The campaign for fair funding for public schools will ramp up from today, Australian Education Union Federal President Correna Haythorpe said.
“We are launching the Fair Funding Now campaign because a fair go for all children is needed now,” Ms Haythorpe said.
All parents, teachers and community members are urged to support the campaign by signing up at FairFundingNow.org.au.
“In 2018 and 2019, we were going to see the biggest ever investment of funding in public schools by the Commonwealth Government, an investment that would have fundamentally transformed the education those children received in our schools,” she said.
“In real terms, this would have meant smaller class sizes, additional teachers and support staff, new literacy and numeracy programs and more.
“Instead, the Turnbull Government cut almost $1.9 billion from public schools in 2018 and 2019 and their school funding changes will leave 87 per cent of public schools below the agreed Schooling Resource Standard by 2023.
“If our leaders can’t commit to ensuring every school is at 100 per cent of the resourcing standard, then they should look at every parent and teacher in the eye and explain to them why their children aren’t a priority.”
Social media, outdoor advertising, and targeted action in 18 marginal federal seats including door knocking and phone banking, will form part of the Fair Funding Now campaign.
“We will be active in every school community across Australia making the case for Fair Funding Now and we won’t back down until every child is given a fair go,” Ms Haythorpe said.