Smith shamed on private school funding policy

Delegates Barbara Roberts and Martin Bower with Stephen Smith.

by Kerri Carr

The Federal Labor Party's policy for funding private schools was greeted with calls of "shame" at Federation's annual conference on July 3.

Shadow education and training minister Stephen Smith said: "Labor has made it clear...that when it comes to the funding of private schools we are not proposing to take one dollar off any of those schools...and we are proposing to continue the current indexation arrangements."

He said a Labor government would "fund schools on the basis of need and fairness".

"The one thing that we cannot afford to do in Australia is end up in a two-tiered system," Mr Smith said.

"Where is the greatest danger of a 2nd tier? In my view the greatest danger of a 2nd tier is poor or needy government schools, particularly poor or needy government primary schools.

"I believe the area of especial need...is the funding of government primary schools," he said.

"We have, in my view, an especial need to fund all rural and regional schools and our rural and regional school children more," he also said.

"Education, delivered to Indigenous Australians, particularly in remote communities, is a tragedy crying for additional funding.

"The 4th area of especial need...is in special education," he added.

Mr Smith also said a Labor government would fund TAFE "adequately and appropriately".

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Last Modified: 26 Jul 2007