Greens Announce New Deal for Public Education

[Oquist, Ben (Sen B. Brown)]

----------------------------------------------------------------------
This e-mail came to you from the GREENS-MEDIA Maillist
Maillist Home Page: http://www.altnews.com.au/Greens/
You are subscribed to this list as: chris at sw.oz.au
***
Visit the new interactive News Portal on the Altnews website
Click here http://www.us.altnews.com.au/
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, 15 March 2001


Greens Announce New Deal for Public Education

On National Public Education Day, Senator Brown announces intention to
introduce legislation to wind back Coalition 'reforms'

As part of National Public Education Day, Greens Senator Bob Brown today
released a plan to reverse the federal coalition government's biased funding
of school education.  

"The plan will ensure that public education receives growth funding until
its share is restored to the historical levels of 70% of total school
funding.  I will introduce a private members bill into the Senate to begin
rolling back the Howard Government's destructive  education 'reforms'. 

"Under Howard and Kemp, government schools have been denied real growth in
federal funding while private schools have been given ever more generous
handouts. Last year's State's Grants Act was a direct attack on public
education," Senator Brown said

"The Greens would also remove funding from the wealthiest private schools,
which already enjoy educational opportunities far greater than those
available at government schools.

"We are calling on Labor, the Democrats and the Coalition to enter
into a meaningful dialogue on how to protect public education. Our package
is an excellent starting point," Senator Brown said.

Over: the key components of the Greens package.

Further information: Ben Oquist 02 62773170 or 0419704095



The Greens Public Education Package

Key Components:

1. A new private member's bill - the Schools Funding and Continuity and
Stability Bill which would repeal the States Grants Act 2001 (SGA 2001) and
return private school funding for the year 2002 to year 2000 levels. The
difference between this level of funding and that which would have been
supplied under SGA2001 would then be paid to the States as catch up money
for public education. The bill would also abolish of the Howard Government's
Enrolment Benchmark Adjustment (EBA) scheme.

2. Greens Principles for the Funding Debate: Public Education First: A set
of principles that we would use to develop legislation to replace the SGA
2001 for the years 2003 to 2006:
	*	an end to Federal funding of the wealthiest private schools.
These funds directed to equity programs in the public education system;
	*	ending the growth of funding to private schools (i.e. a
freeze on the total amount, fixed at 2000 levels, less the amount that went
to the wealthiest schools); 
	*	all growth in schools funding directed to public education
until the
	*	historical balance of 70% public, 30% private is restored. A
target of  8% of GDP;
	*	new allocation mechanisms for private school funding to
address need and public benefit;
	*	full accountability for private schools and systems (income
and expenditure).



Further information: Ben Oquist 02 62773170 or 0419704095


Ben Oquist
Greens Senator Bob Brown
02 62773170 ph
02 62773185 fx
----------------------------------------
You can receive Greens
media releases by e-mail.
Go to http://www.greens.org.au 
and sign up to the 
'Greens-Media' opt in e-mail list.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Greens Maillists - http://www.greens.org.au/
110,000 visits per month & growing - visit Australia's premier progressive 
political site
On-Line Suppliers
Alternative News Network - GreenNet Australia
Support our suppliers