need.

“Giving all students a quality education is crucial for our society and for our economic future.

“There are strong links between disadvantage and poor achievement at school, and strong evidence showing targeted funding can turn results around.

“If a child needs help at school they should be able to get it, regardless of where they live or what school they go to.

We need to identify struggling students as early as possible and give them the extra support and resources they need to succeed at school. This investment means they will develop the skills needed to complete school and move into work.”

“The AEU is committed to campaigning for bi-partisan support for needs-based Gonski funding up until this year’s Federal election.

Media Contact: Ben Ruse 0437 971 291