Tasmania’s education stakeholders have made public their support and concerns for a new funding model set to impact schools across the nation.
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In submissions to a Senate Education Committee inquiry examining the federal government’s new legislation around school funding, Tasmanian parties brought forward mixed reviews for the proposed changes.
Earlier this year, the federal government announced a new 10-year funding deal which would bring all schools to a needs-based funding model, Gonski 2.0.
Tasmanian Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said in his submission that although he acknowledged the new deal would deliver an extra $186 million to schools, he had some concerns.
“The Tasmanian government is naturally disappointed that the quantum of funding included in the new Gonski 2.0 model is not as much as proposed under the original agreement; however we understand that those funds were never budgeted for,” Mr Rockliff said.
“The first issue is the intention to use the data set for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data of school students with disability (NCCD) to allocate the needs based loading for students with disability.”
Independent Schools Tasmania said the amendments would deliver certainty of funding.
“IST welcomes the differentiation of loadings for students with disabilities into supplementary, substantial and extensive categories of need,” the submission said.
“The proposed increased loadings for students requiring extensive adjustments are urgently needed.
“IST strongly opposes the 30 per cent cut in funding to bodies representing independent schools announced in the 2017-18 budget.”
A submission from the Australian Parents Council, based in Launceston, said there needed to be "long-term surety and confidence" in the legislation.
"APC supports some aspects of the proposed new funding model but has significant concerns that its application is not truly sector blind,” the submission said.
