Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham has hinted at Tasmania receiving increased government funding, during a visit to Campbell Town District High School on Monday.
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When asked for an update on the Gonski funding package, due in the coming months, Mr Birmingham remained tight-lipped on specifics. However, he said Tasmania was doing all the right things to secure more federal money in the future.
“Federal funding into schools is driven very much on a per-student basis, and so one other important point here as we talk about more students undertaking year 11 and 12 and more students starting school earlier in Tasmania, is all of those factors will also see increased funding coming into Tasmania as a result of the work the Hodgman government has done in relation to increasing school participation. But we’ll have much more to say about that, I’m sure, in a couple of months.”
Mr Birmingham joined Tasmanian Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff in Campbell Town on Monday to learn about the extended school years initiative.
The two ministers met with students at the high school, where year 11 and 12 enrollments almost doubled since the two senior years were introduced in 2016. “We are sending a clear message to the Tasmanian community that school doesn’t end in year 10. From 2018, there will be a total of 38 schools offering years 11 and 12, far exceeding our commitment to extend 21 schools to year 12 by 2018,” Mr Rockliff said.
However, opposition education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne blasted Mr Rockliff for not taking the opportunity to secure Gonski funding while the federal minister was in town. “The $100 million we are owed under the Gonski reforms would make a massive difference in Tasmanian schools and yet for the past three years the Liberals have done nothing to secure this funding.”
The Australian Education Union’s Tasmanian branch has been pushing the issue of Gonski funding in the lead-up to the April meetings, saying it should have been Premier Will Hodgman’s back-to-school priority.
“There is $100 million in Gonski school funding on the table for Tasmanian schools but Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t want to deliver it and Will Hodgman needs to fight for it,” state president Helen Richardson said. “Other premiers are fighting tooth and nail to secure from Malcolm Turnbull their share of Gonski funding.”