It’s taken some time, but the federal government’s school funding legislation has passed through the Senate.
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Gonski 2.0 brings $23.5 billion into school funding, which aims to even out the School Resourcing Standard playing field – bringing more schools in line to receive the same amount of federal dollars.
The aim is 20 per cent for government schools, and 80 per cent for non-government schools, by 2023.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has labelled the legislation as “the biggest reform in Commonwealth school funding ever”.
But not everyone is happy.
The Labor Party and the national education union have made their thoughts on Gonski 2.0 clear.
State Labor education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne said the legislation was inferior, and said it was a “massive blow to funding” to support Tasmanian children.
Australian Education Union Tasmania president Helen Richardson said the new legislation would lead to “entrenched” under-resourcing for state schools.
She said it would have a “devastating impact” on schools.
This is in direct contrast to comments from Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff.
“The Commonwealth’s passage of Gonski 2.0 means certainty for Tasmanian students and their families can be assured that they will receive more money, sooner,” Mr Rockliff said.
“Gonski 2.0 will mean ... students will receive more money per student than any other state.”
What line is the Tasmanian public to believe?
Mr Rockliff, on behalf of the state government, tells us that Gonski 2.0 means an additional $186 million in “real money” for Tasmanian schools.
But Ms O’Byrne says the proposal means Tasmanian public schools will be $68 million worse off, for the next two years.
News outlets around the country are pumping out analysis pieces about the deal, and especially about the negotiations inside the Senate that saw the legislation get the green light.
Are Labor’s criticisms just a hangover from the original Gonski proposal, which was formulated by the Gillard government four years ago? Or are they founded?
All we can know is that the money is coming, and we’d better trust that it’s delivered into hands who know how to make the best of it.
