GOVERNMENTS AGREE TO FULLY AND FAIRLY FUND ALL BLUE MOUNTAINS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman and State Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle, have celebrated the historic agreement between the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments that will put all public schools in New South Wales on a path to full and fair funding.

Both Ms Templeman and Ms Doyle have been involved in the fight for fair funding started by the Gonski Report in 2011, supporting Blue Mountains teachers, students and parents.

As part of the Heads of Agreements signed today, the Commonwealth will lift the Commonwealth’s contribution from 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).by 2034.

This will see an estimated $4.8 billion in additional Commonwealth funding to NSW public schools over the next 10 years.
As part of the Agreements, NSW will remove the provision allowing them to claim 4 per cent of public school funding for indirect school costs such as capital depreciation and replace it with 4 per cent of recurrent funding on eligible expenses.

Commonwealth funding will be tied to the reforms needed to lift education standards across the country, including more individualised support for students, mandating evidenced-based teaching practices, and more mental health support in schools.

This is not a blank cheque. The Agreement signed today will be followed by a NSW Bilateral Agreement, which will tie funding to reforms that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school, such as: 

• Year 1 phonics and early years of schooling numeracy checks to identify students in the early years of school who need additional help.

·       evidence-based teaching and targeted and intensive supports such as small-group or catch-up tutoring to help students who fall behind.

• initiatives that support wellbeing for learning – including greater access to mental health professionals.
• access to high-quality and evidence-based professional learning, and
• initiatives that improve the attraction and retention of teachers.

In addition to these reforms, the Agreements have targets, including that by 2030 the proportion of students finishing high school will be the highest it has ever been. Other targets include:

• Reducing the proportion of students in the NAPLAN ‘Needs Additional Support’ proficiency level for reading and numeracy by 10 per cent.
• Increasing the proportion of students in the ‘Strong’ and ‘Exceeding’ proficiency levels for reading and numeracy by 10 per cent by 2030 and trend upwards for priority equity cohorts in the ‘Strong’ and ‘Exceeding’ proficiency levels.
• Increasing the Student Attendance Rate, nationally, to 91.4 per cent (2019 level) by 2030.
• Increasing the engagement rate (completed or still enrolled) of initial teacher education students by 10 percentage points to 69.7 per cent by 2035.
• Increasing the proportion of students leaving school with a Year 12 certificate by 7.5 percentage points (nationally) by 2030.

This means more help for students and more support for teachers.

Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman:

“I have campaigned through federal elections since 2012 on this issue, standing with teachers, parents and students with the Gonski bus as it visited our schools, only to see Tony Abbott and subsequent Liberal leaders undermine the efforts to get every NSW public school student to the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS).

“This has been a long journey, but this is a landmark day in the history of public education and represents the biggest new investment in NSW public schools by the Australian Government – ever.

“This funding agreement delivered by Labor will help improve our local schools in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Nepean areas and boost outcomes for students.

“I want to thank local principals, teachers, school staff, parents and students who fought this battle to have public education fairly funded.

“Labor is investing in public schools to create a better and fairer education system.”

Quotes attributable to State Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle:
 
“I welcome the agreement reached by our Labor governments. This was started by a Labor Federal Government and it was only ever going to be finally delivered by Labor State and Federal governments.

“There are students in Year 12 today who were in Kindy or Year 1 when educators were just starting the campaign to fight for fair funding.

“As a former teacher, and a P&C President as Susan was, I am so proud that fair and full funding for our public schools will be delivered under Labor Governments!”