Schools Bill attack on choice in education
20th October, 2008
Local non-government schools in Wide Bay face new threats to their federal funding under changes that Labor has introduced into Federal Parliament, Member for Wide Bay, Warren Truss said today“Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard is on the record as a firm non-government schools sceptic. Ms Gillard thinks that all private schools are wealthy. She discounts the important role that Catholic and small independent schools serve in local communities, offering parents choice and alternative education streams,” Mr Truss said.
Under the Rudd Government’s proposed funding agreement, Ms Gillard will have the power to withhold or stop funding to local independent schools, for reasons other than the ongoing financial viability of the school.
Schools that offer a different or alternative education streams can have their funding cut off if they refuse to conform to the uncompleted national curriculum. To maintain funding schools will have to agree to a curriculum they have not even seen.
“It has been revealed that the National History Curriculum is currently being drafted by a former Communist Party member and the English Curriculum by someone who doesn’t believe literacy skills and competency are important,” Mr Truss said.
Additionally, for the first time non-government schools will have to disclose all sources of funding so they can be published, even if the funding comes from the school fete or the chocolate raffle.
This information is not required to calculate non-government schools Federal funding, which is based on the income of the parents of students.
“Why does the Federal Government require fund raising information which often is reinvested in the school or the community, beyond that which is used to calculate how much money schools will get?”
“Julia Gillard is already planning a review of how non-government schools are funded in 2010, and armed with all this information it seems she is positioning the Government to adopt failed Labor Leader Mark Latham’s Private School Hit List.
“The Federal Opposition will be seeking to amend several aspects of this Bill to protect Australian students, schools and parents, ensuring their right to choice in education.” Mr Truss said.
