Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

We have today with us in Canberra parents, teachers and principals from all over Australia—dozens of them—who've come here to send the strongest possible message to the government that the $17 billion of cuts from education will not stand. They'll be opposed by teachers, by parents, by principals and by anybody who cares about education every day between now and the next election, because they know that, if we are successful, every dollar of those $17 billion of cuts will be restored.

We know that this government continues to claim that it is increasing funding for schools. The trick in what they're saying, the absolute lie in what they're saying, is that they're increasing funding against what Tony Abbott the member for Warringah, and his former Treasurer, Joe Hockey, tried to do to school funding. But their changes never went through the parliament, so we quite rightly say that the six years of funding agreements that were legislated by this parliament and were agreed to by the states and territories are what stands. Against Labor's agreement, what those opposite are offering schools is $17 billion less over the course of the decade, and we will not stand for that.

On top of the $17 billion of cuts, those opposite have introduced a new funding system that is not fair, that is not sector blind and that is not needs based. How can those opposite say that their funding model is sector blind when they bake in a maximum 20 per cent of a fair funding level for public schools? How can it be sector blind when public schools will never get more than 20 per cent of the schooling resource standard and additional loadings, while private schools will get 80 per cent of their fair funding level? How can it be sector blind when public schools and private schools are treated completely differently based only on their school system? That's not sector blind.

I tell you what: it's not needs based when the Northern Territory and Tasmania, which have two of the neediest public schools systems in the country, get two of the worst deals under those opposite. It's not needs based when we know that disability funding has been cut for children in five states. Disability funding for students in five states has been cut. That's not needs based.

I tell you what: our agreement with the states and territories that those opposite try to complicate was a very simple agreement. We said that every school in every state and territory should get to their fair funding level, and some states and territories were further away from that fair funding level. We would do two-thirds of the heavy lifting to get them to their fair funding level, and the states and territories would do one-third of the heavy lifting to get them to their fair funding level. That's fair, because it means every child in every state in every system is treated fairly.

Public schools have been the worst hit by the cuts of those opposite. Across years 5 and 6 of the funding agreement the total difference between what they would have received under a Labor government and what they get under those opposite is almost $2.2 billion, but the biggest cut is $1.88 billion from public schools. Public schools are the worst affected over the next two years, despite the fact that they teach two out of three of our children, 74 per cent of students with disabilities, 82 per cent of kids from the bottom quarter of socioeconomic advantage and 84 per cent of Indigenous children. How is it fair that almost $1.9 billion of a $2.2 billion cut is from public schools? We think our schools should be the best in the world. That's why we are so pleased to have with us in Canberra today teachers, parents and principals from all over Australia. We want to reassure them we will restore every dollar of the $17 billion cut by those opposite.

Ordinary Australians get it: 79 per cent of voters think increasing public school funding is better for Australia than cutting company tax rates, 72 per cent think federal funding for public schools is too low and only 24 per cent of voters think the Prime Minister is focused on ensuring public schools are in good shape. How shocking is it that people have worked out this government is completely not interested in fair funding for public schools! Their formula means 87 per cent of public schools will never get to their fair funding level, because those opposite have baked in 20 per cent for public schools and 80 per cent for private schools.

Today we've heard fantastic stories from all over Australia about the great work that was done with the early years of extra investment through needs based funding. Nicole Mottlee is a parent from Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus—a fantastic school I visited with Senator Deborah O'Neill and Liesl Tesch, the state member for Gosford—where nearly half the kids are in the bottom quarter of socioeconomic advantage. Nicole's school is losing more than $960,000 over the next two years. Imagine what a school like Brisbane Water Umina could do with that. They have a fantastic Aspire program that has been helping their disengaged young people, particularly getting boys before year 9 who've been exhibiting challenging behaviour to stay in school and supporting their families. Kids who are playing up at school often have challenging family situations, so Family Referral Service workers are helping the kids stay engaged at school and overcome the high unemployment in their local area.

Upper Coomera State College in the electorate of Forde will lose $1.8 million over the next two years. Laurie, a parent from that school, came to talk about her child's autism. She has a son who attends the school. He's 10 years old. He has autism. He was at a private school that wasn't properly able to support him. Laurie's family looked at seven other schools and finally found Coomera. She is so happy with that school. The principal of the school, Mike O'Connor, has said he used the needs based funding to invest in leadership development programs, employ reading coaches, implement a new literacy program, and improve mentoring of teachers and curricula development, but for Laurie's child, this has meant special education support, a case manager and a teacher aide, as well as meaning the usual teacher is able to teach her child.

All 280 students at Bwgcolman Community School on Palm Island are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. English is a second language for the majority. In 2016 the school introduced a new read-to-learn program for prep students. Within one year, 75 per cent of students were at or above the national benchmark for reading for their year level. What an amazing achievement! Imagine what more this school could do if it continued to receive proper needs based funding instead of having that funding ripped out of the school by those opposite?

This school has also been able to employ extra teacher aides from the island, which has meant positive flow-on effects right through the community, as well as community education counsellors to provide wraparound support for families to strengthen school attendance and engagement.

We believe that every Australian child deserves the best possible education, for their own benefit and for the benefit of all of us. We cannot be a wealthy, successful nation if we don't invest in our children. That's why, if a Labor government is elected at the next election, we will restore every single dollar of the $17 billion cut by those opposite. And under a Labor government public schools will be the biggest winners, because the schools that have the greatest need will see the greatest benefit in the shortest time.

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