FED: $1.5 billion needed to reverse Howard's school legacy: AEU

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2008
FED: $1.5 billion needed to reverse Howard's school legacy: AEU

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By Julian Drape

CANBERRA, Aug 27 AAP - The Rudd government needs to invest at least $1.5 billion in
public education just to restore the sector's commonwealth funding share to 1996 levels,
a new report says.

The study, commissioned by the Australian Education Union (AEU), says that without
urgent action public school funding will be cut in real terms within three years.

Government schools' share of commonwealth funding declined from 43 per cent to 35 per
cent under the Howard government, and will drop further to just 33.8 per cent by 2011-12,
University of Sydney academic Jim McMorrow says in Reviewing the Evidence.

The report draws on budget papers since 1995-96 and current forward estimates to compare
commonwealth funding of public and private schools.

The Rudd government has promised to maintain the existing schools funding formula until 2012.

But Dr McMorrow said Labor had inherited "funding arrangements for schools that are
riddled with anomalies and flaws".

"The only way out in the longer term is for a root and branch review of the arrangements
involving all funding partners," his report states.

But in the interim, "$1.5 billion for government schools would be required merely to
reclaim the sector shares in place at the outset of the Howard years".

AEU president Angelo Gavrielatos said the report showed the previous coalition government's
policies created a system of gross inequity.

"If continued (they) will result in a cut in real terms for the school system that
educates the majority of Australian children," he said.

"Howard government policies benefited non-government schools by almost $3 billion in
real terms, a funding advantage of around $2.5 billion over the real increases provided
for government schools."

Mr Gavrielatos said the drafting of new federal school funding legislation should be
used to redress "years of neglect".

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