National leaflet: Schools in NSW will soon receive leaflets in bulk supply explaining the issue of the federal funding of education. The leaflets are for distribution to parents and the community on Public Education Day. The leaflet is also being distributed in other states and territories.

Time’s ticking, ALP must act on funding

By Angelo Gavrielatos

The fact the Howard Government has turned its back on the almost 70 per cent of students, their parents and teachers who are a part of the public education system is beyond dispute.

Of increasing concern is the fact that Mark Latham and the ALP remain conspicuous by their silence with respect to their commitment in dollars and cents to public education.

At the ALP National Conference on January 29 Opposition leader Mark Latham said "there is no more powerful institution in our society than a good government school". On March 26 he said the "the ALP's new funding principles will include a significant increase in the funding of government schools based on need".

It is now time to back these statements with substance. Our great public schools can be even greater with increased funding for resources and facilities.

Thus far Mark Latham and the ALP has done nothing more than give comfort to the private school lobby by reiterating over and over again that "a Labor Government will not reduce total funding for non-government schools but rather change the way in which the funding is distributed between those schools. We will move funding from wealthy non-government schools to needy non-government schools".

In the absence of a significant increase in funding to public schools, the effect of this is that private schools, particularly Catholic and "low fee-paying" schools, will be operating with more total government funds than their neighbouring public schools.

The spectre of such a disgraceful scenario can only be dispelled by the release of ALP policy showing a significant increase in funding to public schools.

The ALP must make central to its election policy a priority commitment to public education and therefore a significant increase in funding to public education. They must give a clear commitment that they will oppose the States Grants Act (the legislation which determines the federal funding to schools) which will be re-debated in Federal Parliament this year.

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Senior Vice President.

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