Garrett YouTube fails to address parents concerns
29 Jun 2011
Media release
A video statement that has appeared on the internet today featuring the Schools Minister, Peter Garrett, does nothing to ease parents concerns about higher school fees, said Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education.
"In the statement Mr Garrett fails to guarantee current funding in real terms beyond 2013 which should be the starting point of any new funding model," Mr Pyne said.
Instead Mr Garrett has once again said that no school will lose a dollar in funding, but talk is cheap Minister, what about indexation?
If indexation for school funding doesn't extend beyond 2013 then by 2017 non-government schools will have a funding shortfall of around $4.2 billion. The only way for schools to make up this shortfall would be to cut 56,000 teaching jobs, or massively increase school fees.
Cost of living is already sky-rocketing under the Gillard Government and an increase in schools fees would be another enormous hit on the 2.4 million Australian parents who have chosen to send their children to a non-government school.
"The Coalition has committed to current funding levels plus indexation - it's time for Peter Garrett to stop using weasel words and make the same guarantee," Mr Pyne said.
May 30, 2011
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Adam Howard
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