'Real' Gonski win for Australian schools

21 Jul 2020
The team

Posted June 21, 2017

The Government's decision to pour an extra $4.9 billion into Australian schools over the next decade - and to speed up the Gonski 2.0 transition for underfunded schools - has been welcomed by the Nick Xenophon Team.

The Nick Xenophon Team has successfully advocated for:

  • Australian Schools to receive $23.5 billion over the next 10 years - $4.9 billion above the Government's $18.6 billion proposal.
  • Underfunded Australian Schools to reach funding targets in six years instead of 10.
  • A National Schools Resourcing Board to be set up to review and improve the school funding methodology.
  • Benchmarks for State and Territory Governments so they pay their share of education funding.

“What we have advocated for is a huge improvement on the outcome of schooling for the children of this country,” Senator Nick Xenophon said.

“It means an extra $4.9 billion for schools, up from the Government’s original proposal of $18.6 billion to $23.5 billion.

“But more importantly it means the funding formula for our underfunded schools will be condensed to six years rather than being stretched out over 10 years."

Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie, NXT's Spokesperson on Education, said the Team had also secured an agreement from the Government to set up a National Schools Resourcing Board.

The Board would be tasked with reviewing school funding methodology and to ensure accountability on the allocation of funding.

'There will also be a review of the Socio Economic Standard calculations to make sure the funding methodology best reflects parents' capacity to pay," Rebekha said.

“What we saw before under the Labor plan, under what the Australian Education Union (AEU) has been saying, was effectively a knock-off version of Gonski with 27 different deals.

“This is the REAL Gonski and we have three members of the original Gonski panel, including David Gonski himself, saying unambiguously it would be a disaster for Australian education if this package didn’t pass.

"Other supporters of this legislation include the former NSW State Education Minister Adrian Piccoli and former AEU President Dianne Foggo."

Due to NXT advocacy:

  • Australian Schools will receive $23.5 billion over the next 10 years - $4.9 billion extra.
  • Australian Schools will receive an extra $1.4 billion over the next four years.
  • SA’s 718 schools (518 government, 102 independent and 98 Catholic) will receive an extra $424 million over the next 10 years.
  • SA’s schools will receive an extra $132 million over the next four years.

NXT has an agreement from the Government that amendments will be introduced requiring the States to meet funding allocation benchmarks.

If states and territories fail to meet these benchmarks, the Federal Government will withhold some funding.

“NXT have ensured that State Governments will have to meet their obligations to contribute to schools funding,” Rebekha said.

“This means that by 2023 all schools in Australia will receive at least 95% of their target Schooling Resource Standard funding.

“NXT has also secured an agreement that a National Schools Resourcing Board will be set up.

“This body was recommended in the original Gonski review and will act as an independent body to review and provide recommendations on improvements to the funding model.

“The first act of this body would be to review the methodology of assessing parents’ capacity to contribute to non-government schools funding.”

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