Department officials refuse to guarantee no losers

Department of Education officials appearing today at the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Australian Education Bill would not guarantee that no school will be worse off in real terms under Labor’s new school funding model.

“It has long been the Coalition’s contention that non-government school funding could go backwards in real terms under Labor’s new model,” the Shadow Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne said today.

“Cuts to funding in real terms means that as the cost of education becomes higher, parents will have to fill the funding gap by paying higher school fees each year,” Mr Pyne said.

“Unless Labor guarantees no school will be worse off in real terms, then the new model will have a Private School Hit list of schools losing money in complete contradiction to the Prime Minister’s claim that every school will be better off,” he said.

The Committee also heard that:

• Stakeholder groups were asked to consider sixteen different funding models some with detrimental outcomes for schools.

• Professor of Public Policy at Australian Catholic University, Scott Prasser stated that the proposed new funding model is ‘unworkable’.

• School fees in some Catholic schools may rise by 200-300 per cent as Labor’s new model sets a minimum fee amount non-government schools must charge. 

• Catholic education officials admitted they have held off opening twelve new schools due to the uncertainty over the Government’s new funding model.

“It is time for Labor to reveal their full funding model for Australians to consider. Schools cannot operate and plan for the future in an environment of uncertainty,” Mr Pyne said.

The Coalition Members of the House Education and Employment Committee in attendance were the Member for Grey, Rowan Ramsey, the Member for McPherson, Karen Andrews, the Member for Aston, Alan Tudge and the Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke.

15 February 2013