Victorians won't support a plan to make rich parents pay for public education for their kids.
Premier Daniel Andrews says a federal proposal to means test public education will be opposed at the COAG leaders retreat in July.
"I'll put it on the table and say 'Victorians will not cop this'.... We're not having a situation where a person's parents' income determines the start they get in life," Mr Andrews said on Monday.
He said the federal government's commitment to the Gonski education funding reforms was definitely in doubt.
"I think that (Christopher) Pyne and Mr Abbott have got very little interest in an equity-based funding model that's sector-blind and deals with the needs of kids in every part of our country in every school," he said.
"It seems to me Mr Abbott keeps missing, keeps forgetting the fundamental planks of Australian society."
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy doesn't think state schools should be means tested.
"As the only leader of any political party in this state for 20, maybe 30 years, who was educated at a state school, from primary school to year 12, it is my absolute belief that state education should be there for all," he said.
The prime minister's department was reported to be considering options to reform school funding, including the possibility of the commonwealth taking over the education field and charging richer parents to use public schools.
But Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne has ruled out charging rich parents who send their kids to public schools.
Mr Guy said he hoped that clarification from Mr Pyne "has put an absolute full stop at the end of that sentence."
Share
