Labor will strangle non-govt schools with red tape

The Gillard Government intends to introduce a raft of new bureaucratic measures that will halt the growth of non-government schools and potentially force up school fees said Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education today.

“Labor’s proposed plan to ‘harmonise’ the funding regulatory frameworks for non-government schools reportedly contains strict new viability standards and minimum enrolment requirements for non-government schools,” Mr Pyne said.

“Essentially it will make it impossible for new non-government schools to open and grow without huge financial resources and hundreds of enrolments,” he said.

“Labor wants to bring back the Keating Government’s ironically titled New Schools Policy which stopped new non-government schools from opening and growing.

“This is stealth attack on the non-government school sector. The Schools Minister is attempting to sneak these changes through to avoid public scrutiny on the issue.

“The new regulations are being developed by Commonwealth, State and Territory Education committees without representatives from the non-government schools sector.

“Labor is once again falling in line with the Greens who want to restrict where and when non-government schools should be built and dictate what kind of education they provide for their students.

“The Coalition believes in choice in education and understands that parents are best placed to decide on the education that meets the needs of their child.

“Parents should be able to access a quality education for their child whether it is a Government, Catholic or Independent School,” Mr Pyne said. 

October 16, 2012