Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to strongly condemn the New South Wales Liberal government's recent threat to significantly cut funding for independent and Catholic schools in New South Wales. This radical $66.7 million cut in funding for non-government schools will mean $496 less will go to each child in a non-government or Catholic school. Less funding per student will undoubtedly force the schools to raise their fees or implement painful cost cuts, which will lead to fewer jobs and fewer learning resources for students.

State funding equates to 20 per cent of the annual income for most Catholic schools in New South Wales. This funding goes towards teachers' salaries and meeting operational costs and is therefore fundamental to the operation of any Catholic school. Parents have grown accustomed to being assured that their children are getting affordable yet top-quality education at Catholic schools. The Catholic Church has had a long tradition in education. In fact, for 190 years it has offered quality education to young Australians.

The decision to cut funding for Catholic and independent schools and jeopardise their ability to provide affordable education has come as an absolute shock to these schools as most have already set their budgets for next year. There has been no consultation with school representatives and no consideration for the wellbeing and future of our nation's youth. Providing our youth with quality education and thereby the best opportunities for their future cannot be the area for savage cuts. Our ability and willingness to invest in education will ultimately determine the future prosperity of our nation.

The New South Wales government's failure to recognise the fundamental significance of education for our nation's future stands in stark contrast to the federal government's efforts to implement a historic education revolution. Only days ago, in response to the Gonski review, the Prime Minister outlined Better Schools: A National Plan for School Improvement, which aims to ensure that every student in our nation gets a world-class education. Introducing benchmark investments per student and increasing the funding depending on levels of need and disadvantage will ensure no student is left behind. Providing more and better quality teachers and facilitating access to the most advanced learning resources will certainly enhance the learning experience and bring Australia back to the top of the international education standards.

The federal Labor government has already made more positive reforms in education than any government that has come before it. In fact, our school budget is already double that of the Howard government. Thanks to our BER program, our kids have more than 900,000 new computers to learn on and are enjoying the investment of improving the quality of their education.

What is the reaction of the New South Wales Liberal government to these historic investments in education? Instead of joining in and contributing to creating a world-leading education system, the O'Farrell government is proposing to take away from the students and jeopardise their future. The federal government increases in school funding should by no means be an incentive for state governments to decrease the funding commitments that have traditionally belonged to schools. And the bullyboy tactics of holding students of Catholic and independent schools to ransom sets a new low, even by the standards of the New South Wales Liberal government.

This situation is eerily similar to where the New South Wales government recently raised the rent for pensioners living in public housing as a result of the federal government's pension increase, which was designed to offset rises in the cost of living. This is fast becoming the hallmark of the O'Farrell government—using any additional assistance as an incentive to reduce funding for those most in need.

I call on the New South Wales Premier, Barry O'Farrell, and his education minister, Adrian Piccoli, to come out and tell the parents what their intentions are when it comes to school funding. They have the opportunity to join the federal government in revolutionising Australia's education system by investing in our youth and in the nation's future; or they can continue with their lazy approach of caring only about the immediate bottom line and leaving behind those who need our support the most. Our Catholic and independent schools are a vital part of this country's education system. They deserve more support and respect than the New South Wales Liberal government is currently giving them.