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School funding looms for new minister

The federal government's needs-based school funding model will be high on Education Minister Dan Tehan's priorities for his first day in his new role.

Dan Tehan MP is being sworn-in as Australian Education Minister.
New Education Minister Dan Tehan has been told by PM to "move quickly" on school funding model. (AAP)

Education Minister Dan Tehan's first day on the job is likely to be focused on a new schools funding model, after the prime minister told him they have to "move quickly".

The government's needs-based education funding model, proposed by former education minister Simon Birmingham, seeks to rejig how funding for schools is calculated.

"We're going to bring that home and we're going to bring everybody in the schools sector with us," Mr Morrison said.

"We'll be reaching out and concluding the work that Simon and Malcolm started and ensuring that we can complete that job."

Hailed by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as the biggest-ever education funding reform, the deal boosts schools funding to $23.5 billion over the next decade.

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But despite funding legislation passing federal parliament last year, long-term agreements have not been signed by the states and territories.

However the National Catholic Education Commission says Catholic schools are worse-off under the new deal.

Catholic schools pool their government funding, which is then divided between the schools based on need.

"We're trying to protect the right of families to choose an affordable non-government school education for their children," a National Catholic Education Commission spokesman told AAP.

"Non-government school families need fair and certain funding arrangements to enable them to make long-term choices about their children's education. Many do not have that currently."


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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