AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT
SCHOOLS
Press Release 709
BIRMINGHAM RESORTS TO BLACKMAIL:
Public Schools face Funding Cuts if Gonski 2.0 Blocked in Senate
On Tuesday the Greens’ education spokeswoman, Sarah Hanson-Young, suggested her party would investigate blocking the Gonski 2.0 bill to rely on default rates of funding growth in the current law as a third way through the funding debate. Birmingham responded that blocking the bill would hurt public schools.
Asked if all sectors would be worse off or if some sectors, including the Catholic system, could benefit if the bill were blocked, Birmingham said “it depends” on decisions the government would then make.
“If our legislation doesn’t pass, then we’ll have to contemplate what it is that we are required to do under the [current] legislation,” he said, adding the government policy would have to”
Public school supporters reacted. Trevor Cobbold of Save Our Schools wrote:
In an outrageous move, the Minister for Education, Simon Birmingham, has threatened to cut funding to public schools if Gonski 2.0 is not passed by the Senate. The threat covers public schools in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory while private schools in these states will be guaranteed their funding. …
This is blatant political blackmail. Birmingham is openly prepared to sacrifice the needs of disadvantaged students in the non-participating states if Gonski 2.0 is not passed by the Senate. In effect, he is prepared to cut funding to the majority of public schools in the country. Public schools in these states enrol over 80% of disadvantaged students. They will bear the cost of any cutbacks in funding by the Commonwealth Government. Birmingham is threatening the future of these students.
But the threat does not apply to private schools in the non-participating states because all private schools and systems are considered to be participating authorities. They are guaranteed funding increases under the Education Act.
Readers of the Guardian had trenchant comments:
Quintal wrote:
The shambolic mob the occupies, however precariously , the government benches in Canberra seems to have a limited repertoire when dealing with issues of national importance
1. Threaten
2. Enlist the shock jocks
3. Blackmail
4. Run away and hide
Meanwhile, Trevor Cobbold, crunching his facts and figures has revealed that Gonski 2.0 is a fraud being visited upon the public sector. http://www.saveourschools.com.au/funding/gonski-20-is-a-fraud
He writes:
The Turnbull Government’s Gonski 2.0 funding plan is a fraud. It is a fraud because
- it delivers much less funding to public schools and much more for private schools than Gonski 1.0.
- It is a fraud because public schools will remain under-funded while private schools will be well-funded.
- It is a fraud because there will be a massive increase in over-funding of private schools. Private schools will get a new, grander, special deal which is disguised by reducing over-funding in the most blatant cases. It is the best special deal that private schools have ever had.
- Gonski 2.0 is a fraud also because abandons any effort to develop a truly national school funding system while claiming to be a national approach.
Meanwhile, in the Senate Hearings, the Catholic Education sector, confronted by questions a personal Senate hearings, are threatening to change their administration arrangements so that city dioceses form their own systems and don’t have to send money to schools in poorer regional areas. And Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young accused Labor Senator Jacinta Collins of running a ‘protection racket’ for the Catholic sector. She withdrew the statement in response to ‘outrage’ from Jacinta Collins. ( The Age, June 6, 2017.
As the hargy bargy continues in Canberra, comments on the Guardian website increase their pungency
"Do as I say, or the kid gets it"
26 May 2017 6:
Although in this case, the kid doesn't get it.
Stuart Skater Parnell Anne Ransley
Wedge tactics 2.0 all over again
Birmingham has been learning from the Scott Morrison school of paternalism, threats and intimidation. Pity for him he hasn't done his homework on how that plays with voters.
Nailed it. What else have they got though?
They are not labelled 'born to rule ' for nothing.
Oh dear! You don't have agreements in place? But what have you been doing for four years?
Incompetent bullies.
That is none of your (or ours) concern. These are all "on scholastic matters".
Looking forward to the Tingle and Coorey article criticising malcy and smarmingham for politicising education.
DOGS NOTE THAT THERE IS A SIMPLE ANSWER TO THIS EDUCATION FUNDING MESS: PROPER FUNDING OF ONE, FIRST RATE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR ALL AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN AND WITHDRAWAL OF FUNDS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
- THINK OF THE EDUCATIONAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS.
- THINK OF THE BUDGET BOTTOM LINE AS WE RATIONALISE
- THE RIDICULOUS LEVEL OF DUPLICATION AND DISADVANTAGE!
- THINK OF THE SOCIAL HARMONY
- THINK OF OUR STRONGER DEMOCRACY
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