By Andrew Rimington
The Gonski report on funding for Australian schools was two years in the making and after a further nine months the Federal Government announced its formal response this week.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has pledged an additional $6.5 billion a year for school education from the Commonwealth, state and territory governments through a process of collaboration and co-operation, but it would appear more aspirational than an agreed commitment at this stage.
It is fine to identify priorities around a new funding model (but without any detail), higher standards for teachers and extra training, autonomy for principals, better information, school improvement plans and so on. However, the key point here is missed. We are still seeing many young people leaving school early, not able to read and write at the required levels.
Given that there is an investment of about $40 billion a year in the school system, around $400 billion has been spent over the past decade. Despite this investment, the performance of Australia’s education system by international measure has dropped significantly.
With additional funding, $500 billion could be invested over the next decade, but will there be any improvement? The Prime Minister hopes for Australia to be a top performer by 2025, but will this happen? Probably not.
It’s not just about extra dollars. It’s about curriculum frameworks, the way students are taught and the development of student capability from early childhood through to secondary education.
Programs need to link to industry skills needs. Until there is a thorough review of the school education system then this increased investment will again miss the mark. Employers will continue to have unfilled roles, while large numbers of disengaged young school leavers, without skill and without hope, will still be in the dole queue.
VECCI champions education and training excellence to meet Victoria’s skills challenges now and into the future. Visit our website for a list of initiatives we’re involved in, including Employ Outside The Box.
