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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-07-03 Daily Xml
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School Funding

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (12:37): I move:

That this house—

(a) condemns the Abbott government for cuts to South Australian public, Catholic and independent school funding under South Australia's bilateral Gonski agreement with the Australian government;

(b) notes the cut to the indexation rate by the Abbott government from an agreed 4.7 per cent to CPI, currently estimated at 2.5 per cent, and the freeze to the additional contribution which is estimated to reduce federal funding for South Australian public, Catholic and independent schools by $335 million over 2018 and 2019; and

(c) calls on the Abbott government to honour South Australian public, Catholic and independent school funding arrangements in full under the National Education Reform Agreement between the Australian government and the government of South Australia.

Education is the most powerful tool we can use to give every South Australian child the best possible start in life. As education reformer John Dewey said:

Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.

For some of us in this place and for thousands of South Australian children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, high-quality and accessible education is a key—a key that unlocks the door to a decent and secure job or paves the way to accessing higher education, sometimes as the first member of a family to do so, or simply provides a platform for improved self-esteem and confidence to fully participate in our community.

A key and enduring value of the South Australian Labor Party is to ensure that no South Australian is left behind, and this value was articulated as one of the key tenets of our election platform. Education was therefore at the heart of that platform:

a platform which provided additional support to students by expanding counselling services to every single primary school—every single one;

a platform to provide more opportunities for students to excel in their area of interest; and

crucially, a platform to deliver on our full six-year commitment to the Gonski agreement.

I think it is important that this house reflects on the Gonski school funding agreement:

an historic school funding agreement between two governments;

an agreement to ensure that students who need extra help get it;

an agreement which would provide an extra $1.1 billion in funding for South Australian schools between 2014 and 2019;

an agreement that would ensure a fairer and more consistent model of school funding with greater equity, transparency and accountability; and

an agreement that would make a real difference to children in every suburb and every region of our state no matter what background they come from nor which school they go to.

Members may recall that the federal Tony Abbott Liberal government went to the last federal election, just 9½ months ago, saying they were on a unity ticket with Labor on school funding. Specifically, Mr Abbott said, 'There is no difference between Kevin Rudd and myself when it comes to school funding.' I am not sure that Tony Abbott understands what 'unity' means. What a betrayal of the South Australian community that, once elected, we see the federal Liberal government renege on their commitment to South Australian children through the Gonski agreement.

In the 2014 federal budget, the Abbott government announced that school funding from 2018 onwards would be indexed at CPI and enrolments. The same budget papers estimate CPI at 2.5 per cent—about half of the 4.7 per cent indexation rate in the agreed Gonski agreement. Indexing school funding to CPI and freezing the additional contribution under the Gonski agreement amounts to a $335 million cut from years 5 and 6 of our signed agreement for South Australian public, independent and Catholic schools. Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne have effectively torn up our Gonski agreement. They have callously torn up a contract with the people of South Australia, a contract with parents, a commitment to our students.

I know that these cuts will be devastating to our schools. They amount to roughly $1,280 per student. In my electorate of Reynell this means a loss of $5.6 million in federal funding, resources and support—$5.6 million. That is the equivalent of 50 teachers, or 65 student support officers. At Christies Beach High School and Southern Vocational College, it means a cut of $1,462,000. At Wirreanda High School, it means a cut of $1,103,000. At Christies Beach Primary School, it means a cut of $468,000.

At Pimpala Primary School, a cut of $457,000; at Flaxmill School, $404,000; at Morphett Vale East School, $394,000. At Christie Downs Primary School, it means a cut of $348,000. At Morphett Vale Primary School, it means a cut of $340,000; at Coorara Primary School, a cut of $303,000. At O'Sullivan Beach Primary School, it means a cut of $256,000. At Lonsdale Heights Primary School, it means a cut of $124,000. Again, a total of $5,659,000 cut from schools in Reynell—50 teachers and 65 student support officers. That is extra support that students in my local community will no longer have.

The federal Liberal government has broken its promise to South Australians on school funding, but I am proud that we are keeping ours. Over the next four years, our Treasurer and minister Rankine have confirmed that the state government is committed to our share of the bargain: an additional $72.3 million under the Gonski agreement for all South Australian schools increasing to $229.9 million over the full six years. I am proud to be part of a government that puts students and their education first and keeps its promise to ensure that no South Australian is left behind.

I will continue to campaign against the federal Liberal Abbott government cuts to education. We on this side of the chamber stand shoulder to shoulder with both government and non-government schools and, importantly, our communities in this fight. And fight we will for every child to access high quality education so that they, too, can find their pathway and they, too, can feel confident to participate in our community.

What remains to be seen is whether those opposite will join us in this fight. Will, for example, the member for Bright, whose electorate neighbours Reynell, stand up for schools in his area? I would be really happy to fight alongside him for the $797,000 cut to Brighton Primary School, for the $1,808,000 cut to Brighton Secondary School, for the $462,000 cut from Hallett Cove East Primary School, for the $1,633,000 cut from Hallett Cove School, for the $209,000 cut from Hallett Cove South Primary School, for the $28,000 cut from the Kilparrin Teaching and Assessment School and Services, for the $564,000 cut from the Paringa Park Primary School, and for the $512,000 cut from the Seacliff Primary School.

I look forward to working with him and all of those opposite, anyone who is committed to supporting South Australian students.

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (12:46): I rise today to speak in favour of the motion moved by the member for Reynell, which among other things calls on the house to condemn the Abbott government for cuts to South Australian public, Catholic and independent school funding under South Australia's bilateral Gonski agreement with the Australian government and calls on the Abbott government to honour South Australian public, Catholic and independent school funding arrangements in full under the National Education Reform Agreement between the Australian government and the South Australian government.

I think it is fair to say that we all want our education system, our schools and our teachers to be the best they can be and that we all want our children to have the best chance to build a fulfilling future on the foundation of a strong education in well-resourced schools. We all want our schoolchildren to have the greatest opportunities they can. Continuing to invest in our schools, in our teachers and school support officers, and in our children is a way to ensure those opportunities are met.

The member for Sturt, Christopher Pyne, and the Liberals campaigned on a unity ticket at the last election, so they said. We were led to believe in the end that we were all on the same page when, after more backflips I have to say than a gymnastics championship, the federal Liberals said that they would honour the Gonski pact; they would honour the funding already committed to our schools. But now the member for Sturt and the federal Liberals describe our agreement as a 'bonus or blue sky promise'.

If those opposite will not stand with the Weatherill Labor government and, most tellingly, with the many members of the community from around Australia against the federal Liberal cuts, if they will not protest the trashing of the historic Gonski agreement, we can only take their silence, their inaction, to mean that they agree with the member for Sturt and Prime Minister Abbott.

The state Labor government has always put education first. Funding per student has doubled since Labor came to government in this state. We, on this side, care that children in South Australian schools have the best schools in the nation. We want them to have the best opportunities. We are now led to believe that the member for Sturt, Christopher Pyne, the federal education minister, does not place the same importance on our schools as we on this side do.

As education minister, not only is he supporting the withdrawal from the full commitment to the Gonski schools funding agreement, but he is leading the charge. The actions of the federal government will result in South Australian schools receiving less federal funding than schools in other states. The 2014-15 Abbott government budget cuts will cut $335 million from South Australian school funding across 2018-19. This equates to an average of $1,280 per student or around 3,000 teachers across the state.

The state Weatherill government wants the federal Abbott government to reverse its decision, and I know that schools in my electorate of Torrens and I am sure schools in the member for Sturt’s electorate do too. In the case of just the six public primary schools and one state secondary school in my electorate of Torrens, the member for Sturt’s cuts will mean approximately $2.4 million left for the education of local schoolchildren. Under these cuts by the federal Liberal government:

Athelstone School, in the member for Sturt’s electorate and state electorate of Morialta, will be $421,000 worse off;

Burnside Primary School, in the electorate of Bragg, will be $954,000 worse off;

Charles Campbell College, in the state electorate of Morialta, will be $1,421,000 worse off;

Dernancourt School in my electorate of Torrens, $403,000;

East Marden Primary School, in the state electorate of Hartley, will be $714,000 worse off;

East Torrens Primary School in Hartley, $402,000;

Felixstow Community School, again in Hartley, $87,000;

Gilles Plains Primary School, again in the electorate of Torrens, $143,000;

Glenunga International High School, for the member for Unley, $1,956,000 is what Glenunga International High School will be missing out on;

Highbury Primary School, in the member for Newland’s electorate, $737,000;

Linden Park Primary School in Bragg, $1,041,000;

Magill School, again in Hartley, $1,043,000;

Marden Senior College in the Leader of the Opposition’s seat of Dunstan, $1,571,000;

Marryatville Primary School, again in Dunstan, $628,000;

Norwood Morialta High School in Hartley, $1,906,000;

Open Access College in Dunstan, $1,101,000;

Paradise Primary School in Morialta, $262,000;

Stradbroke School, again in Morialta, $959,000;

Thorndon Park Primary School in Morialta, $284,000;

Trinity Gardens Primary School in Dunstan, $851,000;

Vale Park Primary School in Dunstan, $462,000;

Wandana Primary School in Florey, $257,000; and

Windsor Gardens Vocational College in Torrens, $674,000

The Weatherill government is delivering on our commitment to Gonski. The 2014 state budget includes the fully agreed Gonski funding commitment of an extra $72.3 million over the forward estimates for all South Australian schools. This increases to an extra $229.9 million over the full six years of our agreement.

The government has worked with representatives of principals, teachers and school communities to distribute Gonski funding for 2014. Under the 2014 distribution, all schools received additional funding. Funding under our six-year agreement with the commonwealth grows each year, with the majority of additional funding in years five and six of our agreement. This increases to an extra $229.9 million over the full six years of our agreement.

As minister Rankine has already stated, we want to see Christopher Pyne’s cuts reversed. We will continue to campaign against the Abbott government's brutal cuts to education, which will result in poorer education outcomes in South Australian schools. I think it is fair to call upon those opposite to stand up to their Liberal colleagues in the federal parliament, stand up for South Australia, stand up for South Australian schools, South Australian schoolchildren and South Australian families. That is what their job in here is to do.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development) (12:55): I thank the member for Reynell for bringing this motion to the house and thank her for her words and for those of the member for Torrens, and I thank both of them their very strong support of their local schools. I know that they are incredibly concerned about these Gonski cuts.

I reiterate what both members have said: we are looking for bipartisan support from the elected members of this parliament to stand up for their schools. They have many schools in their electorates and they are going to suffer considerably. We really want this to be a united voice. We have the support of Liberal governments and Liberal ministers in other states that are prepared to stand up to Christopher Pyne and Tony Abbott. It appears all we are getting from the opposition in this place is silence. The Leader of the Opposition has said publicly that they oppose some of the health and education cuts. Let's hear what they are. Please stand up.

Last week I was in the Riverland, Jamestown and Port Pirie, and I visited a number of schools, including Renmark North Primary School, Gladstone High and Risdon Park Primary School. It was an opportunity to officially open millions of dollars of new facilities, including the new Riverland Special School (and the member for Chaffey joined me), new children's centres in Port Pirie and Jamestown, and a new administration building for the John Pirie Secondary School.

At each school, I experienced warmth and enthusiasm and had the privilege of watching students' performances and viewing their work, chatting to staff and to parents. It was wonderful to get a glimpse of the teaching and learning that takes place in each school and to see strong community involvement and support. It was heartbreaking, however, to see this work undermined by the millions of dollars of cuts by the Abbott government.

In failing to honour the last two years of our signed Gonski agreement, Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne are cutting $335 million out of schools in South Australia, and as we have heard, roughly $1,280 per student. It equates to an additional 3,000 teachers in our schools. In the seat of Chaffey schools will lose $6.97 million. For the Riverland Special School, that is $78,000 taken out of their budget; for Renmark North Primary School, $244,000. I visited Cobdogla Primary School, a small school—$101,000 would make a big difference to that school. This is a cruel blow for these schools and their local communities.

In this house on Tuesday, the member for Chaffey made comment about my visit to the Riverland. He said, 'I had the education minister detailing that I had no concept of regional education.' Deputy Speaker, can I correct that record: I never said that at all. What I did say was the member for Chaffey, Tim Whetstone, along with his colleague David Pisoni, remained silent on this issue.

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Families in the Riverland in the towns of Renmark—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: We have a point of order.

Mr PENGILLY: It is inappropriate to refer to the names of members.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: She's reading from a press release and used their seats as well.

Mr PENGILLY: Well, I seek your—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No point of order. Minister.

Mr PISONI: Point of order.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, the minister is going to seek leave to continue her remarks and then we will worry about it when that starts.

Mr PISONI: Point of order: the Speaker has already ruled that you cannot read from your own press release to include people's names in Hansard.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well, I will have to confer with the Speaker and we will get back to you later. Minister, would you like to seek leave to continue your remarks?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I will seek leave.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 12:59 to 14:00.

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