Andrew Giles MP, Federal Member for Scullin, today showed his support for needs-based funding for local schools.
Speaking in Parliament today, Mr Giles said that the Abbott Liberal Government was breaking faith with parents and their children with its tricky and uncertain approach to school funding.
“It is crucial that local schools have the resources to cater to individual students and their needs,” Mr Giles said.
“What is at stake here is the extra teachers and learning and support staff, the extra literacy and numeracy specialists, the specialist programs in sport, music and art, as well as the ability to make classroom modifications to assist students with a disability.”
“Only with needs-based funding will local schools in Scullin get the support they need.”
“Thomastown West Primary School is just one of many schools across Scullin that will now lose out with a move away from needs-based funding.”
“Under Labor, Thomastown West Primary School was to receive an extra $1.59 million more public funding in the 2019 school year compared to what it received in 2013.”
“Schools in Scullin stood to receive over 50 per cent increase in their funding. This is approximately an extra $117 million of additional funding in the 2019 school year, compared to the 2013 school year.”
“The Gonski report clearly identified that to turn around performance, we need to tie funding to student need, as well as to improving teacher quality and student outcomes.”