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Making public schools in NSW an Abbott-free zone
Greens announce Public Education for the 21st Century funding plan
Media release: 18 March 2015
The Greens today released a fully-costed, budget-neutral plan to provide public schools in NSW with
the full Gonski funding amounts, including the critical last two years of federal contributions.
The Greens' plan would redirect all the $1 billion of annual state-based funding of non-government
schools to public education. Because of substantial increases in Commonwealth government subsidies
to the private and Catholic sectors, no non-government school would be worse off than it was in 2003.
Public schools would benefit by seeing substantial increases in funds for equity programs and students
with disability.
The plan would also deliver to NSW public schools their full Gonski amounts, both state and federal,
despite the Abbott government's breach of its election promise to fully fund the needs-based model for
all six years of the National Education Reform Agreement.
The Greens plan would also see TAFE fees eliminated and additional funds to support the restoration
of teaching and support destroyed by the Smart and Skilled competitive training market.
Funding would be provided for an additional 1,000 public preschool teachers, moving NSW closer to
the Greens' objective of two years of education before every child in NSW enters school.
In addition, the Greens would provide $3.5 billion over the next ten years for new public schools and
classrooms to end overcrowding and eliminate the maintenance backlog. As part of the Greens'
infrastructure plan, the money does not require the sale of the wires and poles.
Media comments
Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "Unless the state steps in, the Abbott government's shameful deceit
on Gonski will deny public schools the promised funding that recognises the resources needed to
accomplish the heavy lifting tasks.
"The time has come to throw down the gauntlet to governments and the private school lobby who are
enshrining educational privilege at the expense of public schools.
"While NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli has shown admirable commitment to the National
Agreement, he cannot sit back and allow his federal colleagues to assassinate the Gonski process. The
NSW government has the funds. They just need the courage to free them up from the private school
lobby.
"Throughout their sixteen years in office, NSW state Labor ran cover for wealthy private schools,
knowing that the money was desperately needed in public education.
"This is their opportunity to show they are different to their Victorian Labor colleagues and their great
backstab of public schools in that state.
"There are funds in the state's budget to secure the Gonski benefits for public schools, a better deal for
students with disabilities and disadvantaged communities, 1,000 new pre-school teachers and free
TAFE.
"The Greens plan would insulate NSW public schools from Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his
termination of the phase-in of Gonski funding.
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"Tony Abbott has ripped up the Gonski agreement by terminating the phase-in before the critical last
two years where most of the growth in funding to public schools was scheduled to occur.
"He has forced a debate about education spending priorities. The only rational response is to ensure
that public funds are directed to where they are most needed.
"NSW non-government schools have been the recipients of 12 years of
Commonwealth subsidies.
spectacular growth in
"The generosity of successive Labor and Liberal-National Commonwealth governments has seen
subsidies grow by $1.15 billion over the past twelve years. That is more than the amount that state
governments give to the sector.
"The Greens want to reclaim those funds and put them into public schools, TAFE colleges and
preschools where they will make a real difference.
"No non-government school would be worse off than they were in 2003. Public schools and TAFE
colleges would be able to deliver education and support that meets the needs of their students," Dr
Kaye said.
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455
Public Education for the 21st Century – details:

Redirect all of the state funding of non-government schools to public education. No
independent or Catholic school would receive less combined state or federal funding than it did in
2003.
Benefit to public schools: $4.4 billion over 4 years.

Full Gonski funding for NSW public schools. Additional state funds to public schools in 2018
and 2019 equal to the additional amount that would have been provided by the federal
government if the full 6 years of the National Education Reform Agreement.
Benefit to public schools: $744 million in 2018 and 2019, with money available to continue the
Gonski reforms for public schools in later years.

Equity and special needs funding for NSW. Additional funds to support students with special
needs and schools serving disadvantaged communities. The annual quantities reduce after 2017
as Gonski funding increases. This funding brings forward some of the benefits of needs-based
funding for public schools.
Benefit to public schools: $1.9 billion over 4 years for more teachers and support.

Additional preschool funding. Funding to move NSW towards two years of free public preschool
for all 3 and 4 years old children.
Benefit to public pre-schools: $420 million over 4 years, funding up to 1,000 new pre-school
teachers.

Free access to a repaired TAFE: As announced earlier in the Greens' Fund TAFE First plan1, the
Greens would eliminate TAFE fees and provide funds to restore equity, special needs and
outreach programs. The funding would come on top of the $600 million a year restored to TAFE's
secure budget by cancelling the competitive market.
Benefit to TAFE students: $1.3 billion over the 4 year period, to restore class sizes, contact hours
and support functions, re-hire experts and teachers and remove fees for almost all TAFE students.
1
http://nsw.greens.org.au/news/nsw/fund-tafe-first-greens-paint-alternative-vision-training-privatisation
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
Ending over-crowding in public schools, building new schools to meet the demand and
eliminating the maintenance backlog: Funded from the Greens' infrastructure package2, in
which a $20 billion loan is serviced and repaid by revenue from higher taxes on poker machines in
super-profitable clubs, a vendor duty on property speculators and maintaining duties on big
business transactions.
Benefit to public schools: $3.5 billion over the next ten years to build 389 new public primary
school classrooms, 60 new high schools and implement $500 million of refurbishment and
maintenance to remove the backlog.
Greens' Public education for the 21st century recurrent spending:
($m)
Gonski
Equity
Special needs
Preschool
Total - Public schools
TAFE
Total
2016
2017
230
417
103
750
309
2018
230
170
300
107
807
318
2019
514
78
160
110
862
328
Total
744
672
1,277
420
3,114
1,255
Average
372
168
319
105
778
314
194
400
100
694
300
994
1,059
1,126
1,190
4,369
1,092
Data sources: Gonski funding shortfall from NSW DEC data3 where it is assumed that the actual federal
NERA contribution for 2018 and 2019 is frozen at 2017 levels, and inflated at about 5.7 percent.
Note: Funding for special needs and equity decline as the Gonski funding increases in 2018 and 2019
and provides additional support in those areas.
No independent or Catholic school worse off than 2003
Commonwealth government annual financial assistance to Catholic and independent schools has
grown by $1.15 billion since 2003 after inflation. This is greater than the total state government
funding of these schools ($0.94 billion in 2015).
Figure 1: NSW and Commonwealth funding of non-government schools in NSW
http://nsw.greens.org.au/economy
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/about-us/news-at-det/media-releases1/budget-2013agreement.pdf
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3
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$m (2015)
2003
2015
Increase
NSW
802
944
142
C'wlth
1,656
2,804
1,148
Total
2,457
3,748
1,291
Table 1: Public funding of non-government schools in NSW for 2003, adjusted for inflation
to 2015 dollars, and for 2015. (Data sources: 2003 state and Commonwealth budgets;
National Education Reform Agreement NSW Budget 2013/14 Fact Sheet - NSW Department
of Education and Communities4; RBA inflation calculator and state budgets inflation
estimates)
Total public funding of the sector, adjusted for inflation, has increased by $1.29 billion, which is
substantially more than the $0.94 billion state funding.
The massive growth in Commonwealth subsidies of Catholic and private schools has dominated the
sector.
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/about-us/news-at-det/media-releases1/budget-2013agreement.pdf
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