Gonski plan to lift standards not fees: PM

20 Aug 2012, 3:38 pm   -   Source: AAP
The government's new funding model will recognise the diversity of Australian schools. (File: AAP)

The government's new funding model will recognise the diversity of Australian schools. (File: AAP)

The release of the federal government's plan to reform school funding is imminent but opposition leader Tony Abbott questions if it can be implemented.

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Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has cast doubts on whether the Labor government will deliver school funding reform, given the financial constraints on federal and state budgets.

But Prime Minister Julia Gillard insists not only is it possible but all schools will get the funding boost recommended by businessman David Gonski and his schools funding review panel.

Mr Gonski's review released in February proposed federal and state governments inject at least an extra $5 billion a year into the education system, with at least 70 per cent coming from the states.

The government's response is due to be released next month, 10 months since it received the document.

"Our funding model will recognise the diversity and uniqueness of Australian schools and will support the choices parents make about the best school for their child," Ms Gillard told a national independent schools forum in Canberra on Monday.

"We have a chance to do more than just end the era of the public-private debate: we can start the era of the schools standards debate."

Ms Gillard also pledged every independent school would see an increase in funding above current levels under the new deal.

"The plan will lift school standards, not school fees," she said.

But Mr Abbott told the forum the only way to ensure no school was worse off was to stick with the current funding model.

The model, designed by the Howard government and based on the socio-economic status (SES) of schools, was criticised in the Gonski report for being unnecessarily complex and lacking transparency.

"So far there is nothing substantial, nothing concrete that we have seen that we are confident would be an improvement on the SES funding model," Mr Abbott said.

"I am deeply sceptical that Gonski is doable at this time given all of the other fiscal demands that state and commonwealth governments face."

The federal, state and territory governments are facing tough budget conditions, with most balance sheets in the red.

Independent MP Tony Windsor said budget issues shouldn't stop the funding reforms since there was almost unanimous support for the changes.

"I think there's nothing wrong with debt if you're doing something decent with it," he told journalists.

"Surely the education of our kids and the equalisation of some of their educational opportunities is an investment."

Mr Windsor was speaking outside Parliament House where the public sector Australian Education Union (AEU) marked the six months since the Gonski review's public release by planting symbolic hands.

The cardboard hands contained the names of all 6700 public schools and were signed by school principals, parents and union representatives.

Ms Gillard joined in planting a hand in support of reform.

AEU federal president Angelo Gavrielatos said the high cost of the Gonski review was the consequence of the federal government's decision not to cut any private school funding.

But action was needed soon.

"The opposition will stand condemned if they get in the way of this legislation," he told reporters.

The coalition has pledged to dismantle any legislative changes that undermine non-government school funding.

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said this committed the coalition to continuing an "unfair, ineffective and inequitable" system.

"Tony Abbott needs to accept that equality of opportunity means equal access to educational opportunity," she told reporters.

"If he's not prepared to support that then he's not supporting equal access."

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