The Commonwealth Budget has failed public education in Tasmania by failing to deliver on years five and six of the Gonski funding reforms, and breaking an election promise to implement the full loadings for students with disabilities this year.
“The failure to deliver on years five and six of the Gonski funding will cost Tasmania $136m, two thirds of the Gonski funding, which is desperately needed to continue the improvement in education outcomes we have seen over the last three years,” said Greens Education spokesperson Nick McKim MP.
“We could also have used part of the missing funding to reverse the Liberals’ savage cuts to public education which have resulted in over 200 teachers being removed from public schools this year.”
“Tasmanian students with disabilities and their parents have every right to feel abandoned by this budget, which breaks an election promise to deliver the full disability loading this year.”
“The national approach to students with disabilities was designed to ensure national consistency so that increases in funding could be allocated fairly across the country. So while the framework is now in place, the necessary funding has not been delivered in this budget,” Mr McKim said.