Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne "poured kerosene on the fire" during a meeting with his state and territory counterparts, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says.
Mr Pyne met with education ministers in Sydney on Friday after he revealed this week the federal government would honour only one year of funding agreements entered into with the previous Labor regime.
The state ministers left the meeting angry that Mr Pyne could not provide greater clarity on his plans for 2015 and beyond, and was targeting public schools to bear the brunt of any cuts.
Mr Shorten told AAP that Labor would oppose any reneging on the agreements.
"Rather than calming the widespread concerns at the meeting of education ministers, Christopher Pyne has poured kerosene on the fire," he said.
"Not content with breaking Tony Abbott's election promise to maintain Labor's education reforms, Christopher Pyne is now singling out public schools to take the bulk of his cuts.
"This is absolutely disgraceful, unforeseen and completely unjustified."
He said the Gonski reforms were recognised across the schools sector as aimed at lifting standards.
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