ALP ‘botches’ policy

By Dennis Long

Australian Education Union (AEU) Federal President Denis Fitzgerald has blasted a draft version of a new education policy to be submitted to ALP Conference this week.

In a media release dated July 7 headed "ALP botches its first attempt at a new education policy", Mr Fitzgerald said:

"Supporters of public education will find little to enthuse about in the education policy released by Kim Beazley today."

The release termed the draft policy a "grossly disappointing document full of high sentiment...but silent about what the ALP will do to redress the injustices heaped upon public eduction by the Howard, Hawke and Keating governments".

The AEU President called on the ALP to "put public education first" and promise to "redistribute funds which have been given to the privileged private education sector back to our public schools and TAFE colleges".

Mr Fitzgerald said that a future Labor Government would need to be specific about increases in funding if it was "to be taken seriously" by AEU members, providing as an example the need "to go beyond platitudes in relation to pre-school policy".

The media release urged Mr Beazley to take note of recent ACTU support for public education funding. The AEU's latest campaign focuses on the labour movement.

Dennis Long is the Editor.

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