The Commonwealth wants other states and territories to follow Western Australia’s lead in signing a deal on education funding which will see it become the first state with fully funded public schools. Public schools are falling short of the minimum funding-levels set out in the 2011 Gonski report and are facing declining academic results and teacher shortages.
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TVTranscript
00:00 With a new school year, there's plenty to be excited about.
00:05 I'm going to play at the big playground, seeing my friends again.
00:09 I got new, I can get new friends.
00:12 And forging alliances in the political playground.
00:16 This is a landmark day for public education.
00:19 Western Australia will become the first state in Australia to fully fund public schools.
00:25 To get there, the Commonwealth is boosting its contribution in WA from 20% to 22.5, or
00:32 $770 million over five years.
00:36 We're very grateful for that huge injection of funding and resourcing.
00:42 That will be matched by the state and will bring us to the magical mark of Fulgonski
00:47 100% of the SRS.
00:49 Except for in the ACT, no public school across the country is on track to be at 100% of what
00:55 David Gonski said was the level they need to be at.
00:59 It's really disappointing that we haven't seen the states step up and of course we haven't
01:04 seen Jason Clare put the blowtorch on the states.
01:07 Jason Clare says negotiations with other states and territories about their funding splits
01:12 with the Commonwealth are well underway.
01:14 This is money that will be used to help children who need it the most.
01:18 And I want to work with my state colleagues to do that in other parts of the country as
01:22 well, but I'm not going to negotiate the deal on telly.
01:25 Our position is that the Commonwealth needs to increase their share by 5%.
01:30 The statement of intent signed by WA today has a no worse off clause, meaning if any
01:35 other state reaches a better deal with the Commonwealth, Western Australia will get the
01:39 same deal.
01:40 The funding injection is set to go towards things like extra tutoring for struggling
01:45 students rolling out to disadvantaged schools first.
01:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]