YOUNG public schools will be nearly $2 million worse off under the Liberal-National Government's Gonski plan according to NSW Department of Education analysis.
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A total of $1,908,167 will be cut from Young Public Schools under the federal government's Gonski 2.0 plan the department says.
The Department analysis shows the difference between what Labor's Gonski plan would have provided and what the Turnbull plan will cut from schools in 2018 and 2019.
The figures show cuts of $724,977 to the Young High School, $535,947 to the Young North Primary School, $527,247 to the Young Public School, $26,146 to the Bribbaree Public School, $8109 to the Maimaru Public School, $36,352 to the Monteagle Public School, $22,792 to the Murringo Public School and $26,597 to the Wombat Public School.
NSW Department of Education secretary Mark Scott has warned principals not to trust the Turnbull government's promises of increases to school funding.
"Schools should not rely on these figures for future planning or budgeting purposes,” he said.
Young High School Principal Keith Duran said principals are concerned that the support offered to schools in Gonski 1.0 will be lost in Gonski 2.0.
“Our concern is not that we are losing luxuries but that we will not be able to continue to make progressive changes in our schools and long term plans for student support and opportunity,” he said. “The Secondary Principals Council has concerns about changes to this effective model that was bringing positive success for Young students."
NSW Teachers Federation Branch country organiser Kelly Anderson said the only hope for schools to not lose funding would be for the Senate to vote against the Federal Governments's plan.
"The Turnbull Government is moving to change the legislation to replace needs based funding agreements with a plan that will massively reduce funding for Young public schools, if the legislation is passed in the House of Representatives, it can be defeated in the Senate if a majority of crossbench senators vote against it,” she said. “Schools funding should never be something which politicians can use as a political football. The community must have access to well-resourced schools, they are crucial for a community and should always be fully funded, regardless of who is in Government. If the Government bought one less submarine, Gonski 1.0 could be fully funded.”
Federal MP disputes union Gonski claims
Riverina MP Michael McCormack has hit back at the NSW Department of Education's claims that $1,908,167 will be cut from Young Public Schools under the federal government's needs based funding “Gonski 2.0” plan.
“I dispute the figures that are being put forward by the education department,” he said.
“At the end of the day when Labor introduced Gonski they did so without fully funding it. We are delivering Gonski for all Australians, Labor signed 27 separate deals across the nation but did not sign WA, QLD or the NT, we are delivering for all states and territories we didn’t just pick and choose,” he said.
“Those deals weren’t funded beyond 2017, what we have done is produced a fair dinkum needs based system, Labor used Gonski’s name in vain, Labor might have promised it, but we are delivering it and when I get a call from the former NSW education minister Adrian Piccoli effusive in his praise for our policy then I will take that over what the department and the teachers federation say any day of the week.”