Weeks after the federal government backflipped on the Gonski 2.0 needs-based school funding, increasing funding for non-government schools, the federal Labor Opposition has pledged an extra $14 billion for public schools over the next decade. From The AFR:
The announcement, to be made by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Labor’s education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek, will be in addition to the $27 billion already committed by the Coalition towards public and private schools over the next decade, taking the total to $41 billion.
The extra money for public schools will come with strings attached. The states will have to lift their own spending on education and meet performance targets.
This is clever policy by Labor, and paints the Coalition as supporting elite independent schools while Labor supports struggling public schools.
