Internal document reveals truth on Gonski

An internal document obtained by the Coalition reveals the claims made by the Minister for Schools, Peter Garrett yesterday that school funding changes are ‘well underway’ were highly misleading.

“The document from yesterday’s Education Ministers meeting shows State and Territory Education Ministers have not endorsed the Gonski model and have many concerns about the proposed changes,” said Shadow Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne today.

The States have made it abundantly clear that there is no commitment to any new funding suggesting: “Any proposed change to school funding should not assume additional state and territory investment".

“State and Territory Education Ministers also did not make a commitment to any new funding principles associated with a School Resource Standard.  In fact, Ministers are standing by the funding principles for the existing National Education Agreement,” Mr Pyne said.

“Neither was there even in-principle agreement to establish a National School Resources Body,” he said.

“On Sky PM Agenda yesterday, Schools Minister Peter Garrett said concerns over the indexation of school funding weren’t raised as the meeting yesterday but the document obtained by the Coalition clearly shows that indexation was on the agenda at the meeting,” Mr Pyne said.

Education Ministers also made it very clear that the Ministerial Schools Funding Reference Group created by Mr Garrett is simply “an advisory body to the Commonwealth Minister and not a decision making body”. 

“In other words, this group does not have any bearing on State Governments decisions,” Mr Pyne said.

“Mr Garrett’s attempts to mislead and decry the Coalition’s genuine concerns have blown up in his face with the release of this document today,” Mr Pyne said.

April 6, 2012