FULLY FUND OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS THIS WORLD TEACHERS' DAY

This World Teachers’ Day, Friday October 25, teachers need more than thanks from politicians, they need fully funded public schools.

Correna Haythorpe, AEU Federal President, said Australia’s public schools have been denied full funding for more than a decade and that has had a devastating impact on the teaching profession with escalating workloads and a chronic workforce shortage.

As we head to the next Federal Election, the Albanese Government’s commitment to fully fund public schools is in danger of being viewed as a “broken promise” by public school communities across the nation.

The Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) is not aspirational, it is the minimum funding per student required so that schools can have at least 80% of their students achieving learning outcomes above the national minimum standard in NAPLAN for reading and numeracy. Yet successive governments have failed to deliver this funding to public schools.

“Our members and their communities have had enough,” Ms Haythorpe said.

Legislation currently before parliament will set a floor on funding but will see the Government fall short of the 25% Commonwealth contribution of funding needed - instead the Albanese offer is for a 22.5% commitment.

The Legislation also does not address the sneaky accounting trick that allows states to write off 4% of their total SRS contribution for other non-school based costs never intended to be covered from the SRS.

This Bill, if passed as proposed, would lock in underfunding of public schools by the Commonwealth of at least $1.4 billion a year for the next five years.

“We know that hundreds of people have put in submissions expressing their concerns about this Bill and calling for the Albanese Government to lift their share to a full 25%. That is despite having only two weeks to meet the Senate Inquiry’s deadlines,” Ms Haythorpe said.

The AEU is calling on the Government to amend the Bill to increase the Commonwealth SRS contributions to public schools to 25% and to ensure bilateral agreements with State and Territory Governments remove the 4% “additional allowance”.

“The AEU is gravely concerned that this Bill will entrench the underfunding of Australian public school students for another generation,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“Without urgent action to fund public schools to the full SRS it will be impossible for the public school system to address the excessive working hours and workload intensification that teachers have long endured.

“The SRS is not an aspirational funding goal, it is the funding calculated to be necessary to give every child, regardless of background, the opportunity to achieve their potential.

“Unless the Commonwealth offer is increased by 2.5% and the 4% write off is removed, 98% of public schools in Australia will continue to be underfunded by billions of dollars a year to at least the end of this decade.

“Instead of giving teachers thanks, let’s fully fund their schools this World Teachers’ Day, anything less fails teachers, students and public school communities,” Ms Haythorpe said.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kylie Jensen, 0402 298 728

Meriel Killeen, 0466 393 485