TAMWORTH’S Hillvue Public School has been used by NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli to highlight the importance of the federal government matching Labor’s committment on Gonski funding for Australian schools.
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Mr Piccoli was responding to Labor’s announcement on Thursday that, if elected, it would fully fund the six-year Gonski agreements with the states.
This has ensured education has become one of the major battle grounds in the run up to this year’s election.
The agreements were struck when Labor was last in office, promising billions in extra funding for schools over a six-year period, with two-thirds of the additional money to flow in the fifth and sixth years.
But when the Coalition came to power, it announced it would not honour the final two years, angering education advocates and the states.
The NSW government has already committed to funding the full six years, and Mr Piccoli has repeatedly called on his federal counterparts to reverse their decision.
He said on Friday the Gonski funding was a “game changer” for students and praised Labor for taking the stance.
“Any government that supports an increase in spending, and spending correctly ... is very welcome,” he said on Sydney radio on Friday.
“To have Labor commit to it is great, but we’d also like to see the Liberals and Nationals commit to it as well.”
Mr Piccoli said that, just two years into the Gonski agreements, NSW schools were seeing the results of the extra funding, including Hillvue.
“Individual schools are seeing big impacts ... (and) Hillvue Public School would be a great example up in Tamworth,” he said.
“They received a significant increase in funding thanks to the Gonski money ... (and) their individual NAPLAN results are fantastic.
“Sixty per cent of all Year 3 students are in the top three bands, compared to a couple of years ago where there was less than 10 per cent.
“That’s a huge shift ... and they put it down to the extra funding.”
Susan Armstead, from the Tamworth office of the NSW Teachers Federation, said Labor’s announcement was welcome, but education policy should have bipartisan support.
“It should not be party-political ... and it’s now up to the Turnbull government to match Labor’s promise.”
She also rejected suggestions by the government that the nation couldn’t afford it.
“It’s not a cost, it’s an investment in our country,” Ms Armstead said.
“(Spending on education has) shown to improve not only a nation’s economic position, but also increase social cohesion ... and we believe that’s an investment worth making.”
