Stop distorting the facts, it’s time for the full Gonski

Stop distorting the facts, it’s time for the full Gonski

National Catholic education executive director Jacinta Collins says it’s time for fringe commentators and the Australian Education Union (AEU) to stop the distorted reporting on school funding, and for all sectors to realise the full Gonski commitment to Australian education.

“Under the cover of reasonable calls to bring public schools up to 100% of the SRS, fringe commentators, like Save our Schools and Pasi Sahlberg, along with the AEU, are arguing for the end of school choice in this country.

“This is despite a 200 year-long Australian tradition, increasing demand from families, decades of commitment by both major political parties, and a strong track record of delivering social infrastructure including the most bang for buck in the delivery of taxpayer dollars during the Global Financial Crisis.

“Noone is arguing against public schools getting to 100% of the SRS. It was only in 2023 that Catholic schools achieved 100% (which is discounted by families’ capacity to contribute, which in some cases is as much as 80 per cent of the full SRS).

“Cherry-picked examples of a handful of independent schools in high SES areas paints the picture of a great divide between public and ‘private’ schools, but they are highly distorted and misrepresent the diversity of the sector.

“Are the so-called ‘funding wars’ really about funding or are they fuelled by an ideological fervour to rid Australian families of choice, pluralism and freedom?

“Gonski was about fair funding and educational excellence for all students, not at the expense of one sector over another.”