Budget's second-class funding for public education

Peter Mac

Last week's federal budget was remarkable, not just for its open 
disdain for the poor, but for its almost total neglect of public 
education and outrageous failings.

Far from moving to eliminate funding for private schools, the 
budget doesn't even attempt to correct the current gross funding 
imbalance, with 69 percent of its funding going to the private 
education sector for the 2005-2008 quadrennium.

As the Australian Education Union has pointed out, by the 
beginning of the 2007/2008 financial year public schools will 
receive only 31 percent of the total and 26 percent of the 
recurrent [as against capital] expenditure provided by the 
Australian Federal Government for schools!

The government is applying the "funding guarantee" formula for 
private schools that would otherwise have lost out over the 
introduction of the government "socio-economic status" (SES) 
grants formula. This exercise alone will cost the taxpayer $4.8 
million.

The government has introduced a special "Values for Life 
Initiative" intended to re-affirm its recent slanderous claims 
that public schools are "valueless" (i.e. they do not inculcate 
proper social values in their students). This is not good value 
in any sense of the word. Apart from the fact that public schools 
are already heavily involved in introducing such values (not all 
to Howard's liking) to their students, the program's $34.7 
million cost will actually include some $18 million taken from 
the New Apprenticeship Program, which has now been axed. What 
sort of values does that represent?

One of the programs introduced by the government is ostensibly 
intended to boost the number of science, mathematics and 
technology teachers. However, the $38.8 million allocated to this 
program is to be spread over seven years. That's not nearly so 
impressive! The $5.5 million per annum this represents will 
hardly make a dint in Australia's crying need for teachers in 
these areas. 

The government has discussed its drug education program with 
considerable pride. However, there has not actually been any 
increase in the funding for this program. Its funding is part of 
a program previously allocated for a four-year period.

Neglect of TAFE

One of the worst aspects of the budget is its total neglect of 
the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) system. Earlier this 
year the Howard Government refused to provide additional funding 
for students who missed out on TAFE places. As a result the state 
and federal governments failed to reach agreement on future TAFE 
funding, leaving these students (now numbering some 50,000) still 
without access to TAFE places.

The TAFE system will also suffer increased pressure on equipment 
and resources, further casualisation of TAFE teachers, increased 
fee and material costs for students, skill shortages in industry, 
and particular pressures on regional and remote area TAFE 
institutions.

Pat Forward, Federal TAFE Secretary for the Australian Education 
Union, commented: "Unless additional funds are found urgently for 
the system, many thousands of young people will be turned away 
from TAFE. This reduces their options for the future and consigns 
them to long periods of unemployment.

"Australia needs a well-resourced public TAFE system if it is to 
provide the skills needed for industry. Most importantly, it 
needs to provide opportunities for young people to gain 
employment, and to embark on their life-long path of contribution 
to Australia's future."