[Greens-Media] Greens say no more delays - Victoria should sign up for national schools funding plan - Pennicuik

[Amanda.Sharp at parliament.vic.gov.au]

Greens say no more delays - Victoria should sign up for national schools 
funding plan

24 July 2013

Victorian Greens education spokesperson, Sue Pennicuik, said today that 
the Victorian government has had more than enough time and should sign up 
to the national schools funding plan without further delay. 

"Everyone knows that the current education system is unfair and 
chronically under-funded, especially in Victoria. Our government school 
students deserve better," Ms Pennicuik said. 

Minister Dixon said on 5 July that he wanted to ensure that "no school is 
worse off, and that we avoid any takeover of our schools by Canberra." 

"My response to that is that the starting position of the federal 
government when it commissioned the Gonski review was that no school would 
be worse off and the independent and catholic systems have now signed on, 
which confirms that." 

"What is in danger now is around $4 billion of extra funding for Victorian 
government schools if the state government doesn't sign up. Victorian 
independent and catholic schools will get extra funding whether or not 
Premier Napthine signs on for our government schools and that would be 
unconscionable." Ms Pennicuik said. 

"Government schools do the 'heavy lifting' with 91% of students in the 
lowest 20% socio-economic demographic, 83% of indigenous students and 78% 
of students with a disability attending state schools."1

Educating these students requires time, energy and expertise and this 
takes money and resources.

Just yesterday, Premier Napthine was again saying that he "wants 
assurances from the Federal government with regard to the management of 
our schools - that our schools are managed by local school councils, local 
school principals and local school committees, rather than faceless 
bureaucrats in Canberra."2  

"This is just a red herring. Victorian government schools are already 
amongst the most autonomous and there is no evidence that more autonomy 
improves educational outcomes. Often, principals and schools are given 
more 'autonomy' but not more support or resources and then governments 
blame those schools and teachers for the problems caused by government 
under-resourcing." Ms Pennicuik said.

A 2011 report by the Grattan Institute: The Myth of Markets in School 
Education warns that the focus on school autonomy is the "wrong strategy 
and the link between school autonomy and high performance is weak. 
Victoria, which has led the world in increasing autonomy, has not 
performed above New South Wales, which was centralised until recently."3  

What has been confirmed today, with the release of the Australian 
Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey conducted by Monash University, is 
something that has been reported for years - that many school principals 
are stressed and this could be having serious health consequences. 

"Successive state governments have created these pressures in schools 
without providing the necessary support for principals and teachers." Ms 
Pennicuik said. 

"At the federal level, the Greens are committing an extra $2 billion over 
the next four years on top of the federal government's $3 billion to help 
public schools sooner. This would double the funding from the federal 
government in the next two years and the Greens would direct the extra 
funding to where it is needed most, including better assistance for 
students with a disability."

For further comment: Sue Pennicuik – 0409 055 875 / 03 9530 8399

1  Victorian Principals Association
2  Nine News National
3  Grattan Institute


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Parliament of Victoria                                                                                                                    . 
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