Full funding of public schools at risk if federal election changes government
EMBARGO: Saturday 15 March 2025
The NSW Teachers Federation will launch a major election campaign this Saturday to protect a landmark $4.8 billion funding agreement that will fully fund NSW public schools for the first time in history and transform educational outcomes for 2.6 million public school students (785,000 in NSW).
Hundreds of teachers will gather at the NSW Teachers Federation headquarters as a mobile billboard departs to travel through target electorates. The campaign will feature advertising, events and letterboxing. NSW Education Minister Prue Car, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare, Teachers Federation President Henry Rajendra, and P&C representatives will attend the launch.
PRESS CONFERENCE: Teachers and parents will be joined by Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare, NSW Education Minister, Prue Car and Teachers Federation President Henry Rajendra, to launch a federal election campaign to protect the historic funding agreement WHEN: Saturday 15 March, 10:15am WHERE: 22-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills |
"This historic agreement will increase funding to NSW public schools from the current 91 percent of what they need to 100 percent," said Henry Rajendra, President of the NSW Teachers Federation. "Once implemented, this additional funding is equivalent to a 20 percent increase in teachers for our public schools. Public schools in NSW educate proportionally 2.6 times the number of students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds compared to private schools, and 2.9 times the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Without this funding, students will continue to miss out on essential resources."
The recently signed agreement between the state and federal governments will increase the federal contribution to the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) from 20% to 25% and end accounting practices that artificially inflated state contributions by counting depreciation costs.
Teachers are concerned that a change of government could jeopardize this vital funding, pointing to Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume's public doubts about the agreement and the previous Coalition government's education funding cuts in 2013. Over a decade of targeted neglect has resulted in a widening achievement gulf, with the gap between high and low socio-economic students expanding from 1.4 years to 2.3 years in Year 3, and from 4.4 years to 5.1 years in Year 9.
The campaign will highlight what's at stake for NSW students and teachers. Research shows that 28.9% of public schools have high concentrations of disadvantage compared to just 5.6% of independent schools, underscoring the urgency of full funding.
"While public schools have been operating with only 91 percent of the resources they need, private schools have been receiving more than 100 percent," Rajendra added. "Recent research shows that 59.6% of private schools in NSW now receive more combined government funding per student than comparable public schools. This agreement finally addresses this inequity."
The education funding agreement complements the Albanese Government's broader education initiatives, including Fee-Free TAFE and a $12.6 billion investment in vocational education.
For media inquiries: Nick Lucchinelli 0422229032